In bridge of spies, tom hanks plays james donovan, the attorney who. He even calls an cia agent an son of a nice lady because he told him there is no rule book, no constitution. The book documents prisoner exchanges between the united states and the soviet union of their spies during the cold war. Donovan tom hanks, an insurance lawyer, is asked to take on the thankless task of representing abel in the courts bridge of spies. Donovan, who becomes involved in a prisoner exchange during the cold war. Steven spielbergs new film bridge of spies dramatizes an incredible spy exchange that took place at the height of the cold war. Nov 26, 2015 just six months after the spy swap at the center of steven spielbergs bridge of spies, james b. Bridge of spies the name of the film refers to the glienicke bridge, which connects potsdam with berlin, where the spy exchange took place. This image depicts construction of the berlin wall during august of 1961, about six months before donovan arrived in berlin.
In a hill appearance, rick bright painted bleak picture of governments ability to manage. This image depicts an exchange of spies, between east and west, on the glienicke bridge. An audiobook version was subsequently published by isis publishing, being read by. Differences between bridge of spies book vs movie page 6. Oct 14, 2015 the exchange depicted in bridge of spies and made possible by donovans work is the first and most famous one to have taken place there. Though not officially the basis for the movie bridge of spies, donovan s strangers on a bridge is the closest, and is the only firsthand narrative to the dramatic events in the oscarwinning movie. Thats james b donovan speaking, and once again steven spielberg hits the nail on the head with a film so politically astute for its times. Spielbergs airtight bridge of spies the new yorker. I had lived in west germany during the cold war, and it was with great interest that i read about this story long before the film came out. Strangers on a bridge book by james donovan, jason. The movie represents only a very small portion of the book.
I just returned from berlin, where i walked across the glienicke bridge. Bridge of spies by michael sragow on october 14, 2015 youd never know from watching bridge of spies that its hero, james b. Alas, as spielberg reveals, it was not meant to be. Solid storytelling and atmospherics director steven spielberg with some help from script polishers joel and ethan coen brings echoes of our own modern day to the cold war. In the movie, the storyline centers around james donovan tom hanks. Mary ellen fuller is the daughter of cold war attorney and negotiator james b.
Bridge of spies, the coldwar epic directed by steven spielberg, contends for six. Early in the film bridge of spies, tom hanks, playing donovan. Donovan, the new york lawyer who negotiated that exchange in real life, sat down in havana. Oct 16, 2015 in bridge of spies, we see donovans young son roger noah schnapp preparing in case of a nuclear bomb. At the start of the film, as a partner in a new york law firm, donovan specializes. All this is recorded history, one of the best recorders being donovan, whose 1964 book strangers on a bridge guides us through the saga with a dry and courtly wisdom. With his children fearing that any day the commies will drop the bomb, jim gets tasked with defending an. A true story of the cold war is a 2010 nonfiction book by giles whittell. May 15, 2016 it reached its apogee when president kennedy approved an exchange of abel for captured u2 pilot francis gary powers in 1962. Oct 23, 2015 and in bridge of spies, hanks plays james b. So its no surprise that in real life donovan wanted to reunite with abel before the end of his life, going so far as to travel to russia to try to find him. Because it was the only place which had westerncontrol on one end the americancontrolled sector of berlin and easterncontrol potsdam, east germany on the other end, this bridge of spies was an ideal location.
William fisher, alias rudolf abel, a british born kgb agent arrested by the fbi in new york city and jailed as a soviet superspy for trying to steal americas most. It reached its apogee when president kennedy approved an exchange of abel for captured u2 pilot francis gary powers in 1962. On the plane ride, powers tells donovan that he never told his captors anything, to which donovan states that none of it matters anymore. James britt donovan february 29, 1916 january 19, 1970 was an american lawyer and. A spy for the soviet union, rudolph ivanovich abel mark rylance was imprisoned and tried a simply unfair trial. Feb 12, 2016 the british author of a book called bridge of spies is suing studios behind the oscarnominated steven spielberg movie of the same name in a dispute over use of the title. Bridge of spies, steven spielbergs new cold war thriller, tells the. Steven spielbergs latest film is a penetrating and affecting consideration of the cold war, based on a celebrated reallife spy swap between the united states and the soviet union. If youre looking for a book that follows the movie, you will be disappointed. Though not officially the basis for the movie bridge of spies, donovans strangers on a bridge is the closest, and is the only firsthand narrative to the dramatic events in the. The films main character, james donovan tom hanks, is a. Bridge of spies book author sues over rights to title of. When james donovan went to berlin, to negotiate an exchange of rudolf abel for francis gary powers, he entered a city divided by a wall.
James donovan wrote an account of the incident in 1964 under the title strangers on a bridge. He was accused of spying as he didnt have authorization to read the books he used as a source for his work. Donovan, whose role in the trial and exchange of spies is the subject of the steven spielberg film bridge of spies. Though not officially the basis for the movie bridge of spies, donovans. Molly haskell bridge of spies, spielbergs 2015 cold war thriller and academy award nominee, is based on the exchange of prisoners following the 1960 u2 incident full of meticulous period details, with dark rainslick streets, reliably beautiful in the silver, bluegray tones of janusz kaminskis cinematography, the movie, like so many spielberg period films, reverberates with a.
The true story of the spy they traded for gary powers. Abels decision to support donovan on the bridge is the right event for a narrative with a steadfast main character and a changed influence character, but it arrives without the necessary steps inbetween. The exchange depicted in bridge of spies and made possible by donovans work is the first and most famous one to have taken place there. Bigger published a biography of donovan, negotiator. This convention remains in the scenes at the bridge although donovan is on the east side of the bridge west berlin and the russians are on the west side of the bridge east germany.
The real life story of bridge of spies lawyer james b. The united states and the soviet union fear each others nuclear capabilities and intentions both sides deploy spies and hunt for them 1. Oct 19, 2015 contributed by jonathan stevenson bridge of spies begins and ends with a painting. Bridge of spies ignores the most important character of the. He then opens the gift from abel, which is a painting of donovan himself. The true story behind bridge of spies reveals that it took several months of negotiating before james donovan was sent to meet face to face with the second secretary of the soviet embassy, ivan schischkin, in east germany. Bridge of spies is an excellent history channel documentary wrapped within the guise of a fully complete story. In donovans book strangers on a bridge, he says that his wife.
Donovan, a lawyer who defended the soviet spy rudolf abel after his arrest in 1957, performing the vital duty of representing american fairness, and. Opening in 1957, when the cold war was atomically hot, bridge of spies offers up a world of shadows and the men who haunt them for country, company as in c. James donovan wasnt the lone ranger that spielberg portrays him to be. Mar 16, 2018 molly haskell bridge of spies, spielbergs 2015 cold war thriller and academy award nominee, is based on the exchange of prisoners following the 1960 u2 incident full of meticulous period details, with dark rainslick streets, reliably beautiful in the silver, bluegray tones of janusz kaminskis cinematography, the movie, like so many spielberg period films, reverberates with a. During those months, donovan worked with the department of justice to set up the prisoner exchange. Bridge of spies ignores the most important character of the cold. The two men share one final look before departing the bridge. The reallife story of bridge of spies hero james b. Bridge of spies is broadly true, not altering the real events particularly, though dramatising a few moments donovan didnt have his coat stolen or witness berliners being killed and his house was not shot at, for example. He was a rare book collector, golfer, tennis player and gin rummy player. Oct 26, 2015 bridge of spies, steven spielbergs new cold war thriller, tells the gripping story of new york corporate attorney james donovans leap into the labyrinthine world of highstakes diplomacy.
What james donovan did after the bridge of spies the new. Oct 16, 2015 bridge of spies stars tom hanks as james b. It is the constitution, that is the only rule book. When i told my wife id been asked to defend a red spy, she screamed the milwaukee journal. Spielberg wears his serious hat for bridge of spies, giving us a heated close encounter of spies during the cold war of deepseated feelings of animosity and distrust that existed between the u. Bridge of spies is a minorkey triumph for steven spielberg.
The british author of a book called bridge of spies is suing studios behind the oscarnominated steven spielberg movie of the same name in a dispute over use of the title. Oct 19, 2015 mary ellen fuller is the daughter of cold war attorney and negotiator james b. Brooklyn lawyer james donovan tom hanks is an ordinary man placed in extraordinary circumstances in dreamworks picturesfox 2000 pictures dramatic thriller bridge of spies, directed by steven. If you remembered or are interested in what happened during this time period the dawn of the cold war. Bridge of spies is the true story of three extraordinary characters whose fate helped to define the conflicts and lethal undercurrents of the most dangerous years of the cold war. This convention remains in the scenes at the bridge although donovan is on the east side of the bridge west berlin and the russians are. But the real story is james donovans book, strangers on a bridge. An audiobook version was subsequently published by isis publishing, being read by jonathan keeble. Donovan, was a commander in naval intelligence during world war ii, and as general counsel to americas wartime spy service, the office of strategic services oss, helped frame guidelines for the creation. Using the alias emil goldfus, he set up an artists studio in brooklyn. Bridge of spies opening sceneapartment raid youtube.
On the bridge of spies, donovan holds up the swap pending the east. Donovan, as played by tom hanks and depicted by steven spielberg in bridge of spies, is no angel. Contributed by jonathan stevenson bridge of spies begins and ends with a painting. By the end of bridge of spies, its implied that donovan and abel are pretty close and care deeply about the others well being. With his children fearing that any day the commies will drop the bomb, jim gets tasked with defending an alleged russian spy, rudof abel mark rylance. Mar 20, 2016 bridge of spies movie clip act of war 2015 tom hanks. Bridge of spies is an americangerman coproduction based on a script written by matt charman and the coen brothers. Jan 05, 2012 the movie bridge of spies starring tom hanks is very different than the book bridge of spies by giles whittell. In 1964, donovan wrote a book on the abel case and the later prisoner exchange. A dramatic thriller set against the backdrop of a series of historic events, bridge of spies tells the story of james donovan hanks, a brooklyn lawyer who finds. Bridge of spies is a film based upon a true story of espionage within the cold war. Bridge of spies is a 2015 film about an american lawyer who is recruited during the cold war to defend an arrested soviet spy in court, and then help the cia facilitate an exchange of the spy for the sovietcaptured american u2 spy plane pilot, francis gary powers. If you remembered or are interested in what happened during this time period.
Abels painting is interrupted by a ringing phone, which he picks up without. Willie fisher, alias rudolf abel, was a soviet spy in the finest traditions of the bolshevik illegals named in comparison to legals, who had diplomatic cover as. Oct 16, 2015 opening in 1957, when the cold war was atomically hot, bridge of spies offers up a world of shadows and the men who haunt them for country, company as in c. The movie bridge of spies starring tom hanks is very different than the book bridge of spies by giles whittell. Jan 01, 2011 the movie bridge of spies starring tom hanks is very different than the book bridge of spies by giles whittell. Bridge of spies tells the story of jim donovan tom hanks, an insurance lawyer who finds himself getting wrapped up in a complicated web of cold war spies. In bridge of spies, we see donovans young son roger noah schnapp preparing in case of a nuclear bomb. Just six months after the spy swap at the center of steven spielbergs bridge of spies, james b. Solid storytelling and atmospherics director steven spielberg with some help from script polishers joel and ethan coen brings echoes of. Studio babelsberg coproduced and oversaw production services for the film. Steven spielbergs bridge of spies is a factbased espionage drama set during the.
Historians generally agree that these efforts to prepare schoolchildren to survive an. Whittells book was published in 2010 and carries the. Donovan is an american lawyer who got forced, in a way, to represent rudolf abel mark rylance, a suspected russian spy. It stars tom hanks as attorney james donovan, a man who first. Bridge of spies and millions of other books are available for instant access. Bridge of spies, steven spielbergs new cold war thriller, tells the gripping story of new york corporate attorney james donovans leap into the labyrinthine world of highstakes diplomacy.