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Bridge of Spies

Play trailer 1:43 Poster for Bridge of Spies PG-13 2015 2h 21m History Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 314 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks), recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man's freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.
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Bridge of Spies

Bridge of Spies

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Critics Consensus

Bridge of Spies finds new life in Hollywood's classic Cold War espionage thriller formula, thanks to reliably outstanding work from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

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Critics Reviews

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Olly Richards The Times (UK) 07/11/2022
There are no directing bells and whistles here, just a grown-up story expertly told. Go to Full Review
Claudia Puig The Asahi Shimbun GLOBE (Japan) 12/19/2016
3.5/4
Director Steven Spielberg gives audiences a meticulously composed espionage thriller, which establishes a tense atmosphere from the start and keeps the viewer engaged throughout. [Full review in Japanese] Go to Full Review
Jason Bailey Flavorwire 05/03/2016
This is a filmmaker with a lifetime of skill and experience, crafting his vintage pictures with style and grace, and we're all better off for it. Go to Full Review
Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand 07/21/2024
Hanks... carries the film as a kind of Cold War Atticus Finch, a husband and father and an American idealist who refuses to betray his client simply because he’s a Soviet spy, and he portrays Donovan’s essential integrity and loyalty without sentiment. Go to Full Review
Ankit Ojha Cinema Elite 07/09/2024
4.5/5
Boasting a deliberate and measured direction of tack-sharp screenplay, it smoothly coasts through themes of privilege, rights, and repute, balancing each in its subtext without making them feel like incomplete lip-service throwaways. Go to Full Review
Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson 02/18/2024
3/5
As an expertly crafted historical drama of intrigue and high character, there's not a thing wrong with it, but not everything Spielberg puts out can be a timeless instant classic. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jacopo D @JacDan 23h In quanto regia, performance attoriali e scrittura della trama (affidata a due maestri del mestiere Joan ed Ethan Coen) il film è impeccabile. Le maestose sale governative e giudiziarie riprese con perfezione da Spielberg, ma in genere molte inquadrature sono bellissime. Manca un po' sul piano dello svolgimento, un po' troppo lento che lo fa risultare un po' noioso. See more Ava S Nov 18 Framed in beautifully saturated cold tones, Bridge of Spies builds gripping tension through its sharp conversations, well-placed courtroom moments, and sly touches of wit. See more Tyler G Nov 2 America at the current moment could take notes about what it means to believe in American ideals of justice, fairness and due process. See more Dame Frances Yates F Oct 11 Never been a Spielberg fan or a Tom Hanks fan but this was an excellent film, well worth watching. I particularly enjoyed the extra production efforts to recreate a moment in time in a place I dreamed of when I was a 6 or 7 year old boy; being a man in a suit working in a presitigious law office in Manhattan and commuting from an upscale suburb of the era was a pleasure to immerse myself in. See more ROY Y Sep 12 When I watch Steven Spielberg’s "Bridge of Spies," I don't primarily see a Cold War thriller. For me, its true substance is that of a moral dissertation. I find it to be less about the geopolitical machinations of superpowers and more about the unflinching adherence of one man to a personal and professional covenant, even when besieged by the hostility of his own nation. When I first articulated my perception of the narrative's climax-as a victory for "justice and love"-I realized it wasn't just an observation but the very thesis upon which the entire structure rests. In the film's protagonist, insurance lawyer James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks), I see a portrait of the "standing man," an individual who operates not on the basis of public opinion or personal comfort, but on a mandate dictated by the Constitution and his own conscience. His initial mandate-to provide a competent legal defense for the captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance)-resonates with my own understanding of a spiritual law of justice: every soul, regardless of its alignment, is entitled to due process under the covenant. When I watch Donovan's methodical pursuit of this justice, ensuring Abel is not merely condemned but judged according to the highest principles of the nation, I see a profound act of faith in the system he serves. I believe he is not defending a spy; he is defending the integrity of the law itself, a concept that confirms my conviction that reality is governed by immutable operational laws. My perception of the film's conclusion as a triumph of "romantic relationships" stems from my identification of the various forms of love at play, which I feel transcend mere sentimentality. I saw the bond forged between Donovan and Abel not as conventional friendship, but as a deep, stoic respect-a form of philia born from a mutual recognition of character. I watched Abel, the quiet and loyal soldier, see in Donovan his own counterpart: a man committed to his code. Their connection became, in my eyes, a covenant of understanding in a world of deception. For me, Donovan’s entire fight is an act of agape, a selfless, principled love for the "other," even an enemy, because his humanity demands it. This agape is what I see driving his perilous mission in East Berlin. His refusal to abandon the American student Frederic Pryor for the more strategically valuable pilot Francis Gary Powers is, for me, the film's moral crux. To the CIA, the men are assets in a cold calculus of exchange. To Donovan, they are men, sons, and his responsibility. He rejects the pragmatic compromise for a more difficult, integrated solution. His ultimate success is therefore not just a legal or diplomatic victory to me; it is the triumph of a paternal, covenantal love that sees and honors the intrinsic value of every individual. The final scenes, where he returns home to the restored harmony of his family, represent for me the successful integration of his public mandate with his private life-a bridging of the "Analyst" and the "family man." See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jun 2 2 hours and 21 minutes based on a true story!!! Rated PG-13 for Some Violence, and Brief Strong Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $72,300,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Read all reviews
Bridge of Spies

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Movie Info

Synopsis During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks), recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man's freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.
Director
Steven Spielberg
Producer
Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt, Kristie Macosko Krieger
Screenwriter
Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Distributor
Walt Disney
Production Co
Studio Babelsberg Independents [de], Afterworks Limited
Rating
PG-13 (Some Violence|Brief Strong Language)
Genre
History, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 16, 2015, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$72.3M
Runtime
2h 21m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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