Blu-ray Review – The Falcon and the Snowman

1985's "The Falcon and the Snowman" is a tale of spying, but approached on an intensely personal level. The subjects are two young men who, for various reasons, decided to carry out a plan to sell American secrets to the Soviet Union during the mid-1970s, entering a dangerous game of espionage without fully understanding the true price of such a crime. Directed by John Schlesinger and scripted by Steven Zaillian, the effort struggles to wrap its arms around the enormity of the situation, preferring to cherry pick offenses as it details character breakdowns in the face of increasing danger and paranoia. It's strongly acted work, spotlighting the quicksand sensation of poor decisions, but it's often difficult to follow the bigger picture, as the feature often abandons supporting characters and urgent motivations to hold close to recognizable elements of the spy game. It's not a failure, but "The Falcon and the Snowman" feels unfinished, with liberal editing or dramatic indifference working to shave down a story that demands a wider scope of consideration, allowing a full understanding of choice. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com