FADE IN:
CREDITS: White lettering over a back background. The
THUNDEROUS SOUNDS OF A MASSIVE NAVAL BARRAGE are heard. The
power is astonishing. It roars through the body, blows back
the hair and rattles the ears.
FADE IN:
EXT. OMAHA BEACH - NORMANDY - DAWN
The ROAR OF NAVAL GUNS continues but now WE SEE THEM FIRING.
Huge fifteen inch guns.
A SWARM OF LANDING CRAFT
Heads directly into a nightmare. MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS from
German artillery shells and mined obstacles tear apart the
beach. Hundreds of German machine guns, loaded with tracers,
pour out a red snowstorm of bullets.
OFFSHORE
SUPERIMPOSITION:
OMAHA BEACH, NORMANDY
June 6, 1944
0600 HOURS
HUNDREDS OF LANDING CRAFT
Each holding thirty men, near the beaches.
THE CLIFFS
At the far end of the beach, a ninety-foot cliff. Topped by
bunkers. Ringed by fortified machine gun nests. A clear lineof-fire down the entire beach.
TEN LANDING CRAFT
Make their way toward the base of the cliffs. Running a
gauntlet of explosions.
SUPERIMPOSITION:
THE FOLLOWING IS BASED
ON A TRUE STORY
THE LEAD LANDING CRAFT
Plows through the waves.
2.
THE CAMERA MOVES PAST THE FACES OF THE MEN
Boys. Most are eighteen or nineteen years old. Tough. Welltrained. Trying to block out the fury around them.
A DIRECT HIT ON A NEARBY LANDING CRAFT
A huge EXPLOSION of fuel, fire, metal and flesh.
THE LEAD LANDING CRAFT
The Motorman holds his course. Shells EXPLODE around them.
FLAMING OIL BURNS on the water. CANNON FIRE SMASHES into the
bow.
THE MOTORMAN IS RIPPED TO BITS
BLOOD AND FLESH shower the men behind him. The mate takes
the controls.
A YOUNG SOLDIER
His face covered with the remains of the motorman. Starts to
lose it. Begins to shudder and weep. His name is DeLancey.
THE BOYS AROUND HIM
Do their best to stare straight ahead. But the fear infects
them. It starts to spread.
A FIGURE
Pushes through the men. Puts himself in front of DeLancey.
The figure is CAPTAIN JOHN MILLER. Early thirties. By far
the oldest man on the craft. Relaxed, battle-hardened,
powerful, ignoring the hell around them. He smiles, puts a
cigar in his mouth, strikes a match on the front of
DeLancey's helmet and lights the cigar.
DeLancey tries to look away but Miller grips him by the jaw
and forces him to lock eyes. Miller smiles. DeLancey is
terrified.
DELANCEY
Captain, are we all gonna die?
MILLER
Hell no, two-thirds, tops.
DELANCEY
Oh, Jesus...
3.
MILLER
I want every one of you to look at
the man on your left. Now look at
the man on your right. Feel sorry
for those to sons-of-♥♥♥♥♥♥♥,
they're going to get it, you're
not going to get a scratch.
A few, including DeLancey, manage thin smiles. Miller
releases his grip on DeLancey who moves his jaw as if to see
if it's broken. Miller pats him on the cheek and moves on to
the bow.
MILLER
Looks over the gunwale at THE HELL IN FRONT OF THEM.
PAN DOWN TO MILLER'S HAND
It quivers in fear. Miller glances around, sees that none of
the men have noticed. He stares at his hand as if it belongs
to someone else. It stops shaking. He turns his eyes back to
the objective.
THE LEAD LANDING CRAFT HITS THE BEACH
The six surviving boats alongside.
EXPLOSIVE PROPELLED GRAPPLING HOOKS FIRE
From the landing crafts. Arc toward the top of the cliffs.
THE LEAD CRAFT RAMP GOES DOWN
A river of MACHINE GUN FIRE pours into the craft. A dozen
men are INSTANTLY KILLED. Among them, DeLancey.
MILLER
Somehow survives. Jumps into the breakers.
MILLER
MOVE, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥! GO! GO! GO!
EXPLOSIONS EVERYWHERE
THE GERMANS
On the edge of the cliff. Rain down MACHINE GUN FIRE and
GRENADES.
4.
THE AMERICANS
Struggle through the surf. FIRING up as best they can.
Making for the base of the cliffs.
INCENDIARY GRENADES, HURLED FROM ABOVE,
EXPLODE, SPREADING FIRE
MILLER
Ignores the EXPLOSIONS and BULLETS. Uses hand signals and
curt orders.
MILLER
THERE! THERE! HOOKS THERE! FIRE
SQUAD, THOSE ROCKS!
THE MEN
Obey instantly. Set the grappling hooks. Take position.
Return fire.
THE SOUNDS OF BATTLE
Drown out most voices. Except the SCREAMS OF THE WOUNDED AND
DYING.
THE MEN
Know what they have to do. Start up the ropes. Into the
teeth of the German defenders.
MILLER
Back-straps his Thompson sub-machine gun. Starts climbing
with the first group.
THE CLIFF FACE
The Americans swarm up the ropes. Taking turns firing up at
the Germans.
MILLER SEES A STALLED CLIMBER
A soft-faced boy. Grabs him by the back of his collar.
Roughly yanks him up. Nearly choking him. They boy climbs
on.
5.
HALF-WAY
An American Private is HIT. FALLS, taking two others with
him. All three land on the rocks below. Another way to die.
NEAR THE TOP
Less steep. They leave the ropes. Free climb, scrambling up
the rocks.
MILLER
Joins half-a-dozen pinned down men. Others bottleneck behind
them. Miller scans the route and the defenders. Sees an open
gap. Deadly. Beyond is a protective overhang. With a clear
line to the top.
MILLER
That's the route.
Miller motions to six men huddled near him.
MILLER
(continuing)
GO!
THE SIX MEN
Take an instant to get ready. Then SCRAMBLE into the gap.
MILLER AND THE OTHERS
Do their best to cover them. POUR FIRE up at the Germans.
Bad angle. No Germans are hit.
THE SIX MEN
Are CUT TO RIBBONS by MACHINE GUN FIRE. All KILLED. They
fall to the rocks below. SARGE, mid-twenties, experienced,
Miller's right arm and best friend, dives into the rocks next
to Miller.
SARGE
That's a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ shooting
gallery, Captain.
MILLER
It's the only way.
MILLER
Turns to the next half-dozen men.
6.
MILLER
YOU'RE NEXT!
THE SECOND SIX
Move to the head of the gap. Miller moves for a better angle
against the machine guns. Calls to JACKSON, a tall, gangly
Southern country boy, sharp-shooter.
MILLER
JACKSON, PICK OFF A FEW OF THEM,
WILL YOU?
JACKSON
(heavy Southern
accent)
You betcha, Captain.
Miller signals others where to direct their cover fire.
Turns to the second six.
MILLER
GO!
THE SECOND SIX
Take deep breaths. Head into the gap.
MILLER AND OTHERS BLAST SURPRISING FIRE
JACKSON, NAILS a pair of Germans. MILLER CUTS DOWN two more.
SARGE gets one. Not enough.
THE SECOND SIX
Are RAKED BY MACHINE GUNS. All are KILLED.
MILLER
Turns, looking for the next six. His eyes fall on Sarge and
REIBEN who is a cynical, sharp, New Yorker. Reiben smiles.
REIBEN
(heavy Brooklyn
accent)
Captain, can I put in for a
transfer?
MILLER
Sure, meet me at the top, we'll
start the paperwork.
7.
THE THIRD SIX
Moves into place. Sarge and Miller exchange a look. They
both see the madness of what they're doing.
MILLER AND THE OTHERS
OPEN UP on the Germans.
MILLER
GO!
SARGE
Rolls his eyes, takes a breath. Scrambles into the gap. The
other five right behind.
IN THE GAP
BULLETS EVERYWHERE.
Three are HIT. Then another. POTATO MASHER GRENADES bounce
down. EXPLODE below. THE GERMAN MACHINE GUN swings toward
Sarge and Reiben. Miller sees them about to get it...
MILLER STEPS OUT INTO THE OPEN.
A perfect target. Captain's bars glinting. FIRING. TRYING
TO DRAW THE GERMAN FIRE.
THE GERMAN MACHINE GUNNER
SEES MILLER STANDING IN THE OPEN. Too much to pass up. He
swings the machine gun away from Sarge and Reiben, toward
Miller. A ROW OF GERMAN BULLETS approaches Miller...he's an
instant from death.
SARGE AND REIBEN DIVE
Under the overhang to safety.
MILLER DIVES BACK TO COVER, BARELY MAKES IT, HIS BOOT
HEAL IS BLOWN OFF.
UNDER THE OVERHANG Sarge and Reiben untangle themselves.
REIBEN
I'll be ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥! I'm not dead!
Sarge hollers back to Miller.
8.
SARGE
CAPTAIN, IF YOUR MOTHER SAW YOU DO
THAT, SHE'D BE VERY UPSET!
MILLER
I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY MOTHER.
Quick smiles. MILLER AND HIS RANGERS lean out and FIRE. HIT
more Germans.
SARGE AND REIBEN run up the path, under the overhang. Stop
near the top. Pull pins on grenades. Count. Both throw
long, arcing over the crest, perfectly aimed.
THE TWO GRENADES EXP