FADE IN:
SCENE 1: INT – HOUSE – DAWN
PRESENT - 1970
It is still dawn, where dog’s barks and bird’s chirps are still softly heard at the outside of the house. Kim and Nick sit next to each other in the guess room. Kim cries, and she holding something very tight in her hands. Her sobbing reverberates to all over the room. It’s a very silent Moring.
SCENE 2: INT – HOUSE – DAY
FLASHBACK - 1955
HUNG (VO)
Sigh.. Looking through all the entire past photo,
Where you still young,
Both your parent’s still alive,
The first time meet your future wife
-Where unbelievably she destined to study at the same school as yours,-
And be the one who able to attract her, seeing the fact that she was an idol back then,
[the scene showing the photograph one by one]
is not a very nice feeling where you realize you have to leave her just by the next one hour. And maybe, forever.
SCENE 3: INT – HOUSE – DAWN
FLASH BACK - 1952
Hung and Kim had their afternoon walk near one river besides their town.
HUNG
“I cannot believe that war is the best solution. No one won the last war and no one will win the next.”..One of the best quotes I ever heard.
Hm.. anyway, My name is PAM HÙNG DUNG, “HÙNG” which means Heroic and “DUNG” which means Brave, really does not describe my personality best... err..i dunno why, but a lot of people in Vietnam want to have a name same as mine, maybe because they think if you had a great name it will be awesome when you became a hero in war..?
HUNG
(Hung took one lotus flower from the river, he cleans it and giving it to Kim)
KIM
(Questioning what is he doing)
HUNG
Kim, do you love me? (While holding the flower toward her)
KIM
(Blushing and feels that Hung teases her)
HUNG
(Small laugh)
Since today, this lotus, will became my sign of love to you. i know that there will come our hard time and when everything goes wrong,
i hope this lotus resemble everything from my heart. Where I hope, you will understand it deeply.
And the other reason is because I don’t know how to show this huge love inside me any other way..(Giggling).
Kim face turned very red where at the end, she punched Hung’s stomach very hard. (like: “BUGHH!!!!”), Hung face showing that he’s in deep Hurt, Hung kneel at the ground and trying to catch any breath and bear with the pain.
Kim runs away from him because she’s very embarrassed. But confusedly she return back to Hung and help hung stand back. Then Kim hugs Hung.
Kim: I love you.. thanks..
They got their first kiss there.
(Camera focusing on the lotus, where the back ground softly fading from that time to the present. The other lotus in Hung’s present home.)
SCENE 4: INT – HOUSE – DAY
1955
Hung took two pictures from that photo album. First is his wedding photograph, and second is his past family photo. When he, his mother, his father and his brothers still together.
Then he puts it inside his bag pack while Kim, his wife stare him deeply in sorrow from the distance.
HUNG
(Done with his packing, and walk towards Kim. they stand facing each other. He then tries to look Kim in the eye.)
KIM
(Throw away her eye contact)
HUNG
(Touch Kim’s chin and direct her eyes to his)
They make a very deep eye contact and then Hugging and kissing each other. Kim cried, she tries to hold her tears but nothing can against the sadness pressure for a moment like that.
HUNG
(He gives Kim one lotus flower that he hides behind his back.)
This.. won’t be my last flower to you..
Hopefully.. (Bitter smiles)
Please promise me one thing Kim.. Please wait for my return even I can’t promise it. I know I’m week, but I’ll try my best to survive for you..
Ok, my love..?
KIM
(holding her tears, and smiling while taking something inside her pocket. She then takes out one small handkerchief and give it to Hung)
I can only make this.. and I hope.. you’ll be the one that return this thing for me again.. ok hung..? I promise you I’ll wait for you..
HUNG
Yes.. yes I will, my love..
Then Hung and Kim did their last farewell. Hung went inside the Truck where it took them to the base camp where Hung soon will get his training. There are also a lot of other soldier who did the same farewell like Hung. They also did the farewell with their own families.
Hung never let go his eyes from his beloved wife. It’s the hardest farewell they ever did, where they know that there are no promise for them to be able to meet each other again.
HUNG (VO)
the farewell was the hardest. Probably because she aware that she should be the one who go to war better then me. And for the first time, i saw Kim cried in front of me. questioning that this strong hearted girl could drop her tears for me.
Hah..i always remember how bitter and sweet that kiss was..The last kiss...
(The truck leaving the town, camera showing that the truck passing a plate Witten with the name of the town, Bee Enn Foo town)
SCENE 5: INT – THE CAMP – DAY
1955
HUNG (VO)
April 1955, suddenly everything turn into a hell..
i got trained to kill mankind, they brainwashed me to die for my country, and many more things that are illogical. Oh man, this thing’s to heavy for me. i really hate war. Really, really, hate. to be honest, i'm afraid of it and i better run away when it occurs. it's better for me to be a writer or a poet because i know i have a talent for it. Just like the way I got my wife. It’s all about words and heart. If we lived in the world where politicians are not the most influential people, but poets are, i would be the most influential guy in the world, i guess.
Hung went inside his tent grumbling and complains about the training he just gets, he didn’t like it very much.
HUNG
#$&^% with all those training!?? Do we really need to be that ripped??! Cih! #!#$%^#&&
Hung continuously mumbling until one mysterious box upon his resting place catch his attention.
HUNG
(He tries to open it, and seeing what inside of the box. The thing that he found is a set of camera with its complete property. Hung gets really curious about that new and modern thing for him and he tries to observe it even further.)
(Then, accidentally he opens the back of the camera where it contains the black film – which is very sensitive to light and can’t be opened in bright environments- of the photos. all the photos inside it were burned then without him knowing)
Suddenly Nick Ut, -the owner- comes in order to search for his bag that had been left behind.
NICK
(he shocked looking that Hung holding his camera with the back side opens widely)
Everything turns freezing, the situation become very awkward and no one can be blamed for it. Nobody’s right yet nobody’s wrong.
HUNG
Is this.. Yours…?
Camera’s zooming out of the camp, leaving the situation unfinished.
SCENE 6: EXT – WARZONE – EVENING
1959
Hung and Nick run together. Searching for any safety spot away from the epicenter of war. Nick always tries to encounter the war epicenter but Hung pulling him away from it. Sounds of blowing guns and missile continuously heard everywhere. Plane and helicopters fly all over the field and there are a lot of dead soldier’s bodies scattered all over the place.
[BOOMM..!! one of big missile explode 30 meters next to them.]
-5 seconds later-
[BOOOMM..!!!! another missile explode 10 meters next to them.]
HUNG
OH MY GOD!!
OH MY GOD!!
OH MY GOOOOODD..!!!
NICK
SHOOT..!! SHOOT!!!
JUST SHOOT..!!!!
HUNG
NO..!! MOVE MOVE MOVE..! LET’S MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE!!
NO BODY WILL BE KILLED BY ME, OK?!!
NICK
THEN WHAT ARE YOU TRAINING FOR??!!!
Suddenly one huge missile coming towards their standing spot.
HUNG
RUUUNNN!!!!!!!!! (Pulling Nick away)
HUNG (VO)
It’s been 3 years since the first time me and Nick meet. That awful encounter where you spoil one man’s creation and in the future, he became you best friend.
I and nick always go anywhere side by side. We became good friend since we can’t remember. Maybe you can say, he’s my only friend. I shared a lot of my background story, story about my town, family and also about Kim.
He also tells me about his background story. Quite a sad story where he raised not by his own parents but buy one photographer which turn into his mentor now. I think all of those pressures, break his mind. He’s a very crazy boy risking his live to go to war as a freelance photographer at this age.
He’s only 19!
my war start at 3 May 1959, at the border between South and North Vietnam. i couldn't do much during that war. Thanks to that, i survived for quite some time. some people say that the cowards could survive and that's what i am.
And to be honest, 3 years of my duty, i NEVER killed anyone. until that day comes when i have to choose between taking live or let my friend die.
Hung and nick still running away and looking for more safety spot. Away from those bullets and missiles, while Nick always trying to sneak for taking more picture of the glimpse of the war.
SCENE 7: INT – BATTLE GROUND/INSIDE THE FOREST – DUSK
1962
Nick and hung were trapped inside an ambush.
They are in constriction because all of their allies left them behind in order to become decoy for accomplishing a war strategy. They’re considered as the invaluable troops.
Sounds of buzzing guns screaming from every corner where they stand. Lots of their friends died. Some screaming and crawling because of the great depression they had. Bomb and missiles blowing everywhere.
NICK
Where is the backup..??
HUNG
I don’t know..!!
Guns firing around them, they get intimidated by the enemy.
Soldier
THEY LEFT US!!! THEY JUST G..!!(BANG!!!)
(He stops talking suddenly)
NICK
WHY HE STOP TALKING..??!!
HUNG
HE GOT SHOOT!!! We have to survive Nick!! Hide somewhere..!!!
Suddenly one injured and dying American enemy soldier run aimlessly trying to attack and killed anybody that stands on his way. He holding a bayonet, trying to killed anybody in his way.
NICK
(He trembles and can’t do anything, Nick were under the killing pressure so he becomes petrified. Nick is not a soldier, so he didn’t trained for it)
HUNG
(Stand up)
NICK!!! MOVE OUTT..!!!!!
HUNG (VO)
i saw that guy, i stood and screamed to Nick to run, but Nick couldn't hear me, he couldn't even move because of the killing pressure from that american guy.
Then, Hung stands up, and shoots the American soldier, the American soldier fall down and Nick has been saved.
HUNG (VO)
it was my first time shooting a person. I saw nick shocked face. everything seemed to move slower and a thousand of emotional thoughts came into my mind. i smiled.
HUNG
AHA!!!! YOU OWN ME ONE NICK..!! hahah
NICK
Hung! Get d..!!!
[BANGG!!!! Another Gunshot blowing very near by the place Hung’s stand]
Suddenly everything went quiet. Hung touches his chest. Nick run into him, screaming.
HUNG (VO)
I felt… I felt something touch me.. Why nick’s face looks like crap..? Man.. He’s so ugly..
I.. got shoot..?
NICK
HUNG!!! HUNG!!!!!!
CAN YOU HEAR ME??!!
HUNG!! Answer!!
HUNG
My breath.. My breath’s hurt..
NICK
(he starts swearing and crying, while trying to find any hiding spot.)
HUNG:
Nick.. can you give me a favor? (Coughing)
NICK
Yess hung.. ofcoure.. what is it?? (Crying)
stay with me Hung.. Stay with me
HUNG
please.. (Crawling to find his handkerchief inside his pocket)
find my wife… (Trying to breathing)
Please..Find her..(Putting the handkerchief that tainted by his blood into nick’s hand)
Give this.. give..to. her..
NICK
Yes ill find her hung, I promise, I promise.
(Nick holds Hung’s hand and prayed for him)
Zooming out from the place where Nick and Hung are hiding. Viewing the forest from top of it where all blast and explosion were able to seen.
HUNG (VO)
Yes.. and that’s how I died..the guy that really not meant for war. Weak yet romantic and talented, died not for his country, but for his friends.
SCENE 8: EXT– OOUTSIDE OF HUNG’S HOUSE – DAWN
1970
Nick arrives at Hung’s hometown. He looking around and trying to asked people for address and direction. He looks for Hung’s house.
Then, after he found the right house, he try to knocks and Kim is the one who opens the door for him.
NICK
Chau Hong Kim…?
KIM
Yes..? and you…?
NICK
Ah, Huỳnh Công Út, or just call me Nick Ut.
Hm….(with a lot of doubt Nick trying to take out the handkerchief away from his pocket)
When Nick give the handkerchief back to Kim, Kim understand clearly what have happened to his husband. And then, she burst into tears and crying out loud.
She realize that she has lost his most loved person and nothing will be able to bring him back to live.
FADE OUT.
- THE END -
