Cold War movies have been a staple in Hollywood since the war first began. In the dying days of World War II, Hollywood’s need to produce propaganda movies began to dwindle, leaving room for the West to shine. Demand for war movies remained, however, so World War II films continued to be produced. Peace was desirable, but it was never especially interesting for theater attendees. When the next war broke out, Hollywood jumped at the opportunity to depict a new war that could captivate audiences just as much as the previous era had.
1949’s The Third Man depicted the beginning of the Cold War and would usher in a new age for Hollywood. After its release, a slow trickle began as more Cold War movies began to appear in theaters. 1950’s Highly Dangerous, 1952’s The Hunter, and 1952’s Big Jim McLain were some of the oldest in the line, and they would eventually give way to classic movies, including The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964), and WarGames (1983). Even modern Cold War films captivate audiences’ attention, as The Death of Stalin (2017) and Oppenheimer (2023) proved to be crowd-pleasers. Naturally, under the camera of acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, the Cold War genre reached new heights just 10 years ago.
Steven Spielberg Remains One of the Best Living Directors
He Continues To Astound To This Day
With Spielberg at the head of any movie, it was guaranteed to draw significant attention. After all, he remains one of the best directors of the modern age, and he has the portfolio to prove it. While Spielberg’s first movie was the overlooked Duel (1971), he quickly managed to find financial success with 1974’s The Sugarland Express. Even so, the director sought an even more enticing film that would captivate audiences. He found it in 1975’s Jaws, as the disaster movie earned over $475 million ($2.9 billion today) on a $9 million budget ($55 million today). It was a runaway success that was nearly unprecedented, and it began an incredible run for the young director.
Spielberg is currently 78 years old.
He quickly went on to develop several classic movies, directing Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and The Color Purple (1985). By the 1990s, he was already legendary, and he was more than willing to improve that already-glowing reputation. He would go on to direct Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List in the same year in 1993, before ending the decade with Saving Private Ryan in 1998. He followed that era with A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) and Minority Report (2002), and he has remained active ever since. His recent movies include Munich (2005), Lincoln (2012), Ready Player One (2018), and West Side Story (2021). While all of these movies are certainly incredible, one of his best came in 2015 and redefined Cold War movies.
Bridge of Spies Was Spielberg's Masterpiece
It Remains Intensely Thrilling Throughout
If ever Spielberg saw massive artistic success in the 2010s, it was with Bridge of Spies (2015). Led by Oscar-winner Tom Hanks, the drama tells the true story of James B. Donovan’s mission to free two Americans from Soviet captivity in exchange for convicted spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance). The movie begins as a legal drama, but it quickly evolves into a complex web of political maneuvering that depends on Spielberg’s masterful directing. If Donovan’s attempt to save Abel from execution was harrowing at the beginning, then the finale turns it into an outright epic. The Coen brothers certainly also played a role in its successful narrative, as they worked alongside Hollywood newcomer Matt Charman to deliver the stunning screenplay.
It was further proof that Spielberg was capable of tackling any setting or genre.
With their combined efforts, the movie would go on to gross $165.5 million at the box office. It was a modest overall take for a director of Spielberg’s stature, but it was still an easy success against its $40 million budget. More importantly, it was further proof that Spielberg is capable of tackling any setting or genre, as he turned a tense legal drama into a spy-focused thriller while also depicting a real-world story. It also managed to thrill audiences and critics alike, which is further evidence of its genius.
Bridge of Spies Is Critically Acclaimed
It Maintains Its Positive Reviews
Like many of Spielberg’s other works, Bridge of Spies quickly earned widespread renown. 2015’s Spotlight and Mad Max: Fury Road took away some of the glory, but Bridge of Spies easily managed to find its own niche when it came time to bring home awards. It earned six Academy Award nominations, including a nomination for Best Picture, and it eventually took home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Mark Rylance’s portrayal of Rudolf Abel. It was also nominated for nine awards at the British Academy Film Awards, where Rylance again earned the movie’s sole win. It also performed extraordinarily well on Rotten Tomatoes and continues to today:
|
Title |
Tomatometer Score |
Popcornmeter Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Bridge of Spies |
91% |
87% |
The movie maintains an exceptional 91% Tomatometer score, and the audiences are not far off, given the 87% Popcornmeter score. Critics praised the grounded story, the strong characterization of the cast, and the overarching message about finding humanity even within our enemies. There were some rare Rotten reviews, but they generally criticized the lack of action in a movie that never attempted to be as action-packed as Raiders of the Lost Ark. This was a movie that was intended to be grounded in reality, and Spielberg masterfully communicated that message. Even 10 years after its original release, the story remains as compelling as ever.
While Spielberg’s pace has declined in recent years, Bridge of Spies was proof that he continues to have an exceptional connection with audiences. Just as he thrilled viewers with Jaws, he managed to turn a legal drama into a compelling two-hour adventure with a fairly realistic leading man. Even outside of his talent as a director, his legal drama managed to connect to the current zeitgeist in a way that allowed it to become increasingly relevant. As tensions across the world continue to escalate, the message behind Bridge of Spies is more important than ever. This is a movie that could be released today, and it would likely have an even greater impact on viewers than it did then. This masterpiece of a film continues to resonate 10 years after its release, and it is just further proof that Spielberg is one of the greatest living directors.
