Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time

Stephen Hawking is known to dislike this film as there was too much personal information.  The film was based on his book.  Meant to explain complicated science theories to help ordinary people to understand.  This blog is affected by a special feature to the DVD and also a children's book that had other information.

He was sympathetic to the disabled.  He died in 2018, but had been involved with the 2012 Paralympics and was quoted "We are all different there is no such thing as a standard or run of the mill human being, but we share the same human spirit.  Look up at the stars and not down at your feet."...."However difficult life may seem there is always something you can do and succeed at."  Check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/03/2018-winter-paralympics-triumph-for-all.html

There was discussion about black holes and the big bang.  Stephen felt that big question was whether or not there was a beginning to the universe or not.  If there was, there was a possibility of a creator, but also there would be an end.  If there was no beginning there was no creator and no end. He joked that he would not be alive to be disproved.   

There was discussion about time travel, but Stephen seemed sceptical.  I read that he once held a party and a week later invited people to attend and as nobody had he felt that disproved time travel.

Errol Morris director argued with Hawking about biographical issues, but Stephen helped complete film with access to his voice synthesizer.  Errol made one edit change that caught Stephen off guard, but okayed.  Filmed just as Stephen formally split with wife and and moved in with Elaine Mason, one of his nurses.  This spooked many of the prospective interviewees, some of whom refused to co-operate.  Would ask Stephen's contacts questions and when not given the answer he wanted would sit in silence with camera rolling and usually got a more interesting response.

Steven Spielberg was an uncredited executive producer.  He has been a producer, writer, and director.winning 3 Oscars. His film credits include "E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982), "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988) "Schindler's List" (1993), "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), "Lincoln" (2012) and "West Side Story" (2021).      

Philip Glass provided the music.  He once transcribed music from Ravi Shankar for a French film.  He has 180 composing credits including  "The Hours" (2003), "Elena" (2011), "When the Dragon Swallowed the Sin" (2014), "Leviathan"(2014) and "Jane" (2017).

John Bailey was a cinematographer.  He is credited with the development of two zoom lenses.  He once expressed the sentiment that cinematographers needed to focus on script and characters as much as camera techniques and style.  With 86 credits including "Ordinary People" (1980), "Groundhog Day" (1993), "Nobody's Fool" (1994), "The Greatest" (2009), "The Big Miracle" (2012) "The Way, Way Back" (2013) and "A Walk in the Woods" (2015).

Brad Fuller did the editing.  He has 25 credits including "He Called Me Malala" (2015).  I actually met her father at a book talk (and bought the book) in Hamilton.  Check  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/06/let-her-fly.html

The action was really a series of Stephen's acquaintances being interviewed by Errol Morris and some graphics.

Isobel Hawking Hawking, Stephen's mother talked about his childhood.  She paraphrased a quote from Samuel Johnson that originally went "Depend upon it sir when a man knows he is to hanged in a fortnight it concentrates the mind wonderfully" recognizing that because Stephen had been diagnosed as having only a short time to live he was able to direct his intelligent mind to understand some big questions.  Stephen thanked Erroll Morris for making his mother a star.  Errol believed she played a critical role with Stephen. One must add that his wife Jane Wilde took care of him and their children so that he didn't have to worry about such things.

I would note that the ability to communicate was what allowed us to learn about his thinking.  I had thought the inventions that allowed him to choose words (very slowly and carefully) and to use a synthesizer  to voice his words had been invented originally for him.  A computer expert with a mother-in-law with the same debilitating disease had developed a system so she could talk. 

Stephen Hawking did "talk" to us using the original voice synthesizer.  He did not want the film to be bogged down with complicated scientific explanations so simplified his explanations.

Roger Penrose and John Wheeler were among several scientists who had worked with Stephen.  All the dialogue (except Stephen himself) was unscripted.

I watched this (a second time) from a DVD picked up from local library.  As usual I have bolded the first mention of a film I have seen.

Band of Brothers

Although focused on a specific Paratrooper group (Easy Company, 506th Regiment of 101st Airbourne Division, U.S. Army) this strikes me as one of the more comprehensive World War II films.  In many war films there are paratroopers shown as the advance attack force,but they aren't followed nearly as closely as in "Band of Brothers" (2001).

 To maintain authenticity the actual veterans covered recalled  the actual events and their feelings at the start of most of the 10 episodes (at the concluding episode the veterans are interviewed at the end).  Without their approval scenes could not be filmed and in some cases deleted.  The coverage starts with training camp in the U.S.  Here we encounter a tough trainer who eventually loses the respect of the trainees.  We appreciate that the paratroopers are elite forces who not only go behind enemy lines, but are able to disrupt defensive positions.  Stealth is required to attack enemy soldiers on their home turf.

When they are set to land behind and ahead of D-Day they encounter anti aircraft guns and fighter jets.  They have to deal with casualties, but they are able move the invasion forward.  Taken back to England they prepare for a variety of jumps as they invade different European countries.  The initial jumpers need to get used to replacements.  The brotherhood forms as they suffer the same dangers and the same confidence building triumphs.  

In the Netherlands they are greeted as liberators, being kissed by the women.  On the other hand they see women with shaved heads who are being castigated for sleeping with Germans.  Everywhere they go they are treated as liberators by the natives.

One episodes devotes coverage to the medics.  In their jumps and battles the paratroopers suffer a wide variety of injuries.  Treating them incurs a lot of risk, but in their vulnerability they save lives and prolong the fight.

Aside from attacking the enemy the paratroopers are also responsible for capturing prisoners and making sure they are handed over to the proper authorities.  Towards the end of European war when they crossed the German borders there were literally hundreds of soldiers surrendering.

All too many of the Americans came across concentration camps which at the beginning they could not quite fathom the hatred that went into them.  For many who had started seeing Germans as humans were aghast.  The soldiers could not believe that the nearby German civilians were unaware of what happened  in the camps.  We saw emaciated people with tatoo numbers plus even more dead bodies.  The survivors were starving, but after medical advice had to limit food so as not to damage further their bodies.  German civilians were forced to help clean up the mess including dead and suffering bodies.

Throughout most episodes are found a lot of violence.  Lots of explosions and gun shots.  Particularly gruesome were scenes of huge tanks crushing soldiers and bayoneting.  To survive too many of us become callous (to some extent that includes viewers).

Human nature reveals itself not only in the brotherhood felt by those who suffered and triumphed together, but also by many petty activities.  Resentment of poor leadership, discomfort with those replacing lost partners and a resentment towards fellow Americans who didn't understand the combatant's sacrifices.  Many could not resist taking guns, flags and other items as contraband. 

Reading comments revealed what was not shown.  As near as I can recall there were the soldiers  not included blacks, Asians, or Hispanics.  It was a white man's war and they were the heroes only there was more to it.

Truly a blockbuster effort resulting in Prime Time Emmy awards.  Not possible in a blog to do justice to all the contributor and the following are merely a sampling of the creativity brought to this project.

Tom Hanks, director of 1 episode, executive producer and writer of 1 episode.  Tom Hanks spends more time producing than acting.  He manages to combine both disciplines with this film.  He did not get involved in acting until after floundering in efforts in college with a community theater.  His first film was "Splash" (1988) under Ron Howard and was a box office success.  Another film that propelled him forward was "A League of Their Own" (1992) followed shortly with "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993) and "Philadelphia" (1993) for which he won an Oscar.  "Forest Gump" (1994) won him another Oscar and was a global box office hit.  In 1996 he got into directing with "That Thing That You do" (1996).  In 2002 he became the youngest actor to win the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.  His film credits include:   "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), "Castaway" (2000), "Saving Mr. Banks" (20130, "Bridge of Spies" (2015),"Sully" (2016), "The Post" (2017) and "A Man Called Otto" (2023).   check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/01/swedish-classic-remade-as-man-named.html

Graham Yost, writer of 2 episodes has been both a producer and writer.  His father Elway Yost used to host Saturday Night at the Movies which was one of the influences for better understanding movies.  His movie credits include "Speed" (1994), "John Adams" (2008) and one my all time favorite Canadian movies, "The Grizzlies" (2018).  Check  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/01/an-unexpected-canadian-film-gem.html

Stephen E. Ambrose wrote the original book.  He is considered the top military historian, specializing in World War II.  Has also written biographies of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon.He was the founder of the Eisenhower Center and president of the National D-Day Museum.  He has been quoted saying "The number one secret of being a successful writer is this:  marry an English major."

Mary Richards was the producer.   She started as a production assistant in 1975.  From there she got more involved with production managing and producing.  Her film credits include "Four Weddings and a Funeral" (1994) "Notting Hill (1999) and "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" (2008.) 

Steven Spielberg was also an executive producer.  He has been a producer, writer, and director.winning 3 Oscars. His film credits include "E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982), "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988) "Schindler's List" (1993), "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), "Lincoln" (2012) and "West Side Story" (2021).     

Damian Lewis played Richard D. Winters in all 10 episodes.  He was born in England.  Appeared in 37 episodes of "Homeland" (2011-2014).  He had a flawless American accent that fooled some of his cast mates.  After getting theatrical training he acted with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.  He was spotted by Steven Spielberg on a stage play and brought him over to films. 

Ben Caplan appeared in 5 episodes.  He got his training at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.  He performed on stage and later some directing.  He appeared in episodes of "Inspector Morse" (1997) and "A Touch of Frost" (1999).  He appeared in "Leap Year" (2010) and for 32 episodes of "Call the Midwife" (2012-2017).

 Tom Hardy made his television debut with 2 episodes of "Band of Brothers."  In one film  "Locke" (2013) he was the only actor who appeared on screen,  Other film credits include "Inception" (2010), "Child 44" (2015), "Dunkirk" (2017) and "Taboo" (2017).

In truth this was a very impressive team effort.  They won 6 Prime Emmy awards plus another 8 nominations.  Well worth the effort.

Into the West

For awhile there was a lot of news about Critical Race Theory without really explaining about its scope other than some whites were quite upset and others frustrated that the truth was being restricted.  I am reminded of the controversy regarding American history.  Too many Americans seem to overlook the role of slavery in their history and many more unaware that before the Europeans came there were already humans living on the land.

 In truth, the America we know to-day is the result of much human conflict with much cultural interchange and genetic mixing.  The makers of "Into the West" (2005) made a reasonable effort to capture the truth and there certainly are a lot of details.  They came up with 9 hours of film boosted with a special features disc that gives further insight into the history and the film process.

 The story starts in the east with a family of skilled workers.  The main skill is as wheelwrights.  Throughout the series we are reminded of the role of the wheel in colonizing.  One son looking for something more for his life takes off toward the west. Soon he joins a group of men headed west.  They keep pushing and encounter indigenous people, eventually he forms a relation with an indigenous woman. 

Over time more family members move west and move through historical events.  We are made aware of the Gold Rush, the building of the railroad, the Civil War, but most of all with conflicts.  The story includes a free black family who encounter prejudice, but make it west.  We also are given a glimpse of Chinese immigrants who also face severe discrimination, but are respected for being "reliable" workers who do intermingle with the indigenous with common interests.

The violence is prolific and spurred by ignorance, fear and hate.  The Europeans feel they are civilized and look down upon the indigenous.  At one time it is pointed out if the natives had intelligence they would have discovered the gold and made their fortune.  Still some Europeans make sexual alliances with natives and there is some respect for each other's culture.  Immigrants flowed from a Europe where their dreams and ambitions were stifled.

The Gold Rush illustrated the drive for an "easy" path to wealth drawing thousands from the east and even Europe.  For some it was easy, but for the vast majority it was doomed.  Others made their fortune off the gold diggers.  The Chinese participated, but were prevented from prospering.  The indigenous commented that the yellow metal made the whites crazy. 

One aspect of the relationship that I did not notice was the role of disease.  There was a brief scene regarding cholera among the whites.  Indians were defeated by superior technology and overwhelming numbers, but a key element was disease that wiped a high percentage of the indigenous.  

The indigenous were quick to adapt some aspects.  As Europeans spread around North America, the Indians learned about horses and with their natural affinity with nature were able to find their own ways to harness the power.  We don't hear about Easterns so much as Westerns have become part of the American culture.  The indigenous had developed agriculture so that we now forget the contributions of corn, potatoes, tomatoes and maple syrup.  

Towards the end of the series the topic of residential schools arose.  The intention of some was to help the natives to adjust to the American culture.  First though, children had to be separated from their parental influence and their language and culture suppressed.  In Canada we now know the residential schools led to sexual abuse and premature deaths.  The film didn't go that far, but it seems likely American indigenous suffered more extremely.  There is more appreciation we are our background.

The wheel is one technology that allowed the Europeans to spread their culture and was almost as critical as the gun.  The series concentrated on the Wheeler family and their ability to contribute wheels for wagons that carted families to seek their fortune out west.  We take the wheel for granted.  One scene shows an indigenous having bartered brought a wheeled cart back to show others who had mixed reactions.

Most battles resulted in the natives losing, but the Europeans became arrogant.  Custer's Last Stand was labeled  a massacre, but for awhile energized the natives.  In the end Sitting Bull was killed and resistance died down, but never quite disappeared.

At the end we see older men explaining to grandchildren what they have been through.  One phrase sums up the series "The only history man knows for certain is the small part he owns for himself."  There are many ways of trying to understand history, but this series made an honest effort.  Other versions do exist, some dishonest.

This was truly a massive project and it would be impossible in a short blog to do justice for all its contributors.  Here are a few of the cast and crew that helped to make it successful.

Starting with Steven Spielberg who has been associated with many winning films.  He is the  executive producer.  He is likely the most famous and richest of Hollywood film makers as a director, producer and writer.  Winner of 3 Oscars plus a multitude of other awards.  His film credits include "E.T. the Extra Terrestrial" (1982), "Schindler's List" (1993), "Amistad" (1997), "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), "Munich" (1995), "Lincoln" (2012), "Bridge of Spies" (2015) and "The Post" (2017).  Check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/05/bridge-of-spies.html

William Mastrosimone writer, co-executive producer.     His last project was as writer and producer for  ""Benedict Arnold:  A Question of Honor" (2003).

Larry Rapaport, the producer has been producing movies since 1987.

Michelle Wong was a  co-producer.  She had formal training at the National Film Board of Canada.  She was the first Chinese Canadian to direct a film in the history of the NFB.

Geoff Zanelli, the composer won a Prime Time Emmy for this effort. 

The series used two cinematographers.  Alan Caso,  whose credits included  "Six Feet Under" (2001-2003). William Wages has won 3 awards from the American Society of Cinematographers.  The series was filmed mostly near Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. 

Huge cast spread over several decades.

Tonantzin Carmelo played Thunder Heart Woman and won a few awards for that role.

Irene Bedard played Margaret Light Shines in four of the six episodes.  She is probably most famous for being the voice of "Pocahantus" (1995).  Other credits include "Smoke Signals" (1998) and "The Tree of Life" (2011)

John Terry in four episodes plays the older Jacob Wheeler and delivered the quote above.

Sheila Tousey played the older Thunder Heart Woman.  Her film credits include "Skinwalkers" (2002), "A Thief of Time" (2003) and "Coyote Waits" (2003).

Russell Means was the first national director of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and was heavily involved with the standoff with the U.S. government at Wounded Knee in 1973.  His film credits include "The Last of the Mohicans" (1992).

Keith Carradine played the well intentioned Captain Pratt who helped start residential schools.  Keith comes from a theatrical family and has performed in "Hair" and later as Will Rogers.  He won a song Oscar for "I'm Easy."  His film credits include:  "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971), "Nashville" (1975), "Coyote Waits" (2003), "Fargo" tv series (2014-15) and "The Power of the Dog" (2021).

David Paymer played Daniel Royer,  a man who tried to stomp on the Ghost Dance.  Among his film credits are "City Slickers" (1991), "Quiz Show" (1994), "Amistad" (1997), "The Hurricane" (1999) and "The Good Wife" (2009-2016).  Also played supporting roles in dozens of tv. episodes.

Graham Greene played  Conquering Bear.  Born in the Six Nations Reserve, Ontario.  He has been on stage at the Stratford Festival.  His film credits include "Dances with Wolves" (1990), "The Green Mile" (1999), "Skins" (2002), "A Thief of Time" (2002), "Coyote Waits" (2002),  "Wind River" (2017)  and"Molly's Game" (2017).  He has also appeared in dozens of supporting roles in tv. shows.

Wes Studi played Black Kettle.  He spoke only Cherokee language until grade school.  His film credits include "The Last of the Mohicans" (1992), "Geronimo:  An American Legend" (1993), "Skinwalkers" (2002), "A Thief of Time" (2003),"Coyote Waits" (2003), "Avatar" and  2009).

As I write this, Russians are justifying their invasion of Ukraine with the idea that really the people are part of Russia.  One culture self righteously trying to take over another that feels distinct.  Man can be very arrogant thinking they are the center of the world, but nobody is and we are all inter-connected.  If we use our intelligence we can all benefit by relating open mindedly with our fellow humans.  "Into the West" does point to a better future if we can learn from the past and some are making the effort.

"The first mention of movies I have seen are bolded.

Movie Producers--What do they do?

Movie producers very often have their name appearing before the movie title, taking precedence over ticket drawing actors or artistic directors.  As a consumer I was not at first aware of the producer but became vaguely conscious that producers were important.  All the movies that I enjoyed had to pass through a producer, just like for you.  With age, curiosity has overcome me to seek to understand why a producer is so important.

All movies start with an idea.  Someone may have written a full script, but often the idea starts out as a casual conversation until someone seizes on it and takes it to the next step.  A producer's first function is to identify a viable idea and after deciding to go forward organize the many tasks needed to develop a finished product and have it distributed.  Sometimes the decision is made to hire a producer to make sure the idea gets handled properly.  Film rights, need to be secured, sometimes preceded by options

Creative people including writers and directors need to raise money, but often find that money comes with strings.  People with money want to be sure they will get their money back and with a reasonable chance of a profit.  Usually that means they want it to be more "commercial."  At the same time producers can be part of the creative process and many of them started with different functions. Sometimes they start with an idea and search out writers and directors to flesh out the idea.  They are approached by artistic people needing financial support.

Investors are sought.  There are some people who like the glamour, but other investors need to be reassured their money is safe.  A producer spends and supervises the money.  Once financing is secured a budget can be established and a schedule.  Location is another big decision, whether to go on site or build or rent a set.  The cast, the director, sometimes the writing, costumes, sets, countless workers who have to be fed and transported.  They are expected to make sure there is an audience to view the end product.  Very often they can be a driving force behind the creative effort.  Time management is difficult when there are so many pieces to juggle.  Needless to say these functions can be very fluid, taking a long time with many ups and downs and overlapping with creative decisions.

Film projects involve a lot of people performing different functions under the guidance of a producer.  The Academy Awards are very careful in deciding who is the producer as they are the one who actually receives the  Best Picture Oscar.  Other subordinate titles include executive producer, line producer, associate producer, co-producer, etc.  Their exact functions and responsibilities depend on a multitude of factors.

The cast is obviously a key part, but so is a director and writer.  Not only because of their quality, but also concerned for cost, timeliness and compatibility.  Flat fees or percentage of gross/net are the usual options.  A big star helps sell investors and consumers both, but can take up too much of a budget or be too big a distraction.  Other crew members can be almost as critical: cinematographer, editor, composer, costume and set designers and there are many more.

Distribution channels have to be worked out.  Most movies appear in a theatre for about two to four weeks (or less).  Some movies go to television, DVD, foreign language, theatre chains, streaming services.  Many producers spend time at film festivals to meet with distributors that may come from all over the world looking for something they can sell to their audiences.

Marketing costs can be enormous, sometimes even more than the cost of finalizing a film.  Online has become very key, but traditional newspapers, tv., radio, billboards are used to target different segments.  Festivals are more important as producers try to create credibility in the form of selections and awards.

A few sketches of notable producers.

Perhaps one of the first producers people of my generation became aware of was Walt Disney.  He started out as an animator and made short cartoons such as "Steamboat Willy" in 1928 with synchronized sound.  He became the voice of Mickey Mouse.  First long animated feature was "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1937 that defied early critics to become a big success.  In 1950 he started live action films.  Most of his films were based on folk tales.  "Saving Mr Banks" recounted his efforts to get the rights for "Mary Poppins" and portrays the sort of efforts that some producers undergo.

Steven Spielberg, one of the wealthiest film makers in the world started out in various functions and worked up to director with  perhaps his first hit being "Jaws"  He used a lot of visual effects.  He was an early pioneer with product placement, most famously illustrated with Reece's Pieces in "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" because M and M rejected his offer.  So many hit films such as "Munich," "Saving Private Ryan,"  Back to the Future," "Who Framed Roger Rabbit,""Schindler's List" "Lincoln," "War Horse," "The Hundred-foot Journey," "Bridge of Spies" http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/05/bridge-of-spies.html  He has formed some creative alliances that have added to his success--notably composer John Williams and editor Michael Kahn.  He also directed 13 actors who received Oscar nominations for their performance.

Carlo Ponti actually practiced law in Italy during the Mussolini era before he became a film producer.  Perhaps best remembered as husband to Sophia Loren.  He had chosen her stage name which is more easily remembered than her original Sofia Vellone Sciciolone.  Not known to as many is that he married her twice, because his divorce to his first wife wasn't recognized in Italy.  This caused the two to exile themselves to the United States where he produced a number of movies including "Doctor Zhivago" and "Operation Crossbow."  They married after he, Sophia and his first wife all took French citizenship where his divorce was recognized.  He produced a number of classic Italian movies, such as "La Strada," "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," "Two Women," "Marriage Italian Style" and "A Special Day."


Aditya Chopra is a name attached to many enjoyable Bollywood movies, often as a director or writer.  At age 23 his first directing and writing effort was the longest running movie "Diwale Dulhania Le Jayenge."  He has continued to write and direct. but is now more involved in producing where in a sense he is even more creative.  Some of his producing hits include, "Sultan," "Fan" and "Fanaa."  He comes by it honestly as his father was the well established Yash Chopra.  Aditya also got my attention as he married Rani Mukerji,(http://www.johnfdavidson.com/2014/11/rani-mukerji-maturing-actress_53.html) a favourite actress.  Has at least two interesting projects on the go "Paani" and "Thug"

Sisse Graum Jorgensen of Denmark produced my favorite all time film "After The Wedding."  She also produced other Danish classics such as  "Brothers," "A Better Life" "The Hunt" and "A Royal Affair."  She has produced a few English speaking films; "Salvation," and "Love is all you Need."  She likes to work closely with directors such as Susanne Bier and Thomas Vinterberg as well as writers such as Anders Thomas Jensen.

When you are evaluating a movie take into account the producer as he or she made it possible and left their fingerprints if you look.

Bridge of Spies

Tom Hanks has appeared in a lot of thoughtful movies.  When I picked up a Blu-ray disc I was expecting a suspense movie and although I knew some of the story it was tense.  More importantly it made me reflect on some of the issues of today.

I first learned of Francis Gary Powers from reading the headlines of the Toronto Telegram when I was a delivery boy.  It was a bit scary that one of our guys had been caught by the evil guys.  There was a concern about nuclear war.

On IMDB there is a lengthy discussion about the accuracy of period components and political slantings.  A lot of it is very interesting, if sometimes confusing.  Like most movie viewers I wasn't there and can appreciate the difficulties of being accurate in every detail, fair to the historical figures and making the movie a money maker.  I believe they made a number of points relevant for today and revealed some historical realities that have been overlooked.

Most of our society was a bit paranoid during the Cold War.  I remember listening to talk about building bomb shelters and the Commie menace.  In the United States Joseph McCarthy was finding Communists in positions of power and influence and he specialized in uncovering ancient brushes with socialism.

Rudolf Abel (played by Mark Rylance) was a Soviet spy who passed undetected for 8 years.  We never learn if he passed on any significant information.  He is captured and put on trial.

We are introduced to James Donovan played by Tom Hanks as a sharp insurance lawyer showing how he could beat back claims.  He is soon asked to represent a captured Soviet spy (this happens before the Powers incident) and it soon becomes apparent that the Americans wanted to put on a good show to demonstrate how fair they were.  When Donovan does do a conscientious job he is reviled by government officials and the public who assumed Abel was guilty and deserved capital punishment.

Donovan is successful in avoiding an execution (shortly after the Rosenbergs had been executed for giving information to the Soviets).  He pointed out that if Abel was executed the United States would lose leverage for a possible prisoner exchange.  A strong reaction from vocal people who thought he should be executed.  One is reminded of today's anti-Muslim paranoia.

A complication was an an American student Fred Pryor in East Germany who was captured and one rumour was he would be exchanged for Abel.  However everyone including the East Germans realized he was not really a spy and the Americans had little motive to retrieve him.  At the time East Germany was not recognized by the Americans and they thought this would give them a bargaining chip.  The Soviets and East Germans had different motives.  Donovan decided to include Pryor in the negotiations, although government workers felt it was too risky and too trivial when they really wanted to recover a spy with lots of classified information.

Donovan pointed out that the constitution makes Americans better, and by adhering to the rules gained respect of the world.  He felt Abel was a Russian doing his best for his own country. and that is what Americans expected for their own spies.

In some ways the movie put Americans in a bad light for such things as not pursuing the spirit of the Constitution, wanting execution while the Russians were looking at 10 years hard labour for Francis Gary Powers.  But there was a lot of balancing with the Berlin Wall was started and we were shown would be escapees being shot. At the and of the movie Tom Hanks had the idea to contrast American youngsters climbing over fences without getting shot

On IMDB it was pointed that the movie's portrayal of torture inflicted on Francis Gary Powers was untrue.  He was given tools for a knitting project in reality whereas in the movies it was pointed out that Abel was given painting supplies.

There was some scenes that the returned spies would have their patriotism doubted.  In fact both men were accepted and in the case of Powers continued to work for the military.

Another touch dealt with flash photographers who had a problem with flash bulbs that after being used were very hot.  Instead of putting in pockets as advised they threw them on the floor.  Spielberg  chose to shoot a scene of reporters and others walking through discarded bulbs

Spielberg's father had been involved with a Russian/American exchange and was consulted.

Mark Rylance won an Oscar for best supporting actor. and had some of the best lines  "Do many foreign agents register?" and the much repeated, but timely "Would it make a difference?"

Amy Ryan played Mary Donovan, wife to James.

Music by Thomas Newman, in the background supported words and actions.  I will be adding to my iTunes list.

If you are looking for spine tingling suspense or seat clinging action you will be disappointed.  The movie's dramatic strength is the power of negotiation.  Tom Hanks was very believable portraying Donovan who went against government advice to persuade both the Russians and East Germans to co-operate.  In the post script at the end it was pointed out that John F. Kennedy asked Donovan to negotiate the release of Americans after the Bay of Pigs disaster which he successfully did.  In this day and age there are many who are ready to drop a bomb, send thousands of soldiers to fight at any insult to American integrity.  This movie provided an alternative.

Something I have never done before is to refer my readers to a more detailed review at IMDB--check out the discussion groups.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3682448/?ref_=nv_sr_1