Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Bridge of Spies Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 27, 2016

Steven Spielberg's Bridge of Spies teems with history and finds its center not in the procedures of courtroom and Cold War maneuvering but rather the personal drama that develops from the political and legal intrigue in its first half and the classically clandestine, cloak-and-dagger back room dealings in its second. Spielberg crafts a tale, based on a true story sourced from one of the most pivotal moments of the Cold War, that doesn't merely recount the story but rather lives it, defines it, breathes meaningful dramatic and personal life into it. Audiences don't simply see the story unfold, they come to more deeply understand the finer points of both the rule of law and the human element that influences its implementation more so than what it is written on the books and the delicacies of negotiation that extend beyond formalities that evolve into a chess match in which lives, not national pride, are in play. Foregoing any real action in favor of drama grounded in global intrigue intermixed with personal sacrifice and conviction, Bridge of Spies dazzles as an absorbing tale of modern history, one man's broader and more intimate place in its development alike, and an example of its director's unmatched skill in precision filmmaking and storytelling.

Disliked.

Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is arrested in New York and, even if his trial is to be little more than show, he's granted the consideration of legal defense on his side. Former criminal lawyer and Nuremberg prosecutor James Donovan (Tom Hanks), now working insurance law, is approached by the government to represent the defendant. Donovan takes the case, citing his "patriotic duty" to do so despite the personal and professional lose-lose path on which it will certainly take him. He slowly gains an admiration for Abel, not as a foreign agent or for his political ideals but rather for his character and refusal to betray his country or cause. Donovan becomes a public figure and is ridiculed for his defense of a national enemy, a defense that includes a plea to grant clemency for his client and spare him the death penalty, both on humanitarian grounds and citing his potential value as a political pawn, should the need for such a thing ever arise. And arise it does when a young American U-2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), is shot down and captured by the Soviets. Donovan is once again put into service to partake in secret meetings in Berlin to negotiate a prisoner exchange: Abel for Powers and, if Donovan has his way, an American student named Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers) who was taken into custody while crossing into East Berlin during the wall's construction.

At the center of Bridge of Spies is the unenviable challenge of painting a Soviet spy as something of a sympathetic character and, more, creating a believable bond between he and his American attorney, James Donovan. Beyond the politics and spy overtures, the film's central drama -- and its most intriguing element -- comes by way of the unseen, but widely recognized, battle for Donovan's conscience. He's not so much torn between his love of country, responsibility of duty to it, and the letter of the law to which he has sworn to protect and uphold, but rather his appall at the disregard for what he holds dear by those around him. Add in a burgeoning relationship -- something between personal admiration and friendship, politics aside -- with a convicted Soviet spy and the beating on his public image as a result and the character becomes someone existing in a world where personal convictions and his conviction in the court of public opinion leave him vulnerable, both personally and physically alike. The film's second half tells a story of Donovan's steadfastness and, as a result, public image redemption as he travels to a divided Berlin to negotiate a prisoner exchange. There, in a much more dangerous environment, he remains resolute in his personal beliefs, despite all the noise and rather pointed and officially sanctioned government "advice" that comes his way, and works the situation in a manner that will test his character and substantiate his resolve, not make him look good in the paper on one side or the other.

The movie's technical merits prove just as enticing as its drama. Spielberg demonstrates a command of classically styled material that elevates it well beyond genre cinema's hazardous bottom rungs of forcibly, and cynically, overwrought shadowy period piece to masterfully yet understatedly styled work of art. His ability to work in classic noir stylings without forcing smoky, shadowy cliché dealings and environments and presenting the movie with a decided contrast between East and West are highlights, and so too is a foundation that accentuates substance over style. His direction, working with with longtime collaborator Janusz Kamiński, is to be commended as it demonstrates the movie's ability to make more nuanced and accentuating, rather than overbearing, use of environment, camera work, and lighting to command the screen in support of the drama, even if the audience isn't immediately or fully aware of the skillful behind-the-scenes workings of master craftsmen. Tom Hanks is perfectly cast in the lead, falling into part and highlighting the character's personality and steadfastness while building an underlying charm that helps cement his resolve and his relationship with a convicted spy. Mark Rylance is the film's other highlight in the role of Rudolf Abel, the man Donovan is charged with defending and, later, with negotiating his release.

Bridge of Spies Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bridge of Spies dazzles on Blu-ray. Disney's 1080p transfer captures the broadest overtones and most intimate details of Director Steven Spielberg's and Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński's picture with remarkable reproduction. Sourced from film, the transfer presents a light grain overlay that's attractively even and accentuating of the movie's finer details while leaving intact a gorgeous cinematic texturing. Every inch of the frame springs to life with complex details revealed with expert precision. Heavier period clothes are a clear standout -- winter coats, finely assembled neckties -- but so too are environmental support details around both New York and Berlin where stone, brick, and concrete present with astounding texture and impeccable complexity. Faces reveal every nuance with ease. Colors are full and finely detailed, a little warm in New York and very cold -- favoring a severe blue and gray scheme -- in Germany. The period's pastel appliances and accents stand apart as amongst the movie's most impressive colors. Black levels are richly deep and pure, critical and shaping many of the movie's more shadowy corners and its climactic sequence in particular. Flesh tones are naturally healthy. The image sees a few mildly soft backgrounds but is otherwise razor-sharp. No serious compression anomalies interfere with a breathtaking transfer, one that's probably about as good as 1080p Blu-ray can produce.

Bridge of Spies Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bridge of Spies holds no secrets thanks to the clarity and exacting placement of its DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. Rather than big movie oomph, the track favors a realistic surrounding symphony of support sounds that help define the entire world in which the movie takes place. City exteriors spring to life with foot traffic, squealing train and car brakes, honking horns, and other lifelike details. Offices burst with sonic flavor: chatter, ringing telephones, and clanking typewriters. Every sound is meticulously detailed and precisely placed around the stage to full, completely enveloping and complimentary effect. Even minor, barely audible details like a buzzing fluorescent light help to legitimately pull the listening audience into the film's locations. Driving rain fully saturates the stage in chapter five for one of the most consistently steady bits of ambient detailing in the movie. Music delivery is wide, and precise, yielding lifelike clarity throughout the range. Dialogue is featured prominently in the center with no problems pertaining to clarity or superiority over surrounding elements.

Bridge of Spies Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bridge of Spies contains four featurettes. A DVD copy and a digital copy code are included with purchase.

• A Case of the Cold War: Bridge of Spies (1080p, 17:45): The piece opens with Steven Spielberg's family history with the real life events and follows with cast and crew examining the politics and history of the time, the screenplay's inspirations, espionage and intelligence gathering of the era, the story's relevance today, character attributes, and the Francis Gary Powers and Frederic Pryor stories and their depictions in the film.
• Berlin 1961: Re-Creating The Divide (1080p, 11:35): Cast and crew share the history of the wall and explore its representation in the film.
• U-2 Spy Plane (1080p, 8:45): Similar to the previous supplement, this extra explores the real history of the aircraft and its role and depiction in the film.
• Spy Swap: Looking Back on the Final Act (1080p, 5:42): A brief expiration of the historical details as presented in the film's final minutes and shooting the sequence in Berlin, which included a visit with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Bridge of Spies Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bridge of Spies is a magnificent historically based film that merges superior craftsmanship with a classic styling and tells a story of broad legal and global political machinations with a personal tale of determination, sacrifice, and integrity at the center. It's also a wondrously complex film that's easy to absorb on a first viewing -- taking in the basic story lines and themes -- but that leaves audiences pondering its much deeper social, political, historical, personal, and metaphorical layers that not only enhance the story but the audience's appreciation for both the true history behind the film and the delicate craftsmanship that went into making it. This is cinema not at its most bursting-at-the-seams robust but rather its most grounded, fascinating, engaging, and impeccably constructed. Disney's Blu-ray release delivers startling 1080p video, expert lossless sound, and several supplements. Bridge of Spies earns my highest recommendation.