Unbroken Page #13

Synopsis: As a boy, Louis "Louie" Zamperini is always in trouble, but with the help of his older brother, he turns his life around and channels his energy into running, later qualifying for the 1936 Olympics. When World War II breaks out, Louie enlists in the military. After his plane crashes in the Pacific, he survives an incredible 47 days adrift in a raft, until his capture by the Japanese navy. Sent to a POW camp, Louie becomes the favorite target of a particularly cruel prison commander.
Production: Universal Pictures
  Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 29 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.2
Metacritic:
59
Rotten Tomatoes:
51%
PG-13
Year:
2014
137 min
$70,500,647
Website
4,804 Views


ear. The room spins with pain and he goes down.

Louie slowly pulls himself upright. The Bird waits for him to

steady himself. He then does something surprising and offers

him tissue paper for his wound.

THE BIRD:

Better?

Is there compassion in this man?

THE BIRD (CONT’D)

Why do you make me hit you?

A sense of relief enters Louie’s mind just as the buckle,

whirling around from The Bird’s swinging arm, strikes his

head again, exactly where it hit before. Louie feels pain

bursting through his skull, the sound goes out and his body

going liquid. He smacks into the floor.

PRE-LAP VOICE FROM NEXT SCENE

You’re dead.

172 INT. CAMP OFFICE, OMORI - MORNING 172

A blur of confused vision. Unidentified voices.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 1

In America they say, Zamperini

dead.

A blur of faces talking to him.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 1 (CONT’D)

They tell your family you died in

war.

Slowly the images resolve. Louie is sitting in The Bird’s

office, holding onto his bruised head. The two radio men are

wearing business suits, and seem unconcerned by Louie’s

condition. The Bird sits with them, equally unconcerned.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 1 (CONT’D)

NBC Radio tell America, famous

Olympic runner Zamperini is dead.

The words sound familiar. Like the men at Kwajalien. Louie

takes in what they’re saying, but he doesn’t understand why.

He glances up at The Bird. He wants to kill him.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 2

You want to tell family you are not

dead?

The Bird sees Louie’s confusion. He wants to be helpful.

THE BIRD:

These gentlemen, they are from

Radio Tokyo.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 2

We have program go all over world.

It is name ‘Postman Calls’.

The Bird cups a hand in front of his mouth as if talking to a

microphone, acting out what Louie can say.

THE BIRD:

Hello, Mother. Your son is calling

you. Mother, I love you. I am alive

and well.

Louie stares at him, not knowing whether to laugh or scream.

A174

EXT. OMORI BRIDGE - DAY A174

The car drives over the bridge heading for Tokyo.

174

EXT. RADIO TOKYO BUILDING - DAY 174

The car comes down the road to pull up by the Radio Tokyo

building.

LOUIE:

I’m only saying my own words.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 1

Of course!

93

JAPANESE PRODUCER/HOST (V.O.)

HELLO AMERICA...

175

INT. RADIO TOKYO STUDIO - DAY 175

MICROPHONE:

Louie tentatively sits into frame behind the mike. A

delicious fruit bowl has been placed on the table in front of

him. His mouth waters. He’s almost mesmerized by it.

From off we hear well-modulated Japanese speech. Louie

looks.

At another table, a Japanese RADIO HOST in a suit and slicked-

back hair speaks into his own microphone. Something in his

own speech amuses him and he interrupts himself with a

chuckle, and then plows on.

Louie looks around, still somewhat disoriented.

The man at the other table now switches to English:

JAPANESE RADIO HOST

This is ‘The Postman Calls’. Today

the Postman calls for Mrs Louise

Zamperini of, Torrance, California.

Louie Zamperini is not missing—and

not dead, as erroneously announced

by your government! He is safe and

sound with us! So keep on

listening, Mrs. Zamperini, and

don’t mention it; the pleasure is

all ours!

The man, smiling, now nods at Louie.

An interrogative look from Louie: me, now?

The man repeats his nod, more vigorously.

Louie leans cautiously in to his microphone. He begins

tentatively.

LOUIE:

Hello Mother and Father, sisters

and friends. This is your Louie

talking. This is the first time in

two years that you will have heard

my voice. I am uninjured and in

good health.

Louie closes his eyes and imagines his family receiving this

news.

176 EXT. SHIP AT NAVAL BASE, SAN DIEGO - EARLY MORNING 176

An ensign runs down the ship’s deck to Pete in uniform.

Pete takes the envelope and opens it to read the transcript

inside.

LOUIE ON RADIO V.O.

I am now interned in a Tokyo

prisoner of war camp, and am being

treated as well as can be expected

under wartime conditions.

Pete reacts to the news.

177 INT. RADIO TOKYO STUDIO - DAY 177

Louie continues.

LOUIE:

I hope Pete is still able to pay

you his weekly visits from San

Diego. Dad, keep my guns in good

condition so we can go hunting when

I get home. Get some good rabbits

for Mom’s gnocchi sauce.

178 OMITTED 178

179 INT. ZAMPERINI HOME, TORRANCE - NIGHT 179

Anthony, Louise, Sylvia and Virgina have heard the news. They

cry tears of joy.

180 INT. RADIO TOKYO STUDIO - DAINT. RADIO TOKYO STUDIO - DAY

180

Louie with his eyes still closed imagining his family.

LOUIE ON RADIO:

I wish you a merry Christmas and a

happy New Year. Your loving son,

Louie.

He opens his eyes.

181

INT. CAFETERIA, RADIO TOKYO - DAY 181

Louie is eating, eating like he’s never eaten before. The

Omori guards look on. The cafeteria is full of elegant

Japanese people. Mostly business men but a few very elegant

beautiful professional women as well.

The Radio Tokyo Men appear, and sit down with him, all

smiles.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 2

You were good. Very good.

They put a paper before him.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 2 (CONT’D)

You can speak on radio again.

Louie looks at the paper. Shakes his head.

LOUIE:

I can’t say this.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 1

Why not?

LOUIE:

It’s not true. I won’t. And what

you wrote about America... I won’t

say that.

We see a glimpse of defiant young Louie. It’s nice to see.

The two Radio Men look at each other. They know what to do.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 1

THEY say that.

He gestures to across the room to a table of American men

sitting in the cafeteria. (It’s been a long time since we

have seen healthy Americans.) Louie can’t believe his eyes.

96

RADIO TOKYO MAN 1 (CONT’D)

American like you. They make

broadcasts. They live here, very

comfortable. Good food.

One of the POWs looks up and meets Louie’s eyes. He sees pure

anguish there. God knows what hell they’ve been through to

agree to this. The silent message they’re sending him is:

don’t do this.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 2

They have lovely food.

Louie feels sick.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 1

You want to go back to camp?

At the thought of returning to The Bird, Louie can hardly

speak.

LOUIE:

(softly)

No.

RADIO TOKYO MAN 1

You make broadcast?

Louie can hardly believe he’s making this decision. He looks

at the speech in the man’s hand.

182 OMIT

183 EXT. OMORI BARRACKS - LATE DAY 183

The gates open. A Guard walks Louie into the camp compound.

The men are lined up. He walks past them, terrified, toward

The Bird.

The guard turns him round to face the parade. A second Guard

ties Louie’s hands behind his back.

THE BIRD:

(softly)

You are like me. We are both

strong.

(MORE)

97

THE BIRD (CONT'D)

(beat) I saw it in your eyes, the

first day. I thought, this man will

be my friend. But...enemy of

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Joel Coen

Joel Coen was born on November 29, 1954 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA as Joel Daniel Coen. He is a producer and writer, known for No Country for Old Men (2007), The Big Lebowski (1998) and Fargo (1996). He has been married to Frances McDormand since April 1, 1984. They have one child. more…

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    "Unbroken" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/unbroken_576>.

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