Bridge of Spies Page #6

ROGER:

But when you hear the sirens, there

may not be enough time to fill up

the tub and the sinks.

DONOVAN:

There are not going to be any

sirens. What is this?

Roger lifts a drawing he made, from a small table strewn with

magazine articles.

ROGER:

When the bomb comes, the Reds will

aim for the Empire State Building.

But the bomb goes off at 10,000 feet

up. In Life Magazine, it’s called

an airburst and if the bomb is 50

megatons, the “blast wave” goes out,

and out, and out, and melts

everything from here to here (points

to his drawing)-- including where we

live...here.

Donovan takes the drawing, sits down on the covered toilet.

DONOVAN:

Roger, nobody’s dropping atomic

bombs on us.

ROGER:

But the Russians want to. You know

the guy you’re defending, he’s here

to get things ready for the guys who

drop the bombs...

DONOVAN:

He isn’t here for that. And he’s

not even a Russian...he was born, we

think, in Northern England.

ROGER:

But he’s a spy for Russia. I don’t

even understand what you’re doing.

You’re not a Communist, so why are

you defending one?

(CONTINUED)

12.17.14 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 33.

CONTINUED:
(2)

DONOVAN:

Because it’s my job.

ROGER:

It never used to be.

SUBWAY:

Donovan, seated on a crowded train, looks around at other

passengers reading the various newspapers. A page four

banner headline reads:

“AFTER TEN DAYS OF TESTIMONY --ABEL SPY CASE GOES TO THE

JURY”

There is also a picture of Donovan standing next to Abel. A

few passengers on the subway lift their eyes from their

papers, recognizing Donovan. Donovan feels like everyone’s

looking at him and not kindly.

COURTHOUSE:

The foreman of the jury stands, sensing every eye on him.

The public gallery is full.

CLERK:

In the case of the United States of

America versus Rudolf Abel, as to

the first count in the indictment,

how do you find the defendant?

Guilty or not guilty?

Donovan stands next to Abel.

FOREMAN:

Guilty.

CLERK:

As to the second count?

FOREMAN:

Guilty.

CLERK:

As to the third count?

FOREMAN:

Guilty.

DONOVAN:

Your Honor, I make a motion to set

aside the guilty verdict as against

the weight of evidence.

(CONTINUED)

12.17.14 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 34.

CONTINUED:

JUDGE BYERS:

Denied. The jury is discharged,

thank you all. I would like to add

that if I were one of you I would

have reached the same verdict.

Sentencing will be on November

fifteen.

DETENTION ROOM:

Donovan paces in a detention room. He turns to see Abel

standing just inside the door.

DONOVAN:

The death sentence is not a foregone

conclusion, don’t worry -

ABEL:

I’m not afraid to die, Mr. Donovan.

Although...

A Guard closes the door.

ABEL (CONT’D)

...It wouldn’t be my first choice.

Donovan opens his briefcase and removes Abel’s sketch pad.

DONOVAN:

You left this behind.

ABEL:

Oh, thank you.

Donovan also hands him a packet of cigarettes.

ABEL (CONT’D)

Oh thank you very much.

Donovan lights Abel’s cigarette. Abel draws on it and

smiles.

ABEL (CONT’D)

You’ve never asked me if the charges

were true. If I am indeed a spy.

DONOVAN:

This is how we do it: the case

against you matters. Making them

prove it matters. The fiction is,

whether you did it or not doesn’t

matter. The state has to prove it,

that you’re a spy.

(CONTINUED)

12.17.14 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 35.

CONTINUED:

ABEL:

So you’re not curious?

DONOVAN:

No, not really. I always assumed

you were an artist.

Donovan chuckles.

ABEL:

My wife, she’s the artist. She’s a

musician. In the children’s

orchestra of Moscow.

DONOVAN:

What instrument?

ABEL:

The harp.

DONOVAN:

Oh. Then she’s an angel.

Abel, now seated at the table, smokes, regards Donovan.

ABEL:

You know, sitting there like that --

you remind me of a man who used to

come to our house when I was young.

My father used to tell me, “Watch

this man.” So I did. Every time he

came, and never once did he do

anything remarkable.

DONOVAN:

And I remind you of him?

ABEL:

This one time, when I was the age of

your son, our house was overrun --

by partisan border guards. Dozens

of them. My father was beaten. My

mother was beaten. And this man, my

father’s friend -- he was beaten.

And I watched this man. Every time

they hit him, he stood back up

again. So they hit him harder.

Still, he got back to his feet. I

think because of this they stopped

the beating. They let him live.

Stoikey Muzhik, I remember them

saying. Stoikey Muzhik. That sort

of means, like, uh, Standing Man.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

12.17.14 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 36.

CONTINUED:
(2)

ABEL (CONT'D)

(beat)

Standing man.

Donovan is moved.

BROOKLYN BROWNSTONE DOOR

It is swung open by a middle-aged woman, hair done, evening

dress, ready to go out.

MILLIE:

Hello, Jim!

DONOVAN:

Millie. You’re a vision.

MILLIE:

Mortie’s busy getting kitted out,

but c’mon in.

Donovan enters the house.

MILLIE (CONT’D)

Scotch, Jim?

DONOVAN:

Oh yes, please. Thank you. Just a

drop of water.

BYERS’ HOME -- LIVING ROOM

Judge Byers is working on bow tie at a mirror in which he

sees Donovan entering. There is a scotch in a tumbler on the

bureau top.

DONOVAN:

Your honor.

JUDGE BYERS:

‘Lo, Jim, just going out, got a

couple minutes though. March of

Dimes thing. Millie is active.

JIM:

Well thank you for seeing me. I

just wanted to give you my two cents

on the sentencing, and I thought

maybe I should -- pester you at

home, as...not all my points

are...narrowly legal.

(CONTINUED)

12.17.14 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 37.

CONTINUED:

JUDGE BYERS:

Yeah well it’s that kind of case. I

hope I wasn’t too scratchy during

the trial but it’s exactly what you

say:
nothing about this is narrowly

legal. There are bigger issues.

He can’t quite get his tie right, rips it off.

JUDGE BYERS (CONT’D)

Bigger issues.

He moves into the dining room, tries again with the tie in a

nother mirror. Millie enters with Donovan’s drink, hands it

to him and exits.

DONOVAN:

Um...sir, I think it could be

considered in the best interests of

the United States that Abel remain

alive. He -

The Judge turns to face him.

JUDGE BYERS:

Why? I’m not saying I’ve made up my

mind but, if he was going to

cooperate, work with the government,

he’d have done it already.

DONOVAN:

True, but if he -

Very sharp, nettled at the interruption:

JUDGE BYERS:

Excuse me. (a beat of silence to

make clear that the floor is his,

then moves into the next room to try

at yet another mirror) You can’t say

it’s in the best interests of the

United States that he spend the rest

of his days in a prison cell. How

is this the national interest.

He looks at Donovan as if he’s an idiot. He sets the glass

down and turns back to the mirror and his tie.

(CONTINUED)

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