The movie “Bridge of Spies” was released on 16th of October in 2015. This historical drama was directed by Steven Spielberg, starring the Academy Award winning Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, and Alan Alda. The movie of the similar historical events was planned to be filmed in the XX century, however the company MGM had rejected the idea of the film. In the year 1965, the "Cold War" was in full swing. The world has just recovered from the armed conflict in the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban missile crisis, and the MGM decided that then was not the time to meddle in politics. When a London playwright and journalist Matt Charman came across a footnote in the biography of John F Kennedy, US attorney mentioned, which the president sent to Cuba to negotiate the release of 1113 prisoners, he felt curiosity. Investigation revealed to him quite unfamiliar name - James Donovan, a successful lawyer in insurance business from Brooklyn. But he was more interested in history, which occurred a few years earlier. During the Cold War, James Donovan defended Soviet agent, accused of espionage, and though he specialized in matters relating to insurance, and for some time have not engaged in criminal law, he was invited to hold talks on the exchange of very important prisoners. Matt Charman knew little of the internal mechanism of the film industry. Nevertheless, he went to Hollywood in hopes of convincing the studio to give the green light to a film based on the true story of James Donovan. Although in the annals of the history of the Cold War, the role of James Donovan is not very well known, Matt presented studio DreamWorks Pictures fascinating story of an idealist, a tack in the protection of national security and cunning tricks. The company's management immediately became interested in this idea. The shooting of the movie "Spy Bridge" was started in September 2014 and lasted 12 weeks. The shooting took place in New York, as well as in Germany and Poland, in the very places where were underlying the events of the film. Exchange of Powers for Abel was shot in Berlin, where it took place many years ago. Berlin 1961 was shot in Wroclaw, Poland. This city is like the Berlin of mid-20th century, more than even the Berlin itself.
The plot of the movie depicts the events when the most ordinary lawyer from one of Brooklyn insurance companies James Donovan (Tom Hanks) suddenly found himself in the midst of the Cold War. CIA sends him to almost impossible task - to negotiate the exchange of captured American Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Raylens) for the pilot of the spy-plane U-2 Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), which in 1960 was brought down over Sverdlovsk.
The real story of the exchange of Soviet illegal Rudolf Abel for the American pilot Francis Powers was devoid of bright colors and special effects, but no less interesting. The movie did not show that, in fact, the name that intelligence agent revealed to the Americans, was false. His real name was William Fisher. He had experience of illegal work in Norway and the UK, training radio operators for the guerrilla units and intelligence teams sent into German-occupied countries during the Second World War. It was during the war when Fisher worked with Rudolf Abel, and took his name after the arrest. The real Rudolf Abel died in Moscow in 1955. Fisher identified himself with his name, on the one hand, to give the signal to Soviet authorities of his arrest, and on the other, indicate that he was not a traitor and did not disclose any information to the Americans. (Telegraph, 20 Nov 2015). William Fisher was not taken to Siberia as predicted Americans. After rest and treatment, he continued to work in the central apparatus of intelligence, and a few years later made an opening speech to the Soviet film "Dead season", some plot twists which were directly related to his own biography. William H. Fisher died on November 15, 1971 by 69th year of lung cancer. Francis Powers experienced in the US a lot of unpleasant moments, listening to accusations of treason. Many believed that he had to commit suicide, but did not get into the hands of Russian. However, the military inquiry and the investigation of the Senate Subcommittee on Armed Forces stripped him of all charges. After finishing the work for intelligence, Powers worked as a civil pilot; on August 1, 1977 he died in the crash of a helicopter that he piloted. To show Donovan as a knight without fear or reproach, a picture hides from the audience that the real Donovan during the Second World War served as a lawyer in the OSS - the office, the predecessor of the CIA. In accordance with NY Times article about Donovan (20 Jan 1970), the former spies do not happen. It is clear that Donovan was assigned to the Abel to insinuate himself into his confidence and persuade him to cooperate with the CIA. So the lawyer fought in court like a lion, not only out of love for the Constitution. In addition, Spielberg added artistic effects by such scenes as the firing of Donovan's house during the process (lawyer received letters with the curses from "patriots", but this was limited to all), and the daylight robbery of lawyer's coat in East Berlin.
But for these facts, mentioned above, the movie for certain reflects one of the most remarkable events of the Cold War and has the strong documentary pivot. Owing to the fact that the movie was directed by one of the most prominent contemporary directors – Steven Spielberg, this movie may serve as an ultimate guide for the students and the future generations in general. Apart from significant historical background, the movie focuses on the role of independent individual’s character that all in all may decide the outcome of one or another situation or even political conflict. That is why Rudolf Abel in movie calls James Donovan in Russian «стойкий мужик» (Standing Man in Russian) for his selflessness in the process and the negotiations. This as well goes to Abel himself, as he refused to become a traitor and remained loyal to his country. The Cold War was a huge mistake, which cost the world an enormous effort and huge material and human losses in the period 1945-1991 years. It is useless to find out who was more or less to blame, someone to blame or whitewash - the same responsible for this policy of both Moscow and Washington. The movie “Bridge of Spies” helps to discover that in reality the notion “one man no man” is false, even speaking of politics. When the unknown lawyer withdrew the armies of two superpowers, it is thus possible to say that the history consists of the names. This epoch as can be judged from the movie shows the great tensions between two different worlds – capitalistic and socialistic that even outburst within the countries themselves. The peoples were suspecting each other for hidden intensions and chained by fear of the new war. The screenplay of the movie helped to show that all the political decisions are being taken not at round table or in cabinets as it may seem but sometimes with the bare hands and intellect of separate men,
Spy Bridge is a certainly worthy movie that reminds us of the true human values and tells the story of the now almost forgotten triumph of humanitarian diplomacy and comparing to many other movies, it slightly deviates from the real picture of events.
Works cited
Berlin's real Bridge of Spies. Telegraph.co.uk. 20 Nov 2015. Web. 01 June 2016.
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/germany/berlin/articles/Berlins-real-Bridge-of-Spies/>
Dr. James B. Donovan. nytimes.com. 20 Jan 1970. Web. 01 June 2016.
<http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/White%20Materials/Security-CIA/CIA%200255.pdf >
