Unbroken Page #4

catches his eye. She smiles. More cameras. Flash bulbs

popping. Louie still unsure of them.

37 - THIRD RACE:
37

Louie running.

His point-of-view: the field ahead. Other-team runners,

three of them, are in front of him.

Louie, running. Gaining.

The three runners seem to be drawing together in front of

him. But the two wings are falling back slightly.

Louie, among the three runners. They are boxing him in.

Their feet. Flashing legs.

The field ahead. No way out. Foreground blocked up, no

space.

Their feet. The runner to Louie’s right stomps on Louie’s

right foot.

Louie staggers, off balance. Anthony sees his son stumble.

The runner just in front of Louie, glancing back, slowing up.

Legs. Cleats, from the runner just in front of Louie, rake

his shin, drawing blood.

Louie, reacting, stumbles-- then tries to move outside.

Point-of-view:
his father in the stands through a gap in the

runners and ahead: upcoming turn.

Louie has an opening. He gives it all he’s got and pushes

through.

His legs, huge strides, right shin bleeding.

Louie in front now, increasing distance between himself and

the other runners. Anthony and Louise are on their feet.

Final straightaway. More speed.

Crossing the finish line: after Louie passes, a pan down to

spattered blood on the white line.

Pete checks the stopwatch. He throws his hat down with pure

excitement. They’ve done it!

LA TIMES REPORTER (V.O.)

The “Torrance Tornado” - smoked the

mile in 4:
21.3 seconds, Zamperini

is now officially the fastest high

school runner in American history.

Folks, this kid is on his way to

Olympics!...

Euphoric cheers and flash bulbs take us into the next scene.

38

EXT. TORRANCE TRAIN STATION, 1936 - DAY 38

Flashbulbs from the press.

The entire town of Torrance has shown up at the train station

to see Louie off. They carry signs reading WIN IT FOR

TORRANCE and TORRANCE TORNADO IN BERLIN.

Louie walks with Pete down to the train. Pete finds it hard

to let him go.

LOUIE:

Wish you were coming.

Pete smiles.

PETE:

Why would I come? You’re not going

to win.

LOUIE:

Sure. I know that. It’s alright,

this is only a try out for me

anyway. Four years’ time, next

Olympics, that’s when I’ll show’em.

PETE:

Tokyo.

LOUIE:

Tokyo!

PETE:

Smart kid. Enjoy yourself Lou. Say

hi to the pretty German broads.

LOUIE:

You know it.

He gives his brother a hug. Louie hold on tight.

LOUIE (CONT’D)

Thanks Pete. For everything.

Louie doesn’t want to get too emotional, so he gets on the

train.

PETE:

A minute of pain is worth a

lifetime of glory. You remember

that. Go get em!

All of Torrance is waving as the train pulls out of the

station. As Louie’s family grows smaller in view, the sound

of the train becomes the sound of a plane’s roaring engines

39 INT. B-24 - MORNING 39

Louie is standing in the tail of the screaming B-24. The

parachute packs are tied to the .50 cal mounts. Louie holds a

cord in each hand. He and the others prepare to crash land.

Shouted over the engine and wind:

PHIL’S VOICE

We’re coming in pretty hot! 120!

Harry, leaning back where we left him, eyes open, weakly

responding. Mac at his side.

In the cockpit:
Phil works the yoke. Shrieking wind bumps up

at the cut. The damaged plane wants to flip. Even Cup’s

strength can’t help keep it level. They struggle. Phil

finally puts his feet on the yoke and puts his weight into it

to hold it level. (He really did this)

His point-of-view: landing strip rushing up, lined by parked

planes.

40

OMITTED 40

41 INT. PLANE 41

Phil at the yoke.

PHIL:

Still too fast.

Cup looking from Phil, back to:

Louie tensed.

Cup yells back:

CUP:

ALMOST—

A jolt as the plane touches.

42

EXT. LANDING GEAR 42

Touching. Smooth at first. One wheel is round, the other

totally flat, its action erratic. All hell breaks lose.

43

INT. PLANE 43

Phil:
inside a paint-shaker. Fighting the steering.

Louie:
launched into the air. Chute ripcords fly from his

hands and drop away.

44

EXT. LANDING GEAR 44

The flat wheel now digging in like a plow-blade. Its grab

starts to spin the plane.

30

45

INT. PLANE 45

Phil thrown to the side.

46

EXT. PLANE 46

Landing gear churns up chunks of macadam that

hammer—THUNGKTHUNGK-THUNGKTHUNGK—the belly of the plane.

47

INT. PLANE 47

BLUNGBLUNGBLUNG—the plane, drummed by divots, resonates like

a gong—Louie grabs for catwalk rail.

48

EXT. RUNWAY 48

Nose of plane spinning—toward planes parked at side.

49

INT. PLANE 49

Louie a pinball.

50

EXT. RUNWAY 50

Plane spinning to a halt, off-kilter—scant feet from parked

planes.

Landing gear, smoking, half-dug in, a crazy curve gashed into

the ground behind. It comes to a halt.

A51

INT. SUPERMAN A51

PHIL:

(simply)

Okay.

Hardly a reaction for a man who just successfully landed a

plane under such circumstances. Gotta love Phil.

30A

51 INT. PLANE 51

From aft Louie heads for Harry, as do Phil and Cup fromforward.

LOUIE:

Flat tire

As Louie approaches Harry he realizes he is dead. Louie and

the others share a moment of silence.

A52

EXT. BEACH RUNWAY - DAY A52

Hours later - Louie stands alone in front of the remains of

the Superman. The light of late day blasts through the 594

bullet holes in the plane. Looking at it now, it really is a

miracle it landed.

Louie notices Phil off in the distance sitting alone on the

beach.

52

EXT. BEACH - DAY 52

Phil sits in the sand, facing the surf, forehead pressed to

hands clasped together, his attitude devotional.

Behind him, sirens and activity from the crash-landing of one

minute ago.

Louie, wobbly, walks up and, seeing Phil’s attitude, takes a

respectful beat.

Then:

LOUIE:

Now you’re praying?

A small smile:

PHIL:

Busy before.

Louie drops to the sand next to him.

LOUIE:

My mother does that.

PHIL:

A lot of people do this.

Long beat, Louie looking at Phil, who has dropped his head

back down to his knuckles and closes his eyes. The beat of

surf.

Louie watches with interest. Finally:

LOUIE:

He say anything back?

PHIL:

(good-natured, as he

starts to rise)

Uh-huh. He says my bombardier’s a

dope.

31A

53

EXT. HAWAII 53

Sunrise.

High shot:
a small figure below is jogging on a densely

forested mountain road, high above the sea.

Pulling him:
Louie. An opened-top jeep rounds the curve

behind him. As it overtakes, we see Cup is driving:

Lou tosses Cup the stopwatch he just pulled out.

Cup hits the button to start it.

54

RUNNING 54

Montage:
lateral, and pulling, and trailing Louie. Through

beautiful countryside. Unlike the track meets we have seen

heretofore, this run is completely peaceful. Sun through

leaves, bird calls, the regular HUFF of the runner and CLOMP

of his footfalls.

Cup:
looking from Louie to his odometer.

Odometer:
mile-tenths turning over.

Louie accelerating.

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