Steven Spielberg: Bridge of Spies

October 18, 2015

DGA Q&As in New York and Los Angeles

An honorable attorney is thrust headlong into the murky world of Cold War espionage in Director Steven Spielberg’s biopic, Bridge of Spies.

Spielberg’s historical drama tells the amazing true story of James Donovan (Tom Hanks), a New York lawyer who accepts the unenviable task of defending Rudolf Abel, a Russian spy captured in America. After Abel is convicted, Donovan’s task becomes even more complicated as he’s drafted by the CIA to negotiate the release of U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers, who was shot down over the Soviet Union during a mission in his U-2 spy plane, whom the Soviets may be willing to exchange for their man Abel.

Following the DGA membership screening in New York on October 7, Spielberg had a conversation about the making of Bridge of Spies with Director Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street), where he spoke about unveiling through film the more complex elements of this slice of history that he has been familiar with since his childhood. Spielberg also participated in the DGA membership screening in Los Angeles on October 18 moderated by Director Paul Thomas Anderson (Inherent Vice).

In addition to Bridge of Spies, Spielberg’s filmography includes the feature films Sugarland Express, 1941, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Always, Hook, Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park 2, A.I., Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, War of the Worlds, The Adventures of Tintin: the Secret of the Unicorn, and War Horse. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The Color Purple, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan; and was nominated for the DGA Award for Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial, Empire of the Sun, Amistad, Munich, and Lincoln. In 2000, Mr. Spielberg was honored with the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award. He has been a member of the Guild since 1971.

Pictures & Video

photos by Krista Kennell (New York) and Howard Wise (Los Angeles) - print courtesy of Touchstone Pictures

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FULL TALK (34:05): Director Steven Spielberg speaks about his latest film, Bridge of Spies, with fellow Director Paul Thomas Anderson.

FULL TALK (59:50): Director Steven Spielberg discusses his latest film, Bridge of Spies, with Director Martin Scorsese.

HIGHLIGHT: Director Steven Spielberg shares the motivation of the opening shot of the film, which encapsulated the film's central theme of truth vs. reflection.

HIGHLIGHT: Spielberg talks about the directors that influenced his signature "push in" shot.

HIGHLIGHT: Directors Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese discuss the historical background behind a poignant scene in which James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) looks on as kids are shot attempting to climb over the Berlin Wall.

HIGHLIGHT: Spielberg talks about how he and his collaborators tried to differentiate the film from other spy movies and accomplished the crucial focus on the main character, James B. Donovan played by Tom Hanks.

HIGHLIGHT: Spielberg speaks about how a moment from his childhood motivated a specific shot from the film and allowed him to "insinuate" the camera into a dialogue-heavy film.

HIGHLIGHT: Spielberg shares how he was able to avoid using digital effects to capture the breaths made by the characters in a cold climate during a specific scene.

Director Steven Spielberg speaks about the making of Bridge of Spies following the DGA membership screening in New York.

Director Steven Spielberg speaks about the making of Bridge of Spies following the DGA membership screening in Los Angeles.

Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk

Director Martin Scorsese (moderator) and the DGA New York Theater audience give Director Steven Spielberg a standing ovation for his new feature, Bridge of Spies.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson (moderator) and the DGA Los Angeles Theater audience give Director Steven Spielberg a standing ovation for his new feature, Bridge of Spies.

Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk

Director Steven Spielberg (right) discusses the challenges of making Bridge of Spies with Director Martin Scorsese (moderator) following the DGA membership screening in New York.

Director Steven Spielberg discusses the challenges of making Bridge of Spies with Director Paul Thomas Anderson (moderator) following the DGA membership screening in Los Angeles.

Mark Rylance and Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk

Director Martin Scorsese (moderator) asks Steven Spielberg a question about the making of Bridge of Spies.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson (moderator) asks Steven Spielberg a question about the making of Bridge of Spies.

Tom Hanks, Amy Ryan and Alan Alda in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies.

Directors Martin Scorsese (moderator) and Steven Spielberg pose for a photo following the DGA New York post-screening Q&A about Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies.

Directors Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson (moderator) pose for a photo following the DGA Los Angeles post-screening Q&A about Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies.