David O. Russell Breaks Down a Scene from 'Amsterdam'

The heart of the movie Amsterdam

is what is your Amsterdam?

Amsterdam is that moment

that makes you know you love life no matter what.

It's a good question for us all to ask,

is what is our own Amsterdam?

What's worth living for?

What's worth loving for?

What's worth dancing and singing?

[group singing in French]

I'm David O. Russell,

and we're gonna look at a scene from Amsterdam.

[Mrs. Dillenbeck] The General wants to meet you.

[upbeat music] [feet stepping]

Don't screw this up.

[Mrs. Dillenbeck] Straighten up. Come on.

This is sort of The Wizard of Oz,

this house, for them.

This is a location chosen by Judy Becker

with Chivo Emmanuel Lubezki, our cinematographer.

And this is their second time.

They got kicked out physically the first time.

They've been trying to get here

since the start of the movie.

[Mrs. Dillenbeck] I'm sorry about the misunderstanding.

Now, let's talk about my characters,

which is the whole heart of the picture.

Christian was the start of the picture.

We, for five years,

wanted to create a character who is an outsider.

All my characters are outsiders.

That's Silver Linings.

That's American Hustle.

That's Joy.

This was based on historical people.

Christian's a doctor.

He's based on an actual doctor,

Dr. Shields,

who was put into the regiment of Harold Woodman,

who was also historically-based,

to some degree,

on Charles Hamilton Houston,

and William Henry Johnson,

who were prominent members of this regiment,

and they met in Amsterdam.

This woman,

who's based on great artists of the time,

Georgia O'Keefe, Meret Oppenheim,

Hannah Hawk,

incredible, women artists.

They've all been through a lot.

This story reunites them,

and so they're on another adventure together,

trying to save themselves,

and they're desperate to get to this General's house,

General Gilbert Dillenbeck,

played by Robert De Niro.

This man was the most decorated general

in the history of the country at the time.

Very meticulous.

He built Quantico, and he is living at home.

He's retired.

[Mrs. Dillenbeck] I'm sorry about the misunderstanding.

Oh, nevermind, nevermind.

[Mrs. Dillenbeck] We get so many uninvited guests here.

Of course.

[Mrs. Dillenbeck] People we don't want to see.

This a oner,

and Chivo always makes sure the intersection has the light

that he wants.

You have to have the natural sunlight.

That's south.

This is north.

So the light is coming from a northerly direction

that Chivo loves to work for the entire day.

And we were fortunate to have the sun be in most of the day.

Of course.

[Mrs. Dillenbeck] People we don't want to see.

I'm sorry.

Thank you.

I'm not drunk.

Oh, oh, young lady, what is wrong with you?

Are you alright?

It's a touch of vertigo

and a couple of, uh, I'm coming off some medication

at the moment. I vertigo once,

and the, the world just keeps moving.

I'd offer you a drink,

but we don't keep alcohol in the house.

Oh, that's fine.

So they walk in, and they pass this guy.

He's based on a real character.

He even looks like the real character.

His name is McGuire.

There's something important in that bag.

Now, the General, himself, is in an outsider position.

He's the ultimate insider who's suddenly become an outsider.

[Mrs. Dillenbeck sighs]

You can put your hat and coats over there.

I like that it split the frame this way

because you have two worlds here.

You have the world they're entering,

and you have this guy,

who represents a big secret

that's at the heart of everything.

They're going up this way.

Jumping ahead to another visitor?

Oh, Mr. McGuire comes every month to discuss something

my husband can never get a clear answer about.

They're about to enter this new world,

going upstairs to meet the General.

This guy's still out.

He hasn't been let in.

To discuss something

my husband can never get a clear answer about.

Right, Mr. McGuire?

Ah.

I always love that shot

where each of them get to walk by

and take a look at McGuire.

You know they each kinda.

[feet stepping]

What do I know?

I'm just trying to make bouillabaise

because the General had it once in France.

I love household conversations and marriages like this.

What do I know?

I'm just trying to make bouillabaisse

'cause the general had it once in France.

[fist knocking]

General, your visitors are here.

You call your husband, General?

Only on the weekdays.

What do you call him at weekends?

That's a very personal question.

What are talking about?

Don't blame me for getting us kicked out.

Your sneakers are loud. What, are you nervous?

This was based on a story that someone told me

who had dinner with General MacArthur's widow.

He asked her many questions,

including what she called General MacArthur at home,

including in their private quarters.

And she said she called him, General

during their private intimacies,

which I never forgot.

And so I thought it was very fun to have Christian,

Burt Berendsen, ask this question.

Now, this general was basically like MacArthur.

He was the most famous, decorated general

in the country at that time.

And I love that he said to them,

Don't screw this up

when they're walking

Don't screw this up.

that they think, well, you're screwing it up.

Why are you asking these questions?

What are you talking about?

Don't blame me for getting us kicked out.

Your sneakers are loud. What, are you nervous?

Shh.

[door creaks]

She's pulling everybody's leg half the time,

that's why I love her.

What an honor, sir.

Um, was it the pictures that made you change your mind

about seeing us?

So he's not sure he wants to trust these people.

He's agreed to meet them,

and they're sort of a ragtag group,

like in the Wizard of Oz,

trying to get in.

He's a little bit concerned

about what's being offered to him in the world.

Many people want him.

They want to use him.

Many people come to offer him money

to try to get him to join their group

and speak on behalf of their group.

That's why he's being very careful

about who he meets

and why his wife, Mrs. Dillenbeck,

is very protective of him.

Was it the pictures that made you change your mind

about seeing us?

Well, how can I know this is you really in the picture?

And so, he sort of feels something in his heart,

but he's gotta test him,

not so fast.

Let me make sure you're someone I can trust.

Uh, yes, sir.

So, well, I'm the doctor,

she's the nurse,

he's the attorney.

We all met in Belgium,

which if you recall is where we met

for the first time

As well as Washington last summer,

The BEF March.

Well, I'll tell you one thing

that I can remember quite clearly.

You did something that,

you, you sang a song.

That's very important.

He played this legendary person

that many people don't know about.

Bob is, by nature, a meticulous person,

and this fit perfectly with him.

If you're a general who met thousands of people

'cause you're one of the most famous generals in the world.

He fought on three or four continents

over a period of 20 years.

He remembers them,

but he remembers them for something they did.

That is the basis of their love of each other

and their love of life.

So he wants to know if they remember that.

You did something that

you, you sang a song.

Now this is exactly the kind of thing

that De Niro has in real life.

I've been with Robert for about 15 years,

and many people remember him,

but he remembers specific things about places and people.

He will take you to a place where he went when he was 19,

and he was hitchhiking.

His memory and his intimacy with life is extraordinary.

So he remembers the song.

You, you sang a song, I believe.

Well, which, which one, sir?

Well, that's for you to remember.

I, I've met thousands of people.

He studied the actual general it's based on

and made his own identity out of it.

Now the dog on his lap is his real dog,

one among many he has.

This general did have a dog in real life,

so Bob loved having the dog as General Dillenbeck.

Kris Peck, our prop department,

and Danielle Osborne, our set dressers,

they made it perfect.

You've got his wedding photograph,

which is very important to him.

You've got his regiment photographs, right?

You've got his various honors he's received,

his various military bases he designed.

These are all specific things from the life of the General.

I love how they all look, you know?

And these beautiful tones are the palette of the movie,

the gold and the blue.

I've met thousands of people.

You just met me twice,

and, so, uh, you should remember the song.

I'd like you to sing it now, then I'll know it's you.

Sing the song.

♪ Did, did you ever see a dream ♪

♪ Dream ♪ ♪ Walking ♪

♪ Well I did ♪

♪ Did you ever hear a dream ♪

♪ Talking ♪ See, right.

♪ And then I did ♪

The reason this is so great is

that the heart of the movie Amsterdam is,

what is your Amsterdam?

Amsterdam's that moment

that makes you know you love life no matter what,

'cause especially when you're faced with a lot

of challenges like we are in the world.

What's worth living for?

What's worth loving for?

What's worth dancing and singing?

And that's what these guys found.

This was one of our favorite songs,

Did You Ever See A Dream Walking.

Hea Colton was our musical voice coach.

♪ Did you ever see a dream ♪

♪ Dream ♪ ♪ Walking ♪

♪ Well, I did ♪

And I love that John David,

who's normally a little more reserved,

is the one leading them in this song,

and he's leading them in perfect pitch.

And they're just starting to hit it

when Bob stops them.

♪ I did ♪

No, no, no. That's, that's not it.

Um, was it in French?

I'll know it when I hear it.

That's a classic De Niro line,

I'll know it when I hear it.

Now they're gonna sing the song they made up.

And this is how they took tragedy and blood

and transformed it into joy and happiness and loyalty,

which is the biggest theme of the picture.

You want a friend we can count on no matter what.

That's who they are to each other.

So they make sense outta nonsense.

They made a beautiful French harmony out of nonsense words,

which was the way they all got to know and love each other.

[group singing in French]

Rebecca Glasberg was the French coach to help them sing

in French.

So they sang in French and in English,

and this is one they remembered.

[Valerie sings in French]

[group singing in French]

[group singing in French]

Look how happy John David is.

John David cannot hide.

He just feels the song.

He's really happy, and she's dialed into him.

These two have a tremendous love connection,

and he, who was trying to figure out his own love life,

has witnessed it the whole time.

And they haven't sang this song since they were

in Amsterdam together,

so it's been at least 14 years.

I always say my movies have a certain tone of friendship,

love, flawed outsiders,

yet funny,

that the comedy comes from this sincerity.

That's the tuning fork,

and they're hitting that tuning fork right now.

The love and harmony of remembering,

oh yeah, Amsterdam.

This guy made us do it,

but this feels good.

It's like watching a wobbly bicycle start.

Oh, are they gonna get it?

Is this gonna sound bad?

Oh, no, they're finding it.

Oh, they think they got it.

Oh, now they're in harmony.

And that is a magic feeling,

when something comes into harmony.

And that's what Amsterdam is to them

and that's what their love is in their friendship,

how they have each other's backs

and love each other through thick and thin.

And it's when they hit that harmony,

he remembers, yeah,

these are the three characters I met in Europe.

These are the only ones who sang this way to me.

That's the kind of thing I always want.

And everybody I know wants to have that kind

of kinship with your dear ones,

the ones closest to you.

And so that's the beauty and magic of that music.

[group singing in French]

Yes, that, that was it.

This is David O. Russell for Amsterdam, signing off.

This was really fun.

Thank you.