1) The movie does a great job of understanding how young people feared nuclear attacks during this time. On scene included Donovan's son preparing for a nuclear attack by filling up the bathtub full of water and encourages his father to stock up on food.
2) We see real life spy craft. The Soviet Spy uses a hollowed out nickel to place his secret coded messages in, and mysteriously the CIA knows how Donovan likes his coffee. We learn the details about the SUPER spy plane - U2.
3) We see the politics of the Cold War. East Germany wants to be recognized by the US and they are willing to use a prisoner exchange to get their way. At the same time, we get a glimpse of the burden the Soviet Union placed upon East Berlin after World War II.
4) The movie depicts the cold reality of the Cold War as Donovan witnessed the deaths of people attempting to escape over the Berlin Wall. This was the harsh reality of Cold War policies played out through the barrel of a gun.
5) The Bridge of Spies demonstrates how blind Americans were in their fear of Communism. Many times throughout the movie judges, attorneys, and other average Americans were so eager and willing to ignore basic constitutional ideals in the struggle to lock up the "bad guy". Might it happen again? These are great questions for our students.
Then to help your students to understand all these important ideas, feel free to use the SUPER video guide. It can be found at BRIDGE OF SPIES.
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