Unbroken Page #6

On the glowing radio dial.

RADIO VOICE:

—and already, three sections of

runners have formed, with America’s

Don Lash and the Finnish Salminen

and Hockert ahead of the pack.

SECOND VOICE:

67

The Finns always the favorites in 67

this long-haul event—

Louie’s mother is in the devotional pose we saw Phil in

earlier— forehead resting against clasped hands. We hear the

radio:

RADIO VOICE:

In the second group is America’s

Louie Zamperini

68

EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - DAY 68

Louie running. His point-of-view: the backs of several

foreground heads. Well ahead are three runners in matching

(Finnish) jerseys. On pace with them is one American.

69

INT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 69

Pete listening.

RADIO VOICE:

The Finns Hockart, Lehtinen and

Salminen have set the pace and they

are not letting up.

WE SEE:
A WIRE is threaded from the Zamperini radio through

the window out to the porch....

70

EXT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 70

Office Collier and others are on the porch beside A LOUD

SPEAKER which has been connected to the Zamperini radio.

71 EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - DAEXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - DAY

71

Louie running. His breath comes in regular chuffs.

Point-of-view:
the American among the front four is indeed

fading.

There are still many heads between us and the front four—and

two or three more enter, passing Louie.

72

INT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 72

Over the shoulder of the radio: the family hunched, tense,

listening.

RADIO:

And Zamperini is fading too,

dropping further back.

73

EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - DAY 73

Louie running, his huffing breath even more amplified.

His point-of-view: a crowd ahead of him.

74

EXT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 74

Officer Collier and the Torrance Townees listen without

making a sound.

75 INT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 75

On Pete.

RADIO:

And into the eighth lap, it’s the

Finns still in the lead, with

Salminen in first place.

Pete murmurs to himself:

PETE:

Come on, Louie.

76

EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - DAY 76

Louie runs. As if hearing Pete, he steps it up a notch.

His point-of-view confirms: the nearest of the bobbing heads

keep pace for a beat, then begins to slip back.

77 INT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 7INT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 77

Anthony listening.

RADIO:

And we start the last lap, the

Finns seem to be in control. It

doesn’t look like Don Lash is going

to bring home the medal for the

USA. There’s a. . . there seems to

be some movement back in the pack.

78

EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - DAY 78

Louie running.

His point-of-view: he is gaining on someone: a Norway jersey.

ROLF HANSEN sensing someone behind him, glances back, then

looks forward again, furiously pumping arms, but continuing

to slide back closer to us.

79 INT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 79

Pete tenses.

SECOND RADIO VOICE

Yes, that’s Zamperini overtaking

Norway’s Rolf Hansen. . .

80

EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - DAY 80

Louie running, passing Hansen.

Still many backs-of-heads strung amongst the track in front

of him.

81 INT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 81

The family half-rising, listening.

RADIO:

He seems to have some gas in

reserve. He is really making some

time.

82

EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - DAY 82

Louie passing runners.

Loud breathing.

83 INT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 83

Louise opens her eyes, sensing the body-language shiftsaround her. She looks at the radio.

SECOND RADIO VOICE

Salminen and Hockert will be one

and two. But look at that

Zamperini.

Mrs. Zamperini looks from the radio back to Pete.

LOUISE:

Pietro, cosa dice?

Pete, focused on the radio, can’t answer.

RADIO:

He’s got Don Lash in his sights.

84 EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - DAY 84

Louie running. Heavy breathing.

No crowd noise now, only breathing.

Don Lash glances back, gives more forward effort, yetcontinues to lose ground.

85 INT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 85

Pete is now leaning over the radio.

RADIO VOICE:

Well, the great Don Lash is notgonna be the first American, folks!

It’s high school kid Zamperini,

pushing past the record-breakers onthis field!

86 EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - DAY 86

Finns cross the line.

A blur of runners: the field following.

Louie, having crossed, eases up, gasping.

Roaring cheers.

87 INT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 87

Cheering.

RADIO VOICE:

Well I have not seen that!

not seen that!

I have

88 EXT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 88

Officer Collier and the others are on their feet.

89 INT. ZAMPERINI HOME - PRE-DAWN 89

SECOND VOICE:

That final lap, folks, the recordfor that was 69.2 seconds.

Zamperini just did it in FIFTYSIX—

seconds. That record’s gonna

hold for a while, lemme tell ya.

46

A92

EXT. WATER SURFACE - DAY A92

The black shadow of the Green Hornet B24 bomber growing

larger as it nears the ocean.

92

INT. GREEN HORNET/EXT. SURFACE - DAY 92

Impact. Water crashes in.

Louie breaches with a huge gasp.

He doesn’t know where he is. We don’t know where we are.

47

Bobbing debris. Beyond Louie in the near-background an

airplane wing rolls upward as the fuselage surges up,

rotating, and then the whole plane quickly sinks.

Louie is thrown forward.

Disconnected wires whip around him like uncoiling springs.

Louie takes a deep breath as he’s pulled under

93

INT. UNDERWATER - DAY 93

Louie tries to orient himself. The impact rammed him into the

waist gun mount and wedged him under it, face down. The gun

mount pressed against his neck, and countless strands of

metal coiled around his body.

Louie sinks, fights to free himself from the tangle of wires LOUIE’S

POV:
As he sinks, the light of the ocean’s surface

dims. His eyes close.

Moments later they open. STILL SUBMERGED. Suddenly FOR SOME

UNKNOWN REASON, HE IS FREE OF THE WIRES THAT ENSNARED HIM.

SEVENTY FEET DOWN, HE TRIES TO SWIM TO THE SURFACE.

He inflates his Mae West vest and is pulled upwards in a

stream of debris. His body ascends up to the ocean's surface.

94

EXT. SURFACE - DAY 94

Louie’s head bursts out of the water into bright sunlight.

He’s coughing up water and blood. Round him the oil and slop

from the downed bomber.

He looks around.

The ocean surface is slicked with iridescent oil and green

hydraulic fluid.

A human sound. Louie looks.

Phil, dazed, has a hold of a floating tank. He wears no Mae

West. Blood comes down his face, in pulses from somewhere

above his hairline, and is washed away as water slops over

him.

Mac, also without a Mae West, hangs on with him.

Louie:
a panicked look around.

In the opposite direction: an inflated yellow raft, bobbing,

drifting away.

95

A MINUTE LATER 95

Louie, on the raft, and Mac, still in the water, negotiate

Phil onto the raft. Phil himself cannot help much.

Mac clambers in as Louie finds the gash in Phil’s scalp.

Louie takes off his shirt, dips it in water, and presses it

to the wound.

Louie looks around, scanning surface. Some of the debris is

starting to sink.

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