Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Overview... a Soviet spy working undercover in 1957 Brooklyn. Posing as a hapless painter, Rudolf secretly passes along American secrets to the Soviet Union. But despite his covert ways, Rudolf is eventually captured by the FBI. He quickly becomes a crucial symbol in the Cold War. To send a message that Americans value justice, Rudolf is assigned a diligent defense lawyer named James B. Donovan.
Personality... quiet, humble, calm, and good-natured. Even when he’s on trial for espionage, Rudolf never loses his peaceful disposition. When Donovan asks why he isn’t more anxious, Rudolf simply replies, “Would it help?” Yet Rudolf is far from spineless – he refuses to betray the Soviet Union even when it could help lessen his sentence.
Get to Know him in...
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During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan, recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man's freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel, the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.
