Matthew Funk
Forlorn Hope Excerpt
The most brutal and intense engagement in the
most brutal and intense battle in Marine Corps history. The only
screenplay as brutal and intense as it really was.
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EXT. ON THE ALLIGATOR - MORNING
ORBISON kneads his rifle nervously, looks from one man to another. BYRD's doubled over; COCKMAN looks numb; BILKS is transfixed; RANDALL mutters a prayer; WEISSMAN, shivering, looks for a smoke; SPILLANE, at the helm, is ice.
ORBISON
Weiss. It's been a half-hour.
WEISSMAN
(playing dumb)
Since what?
ORBISON
The planes. The shells. Anything.
EXT. RED 2 BEACH FORTIFICATIONS - MORNING
OTA rallies his men. They slip into embrasures, dive into tunnels, take up firing positions in long bunkers. All are nervous, unblinking, bruised and blackened by the shelling. All are utterly terrified.
A MACHINEGUNNER, 34 and slim, slips off his helmet and traces a shaking hand over the picture of his smiling wife and baby daughter outside their house.
MACHINEGUNNER
Goodbye, sparrow.
He puts the helmet on.
Next to his position, an ANTI-TANK GUNNER looks to his friend, who looks about to bolt. He grips his arm, nods tearily, and they smile together.
OTA moves through these positions, seeing to the distribution of ammunition.
EXT. ON THE ALLIGATOR - MORNING
ORBISON mutters to WEISSMAN as the other Marines stay silent.
WEISSMAN
So? So what?
ORBISON
So why the time for the Nips to recover, hunh?
WEISSMAN stares at him accusingly.
WEISSMAN
Hey. Silent is good. Dead Nips don't make noise.
Explosions, the crash of cannons ring out. Bursts in the air.
EXT. THE POCKET - MORNING
In this fortified hollow in the ground, trenches from around the island join in a wide nexus. Gun crews work at their cannons and officers route, marshal and command forces. Among the officers is the impressive form of Commander SUGAI, 28 and dashing. He and his officers light the unit colors aflame in a solemn ceremony. Light Tanks are stored here, and several soldiers are hopping into them, arming them, or taking up supporting infantry positions. ONUKI, TAKASHI, and TETSUO are among them. TETSUO slides in the hatch of the tank, TAKASHI after him, and then ONUKI climbs aboard. He pauses to kiss his fingers and touch it to a crude drawing of Buddha and the term, "SIDDHA", printed there. Laughing suddenly, he enters.
INT. ON THE ALLIGATOR - MORNING
WEISSMAN stabs a look at ORBISON. The Marines seem especially tense. BILKS' eyes widen.
WEISSMAN
There you go.
ORBISON
What do you mean?
WEISSMAN
(pointing up)
The sound. Those cannons you wanted. Happy? Safer?
ORBISON
(humorless)
Fuck you.
BILKS
Those aren't our cannons.
WEISSMAN
What?
A tremendous explosion shivers the amtrac. A plume of flame from an exploding amtrac shoots into the air.
Clanking noises - shrapnel and a few bullets - are heard.
BILKS
Not. Our. Guns.
WEISSMAN
(incredulous)
What?
SPILLANE
Sixty seconds.
RANDALL
Alright, boys, alright listen. You stay on me and stay on your Sergeant and we'll get out okay.
BILKS
(crazy)
I said, 'You. Are. Fucked'.
WEISSMAN
How come they didn't take out the Jap guns? What did support do?
ORBISON
Shit. Shit. Shit.
SPILLANE
Thirty seconds.
WEISSMAN
Fucking waste.
BILKS
Shut it!
ORBISON
Oh shit, the whole. The whole fucking amtrac.
COCKMAN begins screaming a hoarse war-cry.
RANDALL
We are Marines. We do the job and we are too tough to die.
ORBISON
The whole fucking boat's going to die and the Sarge is crazy.
SPILLANE
Going in! Going in!
RANDALL
The door drops, break right and left, get on the sides and move up the embrasure.
BYRD
Goddamn Nips.
RANDALL
Once there, hug the ground. God be with you. I will be.
A klaxon sounds above the roar of gunfire. The Alligator jumps again, the doors jamming. A YOUNG MARINE pushes them.
YOUNG MARINE
What the Hell?!
RANDALL
Everyone. Stay -
Gunfire tears through the amtrac, cutting down seven Marines in the first pass; another pass gets five more. These bullets are big - 13mm - and, flattened by impact, blow through bodies like softballs. People don't just get shot; they are blown apart. The Marines start screaming. SPILLANE drops and starts firing back.
The CREW CHIEF, 32 and chubby, is hit in the jaw and the wrist. He tries to walk away into the water and is blown in half. The Marines start getting over the side. BILKS is first, totally silent, followed by RANDALL and COCKMAN.
All contents copyright © Matthew Funk 2007, all rights reserved.