To say it leniently, the Cold War was among the most turbulent periods in American history. This volatile post-World War II period, however, proved to be a great source of cinematic treasure. The following is a list of the best Cold War Spy movies:
1. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
Cold War shadeism is combined with a captivating and thrilling narrative in this classic of John le Carre’s. Its adaptation for the movie is no different, and it stays loyal to the essence of the source material. Alec Leamas is a highly accomplished British undercover agent who is tasked with defecting to East Germany and spying on a high-ranking official. When he is lured and then identified as a detractor, things go from bad to worse. With a cruel and harsh dose of reality, Richard Burton’s excellent performance and a persistent plot ensure that le Carre’s objective and message of solidarity are upheld.
2. The Lives Of Others
Despite its 2006 production, this movie is about the Cold War, with an emphasis on East Germany’s secret services and their monitoring of their own citizens. It’s an engrossing look at the war era, and the film’s visual flair is especially noteworthy. It received widespread acclaim from critics, who were particularly impressed considering that the director was not born in East Germany and yet managed to capture the essence of the country and era.
3. No Way Out
In this movie, Kevin Costner portrays Navy Lieutenant Commander Tom Farrell. After starting employment as an advisor to Secretary of Defense David Brice at the Pentagon, he is charged with being a Soviet spy. Farrell discovers a murder conspiracy and fraud organized by Brice’s general counsel Scott Pritchard. The Soviets emerge unexpectedly in the film, and the last scene is absolutely surprising the first time you see it. No Way Out is loosely based on a 1948 novel called The Big Clock and is considered one of the best Hollywood films of the 1980s
4. Bridge of Spies
A film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, ‘Bridge of Spies’ won an Academy Award. In the movie, during the height of the Cold War, insurance lawyer James Donovan is given the responsibility of representing a Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel. His decision to go ahead with it, despite public opinion, has disastrous implications for his family and himself. He succeeds in gaining Abel’s liberation in the end, but is crushed on the inside when he sees the Russians’ response to Abel’s return. Spielberg employs the film’s ambient mystery and blends it with a captivating appeal that disarms the audience and enslaves them to cinematic magic.
5. The Manchurian Candidate
Rising above all the others in the realm of Cold War movies is The Manchurian Candidate. It’s a dramatic study of Cold War America’s paranoia and violence. Angela Lansbury gives a disturbing portrayal as the mother of an American soldier who also happens to be a clever political manipulator. The film is even more striking for its unsettling depiction of a significant political figure’s assassination, which seems so predictive. It’s just as unnerving now as it was when it first came out.
