Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies is a riveting political thriller that chronicles the true story of insurance lawyer James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) as he finds himself tasked with the legal protection of a KGB spy captured in America. Bridge of Spies takes a highly entertaining approach to a complex story that tackles many important, topical issues. The movie focuses on the constant threat of conflict throughout the Cold War, detailing the importance of those who fought for what they believed in, regardless of the dangers it posed to them.

Bridge of Spies has a fascinating ending filled with tension and surprises, as Donovan and his team pull off a high-stakes soldier exchange with the Soviet government. These final moments perfectly encapsulate its central themes, making Bridge of Spies one of Spielberg’s best movies. It’s a movie about perseverance and patriotism, proving good people can still be found in the face of endless adversity. The third act is a complete thrill ride from start to finish, so it’s easy to miss small details that make Bridge of Spies’ ending so powerful.

Why Does Abel Wait To Cross The Bridge?

Donovan Wants To Ensure A Second Hostage’s Freedom

For the majority of Bridge of Spies’ runtime, James B. Donovan attempts to secure a deal with the German and Soviet authorities that will allow the CIA to trade their prisoner Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) for two captured Americans. While the Soviets only wanted to exchange Abel for one American soldier named Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), Donovan is determined also to reclaim the freedom of an innocent American student named Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers).

It’s this unwavering morality that makes Donovan one of Tom Hanks’ best characters. The Soviets agree to hand over Pryor, but when the trade happens, he’s not there, and Abel waits until he is. It’s an extremely powerful moment, and it promotes the central theme that even intelligence agents can be good, moral people. Despite spying on the Americans and collecting information against them, Abel is never presented as immoral.

He’s just a man doing his duty for his country, and this never prevents him from being a good person. He risks his own freedom in the knowledge that it wouldn’t be fair. Bridge of Spies often promotes the idea that warfare is never personal, and Abel’s decision to stay proves that. He values Pryor’s freedom just as much as the Americans, even though he’s on the opposite side of the war.

Why Did The Soviets Trade Two Prisoners For One?

Donovan Refused To Give Up Wirthout The Student

Bridge of Spies is a spy movie based on true events, but it’s still difficult to believe that Soviet authorities would agree to a deal that favored the Americans. The truth is that Pryor was worthless to the Soviets anyway. He had no valuable information for them, and he was only being detained to put pressure on Donovan’s team to secure the deal. His capture was solely a power move — the Soviets wanted to prove they would continue to mistreat American prisoners until they had Abel back.

When it came to Pryor’s involvement in the deal, the Soviets lost nothing. Donovan also understood that Pryor was worthless to the Soviets, and that’s why he was so determined to get him back. He recognized that they were using the student as a bargaining chip, and he refused to be bullied around by his enemies.

Even Spielberg’s greatest war movies often neglect to display just how much politics and strategy are involved behind the scenes of warfare, but Bridge of Spies brings this right to the forefront of the story. The movie strongly promotes the idea that every life is worth something, and Donovan’s endless attempts to reclaim a random American student prove that.

What Happened To Everybody After Their Return?

Everyone Was Honored After The Mission Ended

Although there’s a brief explanation during the movie’s end credits, Bridge of Spies doesn’t go into detail about what happened to its real-life characters after the events of the story. Thankfully, it’s been well-documented that James B. Donovan was heavily credited with the successful exchange, which quickly got his career back on track and restored his tainted reputation in the press.

Both Powers and Pryor returned safely to America, and although Powers was initially condemned for his behavior in the field, both men were eventually recognized and commended for their bravery. The Coen brothers’ Bridge of Spies screenplay seems to suggest that Abel wouldn’t be warmly welcomed back to Russia, but the truth is he continued his work as a KGB spy for several years after his return.

His country praised him for never breaking under the immense pressure of capture, and he’s often cited as the country’s greatest spy. This real-life story just further proves the message that Bridge of Spies attempts to portray: espionage is nothing more than a profession, and it’s driven by duty for one’s country rather than hatred for another. Despite fighting on the opposite side, Abel is remembered for his endless courage in the field.

The True Meaning Of Bridge Of Spies’ Ending

Unity & Compᴀssion Are Still Possible In A Tough World

Though Bridge of Spies doesn’t shy away from the horrors of warfare or the omnipresent threat of the Cold War, it does prove that unity and compᴀssion are still possible — even with those that stand against you. Bridge of Spies is a great action movie, but it’s in the quieter and less intense moments that Spielberg’s direction and the Coen brothers’ screenplay really shine.

The ending of the movie sees Donovan and Abel work together to secure a deal that’s fair and humane, despite their conflicting ideologies and allegiances. It’s not an anti-war movie, but rather one that promotes a more empathetic vision of war. The final act of Bridge of Spies illustrates that just because two countries are at war, that doesn’t mean they have to lose their sense of morality.

Despite the Soviets’ attempts to trick the Americans and benefit from the deal, Tom Hanks’s iconic Bridge of Spies character ensures that things run smoothly and as agreed. He isn’t trying to trick the Soviets either; he’s simply abiding by his word and ensuring that he’s saving as many lives as possible. War shouldn’t be an opportunity to lose your moral compᴀss and grow selfish, but rather act with respect and professionalism like Abel in the hands of the Americans.

How The Bridge Of Spies Ending Was Received

Bridge Of Spies Received High Critical Praise

Bridge of Spies has received almost universal acclaim, with a Certified Fresh 91% Rotten Tomatoes score. It also has a high 87% fresh Popcornmeter score from the audience members. One audience reviewer wrote, “While certainly not the best Steven Spielberg movie, it is probably the most gripping. Great story with some great messages: “Bridge of Spies” lives up to the тιтle and premise while staying true and respectful to its source material.” Peter Dubruge of Variety writes that the ending shows the movie’s true meaning:

“If this finale seems to lack something in suspense, it compensates in poignance. Over the course of the previous two-plus-hours, both Donovan and audiences have grown close to the uncrackable Soviet agent being returned to his bosses. We care more about his fate than we do either of the Americans coming home, which just goes to show that Hanks has done his job.”

As for the actual Bridge of Spies ending, there was some confusion as to what happened to Abel. As mentioned, he lived and returned to his family. However, one Reddit thread mentioned that Abel said if he were just put in the backseat without a warm welcome, the Russians would kill him. However, one Redditor said, “Just because he didn’t get a warm welcome didn’t mean he was going to be killed. It just means that he expected that he could be killed. All the ending means is that the Soviets were more merciful than he expected.“