Two risky films take centre stage in this episode of Film Stories, starting with Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. A 170-minute film released in the midst of a summer jammed with over 100 films to choose from in cinema. Who would have thought it'd prevail at the box office?

Spielberg for one wasn't too worried: but also, he came to it directly after making The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Amistad. No wonder he had to rely heavily on his instincts.

Fran Kranz meanwhile, better known for his acting, got nowhere with a script he'd written for a $100m alien invasion movie. He turned his attention to something a lot smaller, that he could raise the funding for. He came up with Mass, on a shoestring budget. Completing the film was just part of the challenge...

Stories of both are told in this episode

---

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices