MovieChat Forums > Bridge of Spies (2015) Discussion > This movie taught me...

This movie taught me...

posted 9 years ago by unglash
19 replies | jump to latest

In the 60s, Americans did not torture captured enemies (they do now, but they didn't back then) and were very gentle and respectfull, while soviets were all about torturing Guantanamo style.

America is all about the rule of law.

In the 60s, american lawjers and judges did not have butlers and nobody (no blacks) did dull jobs. Meanwhile, in the DDR, 90% of the population were sad and very submissive janitors. Really: janitors everywhere in the DDR, not one in the US.

In the America of the 60s, people talked to each other in a very uninformal, direct, way, while in socialist countries everyone was submissive or aggressive, always a bit robotic.

In the US, you could criticize a sentence, in USSR you had to stand up and clap your hands.

A side effect of socialism is colour deprivation: when a country turns to socialism, everything and everyone becomes almost grey.

An other side effect of socialism is bad weather, very bad weather.

Soviet "partisan borderguards" beat random people to death.

If you passed by the berlin wall you were very likely to see people getting shot. That's something that happened every day, many times a day.

Oh, yes: "East Berling was walled off".

[–] Rvrgm 9 years ago

Haha . love it, thank you! I needed it after sitting through this one.

Yes, this movie was MAJORLY manipulative. I was a little disappointed that the last shot didn't show Hanks climbing atop the L-Train as it rumbled down the track and waving a massive US flag in the wind...

[–] unglash 9 years ago

That would have been very appropriate.

[–] GillesD 8 years ago

Now this is funny!

[–] atg_commish 9 years ago

This movie taught me that commie spy chiefs are no match in negotiating with an American insurance company lawyer. Which seems about right.

[–] aj_mckinnon 9 years ago

Whilst agreeing with the initial post... You do realize it is a true story??

[–] unglash 9 years ago

Btw, I just saw on wikipedia the mugshot picture of Rudolph Abel. Yeah, he surely has been treaten politely, just like in the movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Abel#/media/File:Rudolf_Abel_FBI_mugshot.jpg

[–] Hannes-15 9 years ago

Well if you go after this boring barley 5 star out of 10 stars painted by the numbers. In real life they did mess the russian up, FBI and CIA. Gary Powers was never tortured and was treated well in prison, even more so than many of his co-inhabitants.

This film really really does fictionalize the true story.

[–] unglash 9 years ago

Yes, I was sarcastic. You can easily tell the soviet spy was - at least - beaten up just by looking at his mugshot.

[–] jd-276 9 years ago

All you guys need to read Donovan's book. There's no point making any judgements on this based on the film. Movie makers get away with murder these days by saying, "Based on a true story" or something similar. That doesn't mean it's all true.

For the record, while Powers was not beaten, he was subjected to sleep deprivation (considered a "cruel and unusual punishment" today). Abel was not beaten but he was struck across the face by an interrogator while being held in Texas.

[–] unglash 9 years ago

Yeah... I'm not reading that. I'm pretty sure Donovan's book is biased too and I also don't really care about this story. My interest was captured by the propaganda in this movie.

[–] jd-276 9 years ago

Biased? It's one person's account. What on earth are you expecting? Unbiased? Who gets to decide that? Or are you trolling?

See, I don't see how you can pass judgement based on watching the film. If you want to know more then do the research.

[–] unglash 9 years ago

Yawn... reading Donovan's book is not "doing research".

Anyway, the facts are: 1) the mugshot 2) US tortures this kind of prisoners.
On the other hand, we have the Book of Donovan, the guy who worked for the US governament on other occasions and who tried to become a senator

[–] jd-276 9 years ago

I don't see how not reading qualifies you to better judge the matter. Donovan is not particularly political in his assessment and what that has to do with the particulars of what happens in Gitmo...well, it's plainly irrelevant anyway. Donovan doesn't say that the USSR subjected Powers to any physical abuse (and Powers himself did not claim he was tortured or beaten). Abel's treatment at the hands of the FBI is on the public record anyway because it was in the court documents.

So what's your agenda/bias?

[–] unglash 9 years ago

I'm a cuban spy.

[–] jd-276 9 years ago

Spy or not, you're trolling and you're blocked.

[–] unglash 9 years ago

Donovan was pobably a CIA agent and, even he he wasn't, he had an interest in making the story prettier.
OK, now I'm done with you.

[–] jd-276 9 years ago

This film really really does fictionalize the true story.

Yes and no. There are many aspects to it.

[–] ginalock 8 years ago

One thing you may not realize is that in 1960 East Germany was still recovering from WWII. No doubt because the Soviet Union still blamed Germany for killing millions of Russians in the war. Recovery in West Germany was much quicker.

[–] unglash 8 years ago

I'm quite aware of gemany's recent economic history. But what you say doesn't have anything to do with the original post.