Counterpoint: The U2 Story
Film tells the story of an American pilot who was shot down in a U-2 spy plane over Soviet Union and a Norwegian fisherman who used a carnival as cover to spy on the U-2 for the Russians.
00:07-01:59 - Color and B/W, 1940s-1970s
- Intercutting shots of Russian spy Selmer Nielsen in Norway and CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers in Los Angeles.
- B-roll of Nielsen w/fishing net.
- B-roll of Powers pre-flight inspection of single-prop plane (audio of Powers saying he was caught, embarrassed the CIA, that it wasn’t his fault)
- B-roll of Lockheed U-2 high-altitude spy plane taking off.
- WS INT of radio station and disc jockey introducing Powers.
- OTS of Powers giving flying traffic report.
- Various b-roll of Powers flying, aerial footage of Hollywood Freeway, and WS of airborne plane.
01:59-04:07
- WS of Nielsen’s fjord in Norway.
- Various B/W shots of coal miners.
- Various good B/W shots of a manufacturing line, fuselage of an aircraft, and installation of aircraft engine.
04:07-07:58
- CU b-roll of a plane engine.
- MCU interview of Powers talking about his first flight.
- EWS of an airborne single-engine plane.
- Various B/W shots of WWII German aircraft and soldiers, aerial footage of a fjord.
- CU interview of Nielsen saying his parents began spying for the Russians in 1941.
- Various B/W footage of bombed warships, aircraft, ships firing weapons in rough seas.
- MFS of Nielsen rowing a boat with a child saying Russians spied from a cave w/b-roll of cave.
07:58-12:09
- Various B/W b-roll of destroyed buildings and rustic structure w/children (audio of Nielsen saying he fled into the mountains in 1944).
- Various B/W shots of Norwegians celebrating, a Norwegian flag and outdoor cooking.
- Various B/W shots of collaborators going into a Norwegian courthouse.
- Various b-roll shots of Nielson cutting and tossing a fish onto a dock, net, and water (audio of Nielsen saying that a Russian agent returned in 1948).
- FS interview with Nielsen saying the agent demanded someone go to Russia with him.
- B-roll WS of Nielsen’s house.
- B-roll POV WS from a row boat passing the shoreline.
- Various interview shots of Nielsen saying he had to go to Russia.
- B-roll WS of a dock with a fishing net and house.
- B/W footage of President Truman discussing the North Atlantic Treaty.
- B-roll WS of a Nielsen walking
- EWS of a fjord.
12:09-14:19
- Various B/W shots of airborne bombers.
- Various B/W shots of a woman and pilot looking at each other and kissing.
- WS of an aircraft named “Betty Jo,â€
- MFS of airmen turning a propeller.
- WS of bombers on a runway.
- Various shots from an Air Force film.
- Various B/W b-roll of bombs, jets taking off, rice paddies strafed, and 1950s jets.
- Various B/W b-roll of an American flag and airmen saluting.
14:19-17:37
- Various shots of Nielsen’s fishing boat.
- MFS of a child rowing a boat and CU of Nielsen smoking (voice of Nielsen saying he agreed to spy).
- B/W photograph of Powers w/two aviators.
- Various interview shots of Powers saying the CIA used a new plane to spy on the Soviets.
- Various B/W shots of a U-2 taxiing, aerial shot on runway, and airborne.
- CU interview of Powers saying the U-2 is a thrill to fly.
- Various good shots of airborne U-2 and photo of Powers in flight suit w/U-2.
17:37-21:50
- CU of hand on a boat steering wheel, WS of boat bow at sunset, CU of frothy sea.
- Various b-roll of airborne U-2.
- CU interview of Powers saying he didn’t consider himself a spy.
- B/W ZO photograph of Powers in pressure suit standing next to U-2.
- B-roll WS of a U-2 on runway.
- Various B-roll shots of bumper cars, carousel horses, prizes, and roller coaster w/Norwegian flag.
- B-roll aerial WS of Norwegian town.
- Various B-roll shots of a directional sign, small boats, sign that says “Headquarters Allied Forces Northern Europe,†military plane on runway and hanger.
- WS EXT shot of the Norrona Hotel ZI to rooftop sign.
- MS EXT shot of hotel rooms.
- MFS interview with Nielsen in a hotel room w/liquor, cigarettes and a newspaper saying he’d have parties in one room and his spy equipment in the other.
21:56-26:22
- Various B-roll shots of Nielsen in a field.
- Panning WS of a fjord.
- B-roll WS shot of a U-2 entering a hanger.
- B-roll FS of an airborne U-2.
- CU interview of Powers talking about going to Norway.
- Aerial B-roll of Norwegian fjord, villages and countryside.
- MFS ZI CU interview shot of Nielsen saying he obtained a picture of a U-2.
- B-roll FS of U-2 taxiing, WS of runway and Norwegian harbor.
- MS interview shot of Nielsen saying he’d find out pilots’ destinations during parties.
- B/W photograph of Powers in a flight suit w/a U-2.
26:22-30:15
- MFS interview of Powers saying CIA officer said to tell the Soviets everything if captured.
- Various shots of Selmer Nielsen at the barn he photographed the U-2 from.
- Various B-roll of U-2 on a runway, pilot climbing into cockpit and preparing for takeoff
- B/W CU photograph of Powers wearing helmet.
- Various shots of Nielsen climbing to an abandoned bunker.
- WS of the airfield.
- WS of a U-2 on a runway and Powers climbing into cockpit.
- Various B/W shots of Soviet soldiers in Red Square, missiles, and Nikita Khrushchev waiving.
- B-roll CU of aU-2 pilot in cockpit.
- WS of U-2 taking off.
30:15-33:06
- B-roll graphic of a U-2 over a map of the Soviet Union.
- MS interview w/Powers holding a U-2 model describing exploding over the USSR.
- Various B/W footage of May Day in Red Square, Nikita Khrushchev waiving, crowds and picture of Lenin.
- ECU ZO MS interview w/Powers holding a U-2 model describing the aircraft spinning and attempting to initiate the self-destruct mechanism.
- B/W photograph of Powers captured.
- WS ZI MFS interview of Nielsen in a bunker describing waiting for Power’s U-2 to arrive and receiving a message from Russia that it wouldn’t.
- Various B/W shots of Khrushchev.
- B/W photographs of self-destruct mechanism and poison needle from Power’s U-2.
33:06-37:02
- B/W photos of Andrei Gromyko and Khrushchev holding photos from Power’s U-2.
- Various B/W shots of President Dwight Eisenhower defending the spy mission and journalists taking notes.
- B/W EXT WS of the United Nations, a Russian addressing U.N, and photo of Khrushchev.
37:02-43:25
- Various B/W B-roll of Moscow U-2 exhibit.
- Various B/W shots of TV interviews in NYC.
- Various B/W shots of Khrushchev examining the U-2s wreckage.
- MFS B/W photograph of Powers in Moscow looking at the wreckage (audio of Powers saying his spy mission was punishable by death).
- MS to MCU interview with Powers discussing solitary confinement.
- B/W footage of President Eisenhower at the Paris Summit and footage of Khrushchev using an ax.
- B/W MS photo of Powers after being captured.
- MCU interview with Powers talking about interrogation.
- Various B/W shots of Power’s trial in Moscow (voice of Powers talking about the trial).
- CU ZI to MCU of Powers reciting his plea.
- MCU interview shot of Powers saying he was sentenced to 10-years.
43:25-47:23
- B-roll POV of boat bow.
- CU interview with Nielsen saying the Russian’s placed a bomb in Power’s U-2.
- B-roll FS of Nielsen in his kitchen.
- B/W photo of Powers in Russia.
- B/W CU shot of Powers after his release.
- CU interview of Powers saying the CIA thouught he was a double agent.
- B/W newspaper headline saying Powers should have killed himself.
- Various B/W shots of Powers holding a model of U-2 at a Congressional hearing.
- B/W MS of Powers telling reporters he followed instructions.
- Various B/W shots of Powers at an event.
- WS of Powers riding a minibike.
- B/W photograph of Powers with Kelly Johnson and a U-2.
- MS of Powers smiling in an orange flight suit next to a U-2.
47:23-51:47
- B-roll FS of reindeers ZO to WS of Nielsen smoking in a field.
- B-roll WS of a helicopter landing in a fjord, soldiers jumping out and one pointing.
- B-roll WS of a helicopter flying through a fjord.
- B/W aerial shot of a fjord.
- MCU ZO MFS interview with Nielsen saying the soldiers thought he was an idiot drunk.
- MFS OTS shot of Nielsen and a fjord
- B-roll EWS panning shot of a fjord.
- Various shots of Powers moving a single-prop plane with “KGIL radio†written on it.
- WS of a Lockheed hanger.
- Good CU and WS of Powers taking off in single-prop plane with “KGILradio†on it (audio of Powers saying the CIA tried to prevent him from writing a book).
- Various good shots of Power’s plane taking off, aerial view of L.A. and MS of Powers piloting the plane (audio of Powers saying why he wrote the book).
- Various good INT shots of Powers flying (audio of Powers talking about losing his job at Lockheed after writing his book and not being able to find a good job since.
- B-roll INT CU of Powers flying and WS of airborne plane.
- B-roll WS of a bird flying in a fjord.
- MCU ZO MFS of Nielson sitting in a field (audio of Nielsen saying he felt after getting caught).
- B/W WS b-roll of Nielsen loaded onto a plane on a stretcher.
51:47-56:11
- Editorial cartoons of Powers and headline.
- CU of poster for book event w/Powers.
- Various shots of Powers at book event with cutaways of audience.
- WS of Nielsen walking along the shore.
- Various b-roll shots of the wrecked boat Nielsen took to Russia.
- Various shots of Nielsen in a deserted house and in a row boat.
- MS and CU shots of Powers holding a medal he received from the CIA (audio of him reading its inscription).
- CU to ZU interview of Powers talking about the medal’s value.
- B-roll CU to WS shot of U-2 taxiing away from the camera.