Bridge of Spies (2015)

Won 1 Oscar
- 30 wins & 104 nominations total

Trivia
Soviet agent Rudolf Ivanovich Abel sent and received coded messages that were hidden inside such things as hollow U.S. coins, bolts, and batteries. The FBI first became aware of Abel's activities in 1953, when Abel's incompetent junior colleague Reino Hayhanen carelessly spent a hollow nickel that ended up in the hands of a paperboy. The Brooklyn newsboy who got the nickel thought it felt too light. He dropped the nickel on the sidewalk, and it popped open, revealing a piece of microfilm with a coded message inside. After Hayhanen's blunders, Abel lost confidence in him and sent him back to the U.S.S.R., which would not have gone well for Hayhanen, who defected in 1957. He showed the FBI how to crack the code and it was Hayhanen who gave up Rudolf Abel. The "Hollow Nickel Case" was also dramatized in The FBI Story (1959).

Goofs
The end titles say that the Soviets never acknowledged Abel as a spy. On the contrary, Rudolf Ivanovich Abel was frequently used as an example of a very successful spy, being able to stay undetected for 8 years in the United States and maintain his silence after being captured. Western journalists were invited to attend Abel's funeral. His gravestone is marked with the KGB crest. Abel also frequently gave public speeches about the importance of intelligence work. Finally, Abel is portrayed on a series of Soviet stamps dedicated to "Soviet Intelligence officers" together with other well known agents such as Kim Philby and K.T. Molody.

Quotes
James Donovan: I have a mandate to serve you. Nobody else does. Quite frankly, everybody else has an interest in sending you to the electric chair.
Rudolf Abel: All right...
James Donovan: You don't seem alarmed.
Rudolf Abel: Would it help?

Connections
Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Tom Hanks/Jessica Chastain/Pentatonix (2015)

Soundtracks
Please Send Me Someone to Love
Written by Percy Mayfield
Performed by Red Garland
Courtesy of Savoy Jazz

In 1957, during the Cold War, the insurance lawyer James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) is assigned by the Bar association to defend in court the Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), who was captured by the FBI. Donovan is successful and Rudolf is sentenced to life imprisonment instead of death penalty. Meanwhile the American pilot and spy Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is arrested by the Soviet government while taking photos from a spy plane that crashed. The CIA summons Donovan to help in the negotiation to exchange the two spies. When Donovan learns that the American student Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers) was arrested in the border of East Berlin while trying to bring his German girlfriend to the West Berlin, he decides to include the student in the negotiation. However his proposal is not supported by the CIA that is interested in Powers only. Further, Powers is prisoner of the soviet government and Pryor is prisoner of the GDR (German Democratic Republic). Will Donovan succeed in his intent?

"Bridge of Spies" is a great spy thriller based on a true story in the period of the Cold War. The plot is engaging and the cinematography, costume design and art direction are amazing. It is unnecessary to comment the direction of Steven Spielberg and the performance of Tom Hanks, perfect as usual, but it is impressive the capacity of negotiation of James B. Donovan. This American lawyer is shown as an impressive negotiator, having cold blood to make tough decisions. The credits informs that Donovan has been also successful negotiating later in Cuba the release of prisoners. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Ponte dos Espiões" ("Bridge of Spies")