THE CALLING OF DUTY
Written by
Gary J Rose [email protected]
(530) 613-9232
FADE IN:
EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN – NIGHT (1941)
Moonlight breaks across a restless black sea.
A SHADOW glides just beneath the surface…
…then a steel conning tower emerges: HA-19, a Japanese midget
submarine, barely 80 feet long.
It rocks violently in heavy chop.
Inside—
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Red emergency lighting pulses faintly. Condensation drips.
Metal GROANS.
Two men sit shoulder to shoulder in the cramped cockpit:
ENS. KAZUO SAKAMAKI (22) — rigid posture, intensity in his
eyes.
CPO KIYOSHI INAGAKI (34) — calm, seasoned, the quiet gravity
of an older brother.
Inagaki studies the periscope.
INAGAKI
Nothing yet. Too dark to see the
channel markers.
Sakamaki keeps his eyes forward, gripping the controls.
SAKAMAKI
We stay the course.
A metallic shudder ripples through the hull.
Inagaki glances at him — a small nod.
INAGAKI
You’re steady, Kazuo. That’s good.
Sakamaki doesn’t respond, jaw clenched.
EXT. PEARL HARBOR — SAME NIGHT
Stillness.
Warships anchored in neat rows. Shore lights shimmer across
calm water.
Unaware. Unalarmed.
Genres:
["War","Historical","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
2 -
Tensions Beneath the Surface
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The sub dips unexpectedly.
Sakamaki adjusts.
SAKAMAKI
Trim’s off.
INAGAKI
She’s overloaded. The batteries…
not what we were promised.
He says it without fear — just fact.
Sakamaki stiffens.
SAKAMAKI
We will complete the mission.
Inagaki studies him a beat.
INAGAKI
We will do what we can.
The sub rocks again — harder this time.
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
HA-19 scrapes coral — a metallic SKREECH.
It jolts sideways, leaving a trail of chipped rock.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The entire hull vibrates.
INAGAKI
Rudder’s jammed. We’re drifting
right.
Sakamaki forces the wheel.
SAKAMAKI
Come on—!
No response. The sub lists.
Inagaki reaches for auxiliary controls.
INAGAKI
Slow. Think. We correct gently—
A loud CRACK interrupts him.
Both men freeze.
A pressure gauge needle drops suddenly.
SAKAMAKI
We’re taking water.
INAGAKI
A seam must’ve opened on the
scrape.
Sakamaki grabs a patch kit.
SAKAMAKI
I’ll handle it.
Inagaki stops him with a hand.
INAGAKI
No. You stay on helm.
Let the older man crawl into the dark corner.
A faint smile softens the moment.
Sakamaki doesn’t smile back.
SAKAMAKI
We must not fail.
INAGAKI
Kazuo… it’s not failure to stay
alive.
Sakamaki lowers his eyes briefly. That hits him.
INT. HA-19 – AFT COMPARTMENT – MOMENTS LATER
Inagaki slides into a narrow crawlspace.
Water beads along a hairline crack. He presses the patch,
sealing it.
A moment of stillness.
He breathes out — relieved—
Then he sees it.
A battery casing venting a thin plume of white smoke.
INAGAKI
(to himself)
No… no, no…
He taps the casing gently.
It hisses louder.
INT. HA-19 – COCKPIT – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki reappears, expression grave.
Sakamaki reads it instantly.
SAKAMAKI
How bad?
INAGAKI
The acid is warming. If it spills—
(CO! gesture)
We’ll be breathing ghosts within
the hour.
Sakamaki’s jaw tightens.
SAKAMAKI
We complete the mission.
INAGAKI
We complete what is possible.
Their philosophies collide. Not spoken — but loud in the
silence.
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – DAWN
The first streaks of morning spill across the harbor.
Battleships stand like sleeping giants.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
3 -
Tension Beneath the Surface
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki wipes sweat from his brow.
Sakamaki adjusts periscope elevation.
SAKAMAKI
We’re close.
INAGAKI
Close is not same as safe.
He checks a depth gauge.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
We should maintain periscope depth
and wait for the carrier group.
SAKAMAKI
Our orders—
INAGAKI
—are impossible if the rudder won’t
answer.
Sakamaki exhales sharply — not frustration, fear.
Inagaki softens.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Kazuo… you’re not alone in here.
A beat. Sakamaki doesn’t answer.
EXT. SUBMERGED VIEW – CONTINUOUS
HA-19 drifts silently beneath the harbor entrance.
A U.S. DESTROYER glides across the surface above — massive,
ominous.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The destroyer’s propellers THUNDER overhead.
The hull vibrates like a heartbeat.
Inagaki leans close to Sakamaki.
INAGAKI
Quiet breath.
Slow. We’re just another shadow.
Sakamaki inhales — holds — exhales.
For a moment, he almost believes it.
SMASH CUT TO:
Genres:
["War","Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
4 -
A Burdened Remembrance
EXT. UNIVERSITY AUDITORIUM – HAWAII – DAY (OLDER TIMELINE)
A banner reads:
“PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY – GUEST SPEAKER KAZUO
SAKAMAKI.”
Crowds enter the hall. Some carry small flags. Some wear
Naval caps.
INT. AUDITORIUM – BACKSTAGE – MOMENTS LATER
OLDER KAZUO SAKAMAKI (60s) sits alone.
Suit pressed. Hands folded. Eyes haunted.
A STAFF MEMBER pokes her head in.
STAFF MEMBER
Mr. Sakamaki? We’re ready for you.
He stands slowly. Takes a breath.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
(softly, to himself)
And so it begins.
He walks toward the stage light…
INT. AUDITORIUM – CONTINUOUS (OLDER TIMELINE)
Older Sakamaki steps into the light. The crowd quiets as he
approaches the podium.
He places his hands on the wood — steadying himself.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
Good morning.
His voice is calm, measured… rehearsed. Yet his eyes show
weight — decades of unspoken memories.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
Thank you… for allowing an old man
to speak of a day I have carried
for most of my life.
A respectful hush blankets the room.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
5 -
Tension Beneath the Surface
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – 1941 – UNDERWATER
HA-19 drifts beneath the surface. Light ripples across the
hull. The destroyer above passes, its propellers fading into
distant churn.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki listens — carefully — until the destroyer’s noise
disappears.
INAGAKI
It’s past.
For now.
Sakamaki keeps his attention fixed forward.
SAKAMAKI
“Until the mission is complete.”
Inagaki exhales — not disagreement, not resignation…
something more protective.
INAGAKI
Kazuo… you don’t have to repeat
orders to be brave.
Sakamaki refuses to meet his eyes.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki grips the podium tighter.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
We were ordered to strike a blow
for our Emperor.
But inside that small steel shell… I learned how fragile
obedience is… when life and death sit an arm’s length apart.
He scans the crowd — some nod, some lean in.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
A small light on the forward panel flickers.
SAKAMAKI
Battery temperature’s climbing.
Inagaki looks — concern flickering across his face.
INAGAKI
Keep speed minimal. She overheats
faster at full.
Sakamaki adjusts controls with care.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
You’re doing well.
He means it.
Sakamaki absorbs the affirmation… but doesn’t reply.
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – ENTRANCE CHANNEL – CONTINUOUS
A U.S. PATROL BOAT cuts slowly across the entrance. Search
lamps sweep the dark water.
Danger inches closer.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The searchlight glow filters faintly through the periscope.
Inagaki watches the arcs of light.
INAGAKI
They’re alert tonight.
Not as asleep as command hoped.
SAKAMAKI
We will pass. We must.
Inagaki turns — looks at him fully.
INAGAKI
Kazuo…
“Must” is the enemy of clarity.
Sakamaki shifts away — uncomfortable with the wisdom.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
6 -
Navigating Fear: A Submarine's Dilemma
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
The audience is transfixed.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
I was young.
I believed duty meant silence. Obedience. No fear.
A faint, sad smile.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
But fear sat beside me that night.
And it had a name.
He breathes in, softly.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
Kiyoshi Inagaki.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki recalibrates a depth gauge.
The sub dips unexpectedly — a sudden drop.
SAKAMAKI
Adjusting buoyancy.
He shifts controls — too firmly. The sub overcorrects.
INAGAKI
Easy—
Gentle…
Sakamaki eases pressure. The sub steadies.
A moment passes.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
You’re improving.
Sakamaki allows the faintest exhale of pride.
EXT. SURFACE – PEARL APPROACH – CONTINUOUS
A destroyer changes course — turning broadside. Its wake
disrupts the calm, waves cresting above HA-19.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
A loud THUMP reverberates across the hull.
Sakamaki flinches.
Inagaki steadies a hand on his shoulder.
INAGAKI
Only wake turbulence.
Stay focused.
Sakamaki nods, jaw clenched.
SAKAMAKI
Depth stable. Heading stable.
Inagaki leans toward the periscope — peering carefully.
INAGAKI
Patrols doubling.
We’re blind if we don’t surface soon.
Sakamaki doesn’t hesitate.
SAKAMAKI
We stay submerged.
Inagaki turns toward him — serious now.
INAGAKI
If we lose battery, we drift to the
bottom.
If we surface, they shoot us.
A beat.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Not every mission gives heroes a
good choice.
Sakamaki absorbs it — throat tight.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki’s voice softens.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
Inagaki was more than a superior
officer.
He was my counsel… my friend… my anchor in the dark.
A long breath.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
I did not understand that…
until it was too late.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
A small burst of white smoke seeps from beneath the battery
rack.
Inagaki sees it instantly.
INAGAKI
Kazuo—
Slow us further. Keep her cool.
Sakamaki adjusts speed, sweat forming along his brow.
SAKAMAKI
If she fails, we lose propulsion.
INAGAKI
If she overheats, we lose air.
Choose the problem we can survive.
Sakamaki nods — finally syncing with Inagaki’s calm logic.
EXT. HARBOR ENTRANCE – CONTINUOUS
A patrol boat’s searchlight sweeps directly over the patch of
water above HA-19.
The beam passes… misses them by meters.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
7 -
Lessons in the Depths
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Sakamaki watches the light distort across the periscope.
SAKAMAKI
They’re everywhere.
INAGAKI
They’re afraid of what might come.
As are we.
Sakamaki finally meets his eyes.
SAKAMAKI
I am not afraid.
Inagaki tilts his head — gently calling the lie.
INAGAKI
Bravery is not the absence of fear.
It is doing your duty while fear sits beside you.
A profound silence.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki closes his eyes — remembering.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
In the dark, he taught me my first
lesson of manhood.
Not the one given by officers… but the one given by life.
He hesitates.
Emotion building.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
And it was a lesson bought with a
terrible price.
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – PRE-DAWN (1941)
A faint glow rises behind mountains. The harbor begins to
stir — quietly, unaware.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
8 -
Under Pressure
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The cockpit is humid, cramped. Condensation beads on every
surface.
A sharp metallic TICK echoes through the hull.
Inagaki turns toward the sound.
INAGAKI
Pressure’s shifting.
We’re too shallow on the bow.
Sakamaki adjusts trim controls, slow and careful this time.
SAKAMAKI
Correcting.
Their eyes meet briefly — an unspoken acknowledgment. They
are becoming one synchronized mind.
Another faint TICK…
Then a deep GROAN shudders the hull.
SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
Rudder’s fighting again.
Inagaki steadies himself.
INAGAKI
If it seizes completely, we’ll
spin. Keep her gentle.
Sakamaki nods, beads of sweat rolling down his temples.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki’s voice grows softer — more intimate.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
Inside that sub… the air grew
heavy.
Every sound was a warning. Every vibration… a question of
life or death.
He pauses.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
And yet…
I felt safer with Inagaki beside me than anywhere else in the
world.
The audience listens, fully absorbed.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
A new alarm light blinks faintly.
Inagaki checks the gauge — immediately concerned.
INAGAKI
CO! rising. Slowly… but rising.
Sakamaki stiffens.
SAKAMAKI
We knew the risk.
INAGAKI
We knew numbers on paper.
Not the reality.
He taps the gauge.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Another hour at this rate, and
breathing becomes a negotiation.
Sakamaki swallows hard.
SAKAMAKI
We can endure.
Inagaki watches him — studying the young man’s resolve.
INAGAKI
You are stronger than you know.
But even strong men must breathe.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
9 -
Trust Under Fire
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – SURFACE – SAME TIME
A U.S. PATROL BOAT makes a slow pass, spotlight sweeping the
entrance channel.
Unseen below, HA-19 hovers perilously close.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The sub SHUDDERS again — harder this time.
Inagaki grips the ceiling strut.
INAGAKI
We’re too close to shallow coral.
The tide’s pushing us off course.
Sakamaki tightens his grip on the wheel.
SAKAMAKI
Hold…
Hold…
The sub creaks but begins to stabilize.
Inagaki allows a small smile.
INAGAKI
There you are.
Sakamaki glances at him — surprised by the compliment.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki closes his eyes — seeing it again.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
Inagaki guided me…
as a brother guides a younger one. Firm. Patient. Brave in
ways I did not yet understand.
He lifts his head.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
I was ashamed of how much I needed
him.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
A deep BOOM reverberates through the ocean — distant but
unmistakable.
Sakamaki’s eyes widen.
SAKAMAKI
Was that—
INAGAKI
Depth charge.
Testing their defenses.
The hull vibrates again.
Inagaki presses a hand to the metal.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
This shell will not forgive many of
those.
Sakamaki nods, trying to regulate his breath.
SAKAMAKI
We push forward.
Quickly, while they’re focused elsewhere.
Inagaki considers… then nods once.
INAGAKI
Then steady your hands, Kazuo.
Sakamaki’s hands tighten on the controls. No shake. Just
resolve.
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
HA-19 edges forward, slipping under the patrol zone.
A second depth charge detonates far off — a soft underwater
blossom of light.
Close enough to fear. Far enough to survive.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The shockwave buffets the sub — jolting instruments. A wrench
falls from a shelf, clanging metal.
Sakamaki flinches but maintains grip.
Inagaki leans forward, shouting over the vibration:
INAGAKI
Maintain heading!
Sakamaki keeps it straight despite the shaking.
The sub slowly settles.
Inagaki breathes out — impressed.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
You’re learning the art of calm.
Sakamaki finally lets out the breath he's been holding.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
OLDER SAKAMAKI
He trusted me…
more than I trusted myself.
A long beat.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
And trust…
is the deepest thread between men facing death.
The audience is completely silent.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
10 -
Beneath the Surface: A Test of Endurance
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
CO! alarm glows brighter.
Inagaki reads the rising number.
INAGAKI
Breathing gets harder from here on.
Sakamaki nods.
SAKAMAKI
I can endure.
Inagaki studies him.
INAGAKI
No man endures alone.
He reaches out — places a steadying hand on Sakamaki’s
forearm.
A simple touch. Enough to anchor both of them.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
And you are not alone.
Sakamaki looks at him — deeply moved, but unable to speak.
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – SURFACE – CONTINUOUS
The first hints of dawn paint the sky.
A destroyer shifts course. Another patrol sweeps the channel.
The net is tightening.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki checks their bearings.
INAGAKI
We’re entering the narrow throat.
From here on, any miscalculation…
SAKAMAKI
I won’t miscalculate.
Inagaki meets his intensity with calm reassurance.
INAGAKI
I know.
He settles beside him — shoulder to shoulder.
Two men.
One breath.
One fate.
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – APPROACH CHANNEL – DAWN (1941)
The sun rises slowly, gilding the water with gold.
Battleships lie at anchor like steel mountains.
A sense of calm — minutes before history erupts.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
A faint, rhythmic HISS escapes the overheating battery.
White vapor curls upward.
Inagaki’s eyes narrow.
INAGAKI
Kazuo… reduce speed another ten
percent.
SAKAMAKI
We’ll lose position.
INAGAKI
We’ll lose consciousness if we
don’t.
Sakamaki eases the controls.
His breathing is growing heavier — subtly but noticeable.
SAKAMAKI
Air’s thinning.
INAGAKI
Steady breaths.
Small inhales. Long exhales.
Sakamaki nods — following each instruction with soldierly
precision.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
11 -
Navigating Fear and Growth
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki grips the podium tighter as memories sharpen.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
In that coffin of steel…
I learned how fragile the line is between bravery and fear.
He glances at an older Navy veteran in the front row.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
And how fear… can teach us who we
truly are.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
The submarine LURCHES violently.
Inagaki catches himself on the bulkhead.
INAGAKI
That wasn’t a wave.
Sakamaki checks the compass — it spins wildly.
SAKAMAKI
We’re in a current.
The sub begins drifting sideways.
INAGAKI
Counter-steer. Gently.
Let the current guide, not fight.
Sakamaki turns the wheel carefully, sweat dripping down his
jaw.
The drift slows… then stabilizes.
Inagaki nods with quiet pride.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Good.
Sakamaki doesn’t look up, but the approval lands.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
12 -
Under Pressure
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
HA-19 scrapes a coral ridge — SPARKS flare briefly
underwater.
A new scar carved into her thin hull.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
A loud SCREEEECH tears through the cockpit.
Sakamaki stiffens.
SAKAMAKI
Hull’s compromised.
Inagaki checks the seam — water beads, threatening to seep.
INAGAKI
One more scrape like that…
Sakamaki knows the end of that sentence.
SAKAMAKI
I understand.
He straightens — posture rigid, eyes forward.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki speaks with careful control.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
We were close…
so close we could almost smell the harbor air above us.
He pauses.
A long, painful breath.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
But fate does not bend for
determination.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
CO! alarm brightens to a more urgent glow.
Sakamaki breathes harder, fog forming inside the cramped
glass.
INAGAKI
Focus your breath.
You drift when you panic.
SAKAMAKI
I’m not panicking.
But his fingers tremble slightly on the controls.
Inagaki places a hand — firm, grounding — on his forearm.
INAGAKI
You’re not alone.
Hear me?
You’re not alone.
Sakamaki nods — barely.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
13 -
Bravery Beneath the Surface
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – SURFACE – SAME TIME
The first planes in the Japanese attack fleet break through
the clouds far above — distant specks.
The world still sleeps.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki checks bearings — suddenly alarmed.
INAGAKI
Kazuo—
There’s a net ahead.
Sakamaki stiffens.
SAKAMAKI
Torpedo net?
INAGAKI
Yes.
If we strike it, we’re caught.
If we surface, we’re exposed.
Sakamaki’s breath quickens.
SAKAMAKI
Then we find the gap.
INAGAKI
There may not be one.
Sakamaki meets his eyes — unwavering.
SAKAMAKI
We’ll make one.
Inagaki absorbs the conviction… and the recklessness.
INAGAKI
Kazuo—
Sakamaki interrupts — gently but firmly.
SAKAMAKI
You said bravery is doing what must
be done while afraid.
Inagaki’s expression softens — deeply moved.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki’s voice cracks.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
He believed in me…
even when I did not believe in myself.
He grips the podium — steadying the rising emotion.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
The world speaks of battles and
generals…
but seldom of the men who hold your heart upright in the
darkest hour.
A tear escapes him — small, but honest.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
14 -
Navigating the Net
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
Sakamaki lowers periscope slightly.
Ahead — faint lattice shadows.
The torpedo net.
Impossibly close.
Inagaki exhales slowly.
INAGAKI
We inch through.
If the net catches us… reverse immediately.
Sakamaki nods.
SAKAMAKI
Understood.
The sub creeps forward — millimeters at a time.
The net’s steel mesh brushes the hull — a metallic WHISPER.
Inagaki’s jaw tightens.
INAGAKI
Steady…
Sakamaki’s brow beads with sweat.
The mesh scrapes…
Screeches…
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Stop.
Sakamaki halts all propulsion.
Silence.
The net settles.
A breath.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
…Now go.
Low thrust.
No noise.
Sakamaki nudges the lever.
The sub glides…
…and SLIPS THROUGH.
Both men exhale.
Sakamaki closes his eyes — a brief moment of triumph.
Inagaki smiles, pride evident.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
You did that.
Not orders.
You.
Sakamaki absorbs the words… and the weight behind them.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
15 -
Dawn of Tension
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – SURFACE – DAWN
Far above the sub, the first wave of Japanese planes turns
toward Oahu.
The day is about to change forever.
INT. HA-19 – MOMENTS LATER
A faint rumble vibrates the hull — subtle, but unmistakable.
Sakamaki grips the controls.
SAKAMAKI
Another destroyer.
Inagaki closes his eyes, listening to the rhythm of distant
propellers.
INAGAKI
They’re turning.
Not toward us… toward the outer channel.
Sakamaki forces a slow breath.
SAKAMAKI
They know something is coming.
INAGAKI
Yes.
But not from below.
He gives Kazuo the smallest, confident nod.
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
HA-19 glides forward, its battered hull scraping softly along
silt and coral.
Above, a destroyer moves away — unaware of the steel coffin
beneath it.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The CO! gauge creeps upward. Red warning light pulses with
growing insistence.
Sakamaki wipes condensation from his forehead.
SAKAMAKI
Air’s getting worse.
INAGAKI
Slow breaths. Conserve everything.
He monitors the gauge.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
At this rate, we have maybe… forty
minutes before symptoms hit hard.
Sakamaki stiffens internally — but his face stays calm.
SAKAMAKI
We’ll reach the harbor before then.
Inagaki gives him a long look.
INAGAKI
Hope is a good compass…
But not a reliable depth gauge.
It’s half-joke, half-warning.
Kazuo’s lips twitch — the closest he gets to a smile.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
16 -
Reflections of War
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – SAME TIME
Older Sakamaki speaks slowly, voice gaining emotional weight.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
We believed we would strike the
first blow.
The blow that would change the war.
He looks down at his hands — weathered, trembling slightly.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
Instead…
I learned the war changed us first.
The audience holds its breath.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
A soft, sinister gurgling sound emerges from the aft
compartment.
Inagaki turns sharply.
INAGAKI
Kazuo—
Battery vent’s worsening.
Sakamaki adjusts the controls, bracing as the sub tilts
slightly.
SAKAMAKI
Stabilizing pitch.
Inagaki moves to inspect the vent — steam curls up, hotter
now.
He winces from the heat.
INAGAKI
It’s close to spilling.
If the acid hits seawater—
Sakamaki finishes the rest quietly:
SAKAMAKI
—We suffocate.
Their eyes lock.
No fear. Only understanding.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
17 -
Echoes of Belief
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – SURFACE – SAME TIME
The harbor glows in dawn light.
Sailors walk morning rounds. Coffee steams on decks.
A calm before catastrophe.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The sub dips unexpectedly.
Water splashes up against Kazuo’s boots.
SAKAMAKI
We’re losing trim.
Inagaki steadies himself against the bulkhead.
INAGAKI
We’re too heavy forward.
Shift ballast two degrees aft.
Kazuo does.
The sub slowly levels.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Good.
See? Your instincts are sharpening.
Kazuo allows himself a single quiet breath of pride.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki steadies himself, voice tightening.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
Inagaki believed in me…
before I understood what belief costs.
He pauses, emotion threatening to spill.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
I was twenty-two.
He was thirty-four. He carried more than experience. He
carried wisdom.
A beat.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
And I would carry him…
for the rest of my life.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
18 -
Descent into Danger
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki checks their heading.
Eyes widen slightly.
INAGAKI
Kazuo… look.
Sakamaki peers through the periscope.
A faint outline… Shadowed shapes ahead…
SAKAMAKI
Are those…?
INAGAKI
Battleships.
The harbor’s heart.
Sakamaki’s breath catches.
History lies before them.
SAKAMAKI
Then this is where our mission
begins.
Inagaki rests a hand on his shoulder.
INAGAKI
And perhaps…
where it ends.
Sakamaki nods — accepting the cost.
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
HA-19 inches closer to Pearl Harbor’s battleship row.
The first shafts of morning sun illuminate the hull.
The attack is moments away.
The midget sub — damaged, suffocating, off-course — pushes
forward on pure will.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS (EARLY MORNING 1941)
Sakamaki lowers the periscope, breathing slow but heavy — the
rising CO! making every inhale labor.
Inagaki steadies himself as another faint vibration ripples
through the hull.
INAGAKI
They’re waking up above.
We’re late into the harbor.
Sakamaki nods — almost mechanically.
SAKAMAKI
We proceed.
Inagaki eyes him. The younger man’s discipline is admirable…
and dangerous.
INAGAKI
Kazuo… breathe with the rhythm.
Hold… release…
Sakamaki follows the cadence.
Inagaki watches him recover — proud, relieved.
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – SURFACE – SAME TIME
Sailors stretch on deck.
A bugler warms up.
Boats begin slow morning patrols.
The world is moments from disaster — yet peaceful.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
A soft drip… drip… drip echoes from the aft seam.
Inagaki turns — a thin trickle of water forms along a rivet.
INAGAKI
Hull’s flexing.
We have a leak forming.
Sakamaki tightens his grip on the wheel.
SAKAMAKI
Severity?
INAGAKI
Minor now. But pressure increases
inside the harbor.
If it opens fully, it’ll drown us long before any enemy does.
He kneels, applying quick-seal paste.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Keep shallow. Less strain on the
plates.
Sakamaki nods without hesitation.
SAKAMAKI
Adjusting depth.
He lifts the sub slightly — a delicate maneuver with a
damaged rudder.
The hull groans but stabilizes.
Inagaki nods in approval.
Genres:
["War","Historical","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
19 -
Whispers of Courage
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – LATER
Older Sakamaki looks down at the podium — the memory of that
groan still in his bones.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
People speak of courage as though
it is loud.
But courage… is quiet.
A whisper in the dark that says, “Try.”
He touches his chest — a subtle tremor in his hand.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
And in that hour… Inagaki whispered
for both of us.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
A faint BUZZ from the forward panel.
Sakamaki checks instruments.
SAKAMAKI
Bearing adjustment drifting.
INAGAKI
Compensate manually. The control
rod may be warped from the scrape.
Sakamaki carefully taps the alignment dial.
The needle settles — barely.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Good.
He studies Sakamaki.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
You are calm under strain.
A beat.
SAKAMAKI
You trained me.
Inagaki’s expression softens.
INAGAKI
No.
Life trained you.
I only remind you not to forget it.
Genres:
["War Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
20 -
Under Pressure
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
HA-19 glides beneath the harbor entrance.
Above them, massive battleships loom — tons of steel
silhouetted in the brightening water.
The sub is hopelessly small.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The CO! alarm light blinks faster.
Sakamaki inhales sharply — dizzy for a moment.
Inagaki sees it instantly.
INAGAKI
Sit back. Let the wheel rest
against your palms.
Slow… steady…
Sakamaki follows the breathing count.
Control returns — just barely.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
We’re nearing the point where the
brain starts seeing things.
Sakamaki nods, focusing hard.
SAKAMAKI
I’m here. I’m clear.
INAGAKI
For now.
A beat.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
It will get worse.
Sakamaki straightens — steel inside him.
SAKAMAKI
Then we move before it does.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
21 -
Reflections of War
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki grows visibly emotional — breath trembling.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
I thought obedience made me strong.
But obedience made me rigid.
Inagaki… made me human.
He closes his eyes — memory washing over him like cold water.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki checks the forward periscope again.
His breath catches.
INAGAKI
Kazuo…
Sakamaki stiffens.
SAKAMAKI
What do you see?
Inagaki steps back — solemn, reverent.
INAGAKI
Battleship Row.
Sakamaki peers through the scope.
A line of silhouettes emerges in the morning fog — massive
steel beasts awaiting the coming attack.
His breath leaves him.
SAKAMAKI
We’re inside.
INAGAKI
Yes.
Inside the heart of the Pacific Fleet.
CO! haze floats across Sakamaki’s vision.
He blinks hard — keeping clarity.
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – SURFACE – SAME TIME
A sailor hoists the American flag.
It flaps in the wind.
A bugler lifts his trumpet.
Genres:
["War","Historical","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
22 -
Tension Beneath the Waves
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
The sub shivers again — the battery venting harder now.
Inagaki watches the white smoke rise.
INAGAKI
Kazuo…
we are on a clock now.
SAKAMAKI
Then we finish before time runs
out.
Inagaki studies the young officer — pride mixed with
foreboding.
INAGAKI
Finish… or survive?
Sakamaki doesn’t answer.
Because in his mind, they cannot be both.
The HUM of the failing battery grows deeper — a low,
unhealthy growl that vibrates through every bolt.
Sakamaki wipes fog from his periscope eyepiece, his breath
coming heavier.
Inagaki watches him with increasing concern.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Kazuo… how’s your vision?
SAKAMAKI
Clear.
He blinks — his pupils slow to refocus.
Inagaki doesn’t challenge him, but he sees the truth.
INAGAKI
Remember what we practiced.
If you feel the room begin to tilt, you tell me.
Sakamaki nods, gripping the wheel harder than necessary.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
23 -
Masks of Fear
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
HA-19 creeps beneath the massive hull of the USS OKLAHOMA — a
dark, mountainous shadow above them.
The sub looks like a toy beneath a skyscraper.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
A faint clatter as a wrench falls from its shelf.
Sakamaki flinches — reacting slower than normal.
Inagaki notices.
INAGAKI
Kazuo.
Look at me.
Sakamaki hesitates, then does.
His pupils dilate unevenly.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
You’re losing oxygen faster than
expected.
SAKAMAKI
I’m fine.
INAGAKI
“Fine” is a dangerous word in a
midget sub with rising CO! .
A beat — Kazuo’s pride battling reality.
SAKAMAKI
We press forward.
The fleet is right above us.
Our country—
INAGAKI
—needs men who think clearly.
Not martyrs choking on stubbornness.
It lands hard.
Real.
True.
Sakamaki exhales, shoulders sagging a fraction.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki looks down — voice trembling with remembered
shame.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
I wanted to be a hero.
But in truth…
I was afraid of disappointing the man beside me.
A beat.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
Fear wears many masks.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
24 -
Silent Depths
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
A faint metallic PING echoes through the hull — sonar.
Inagaki freezes.
INAGAKI
They’re sweeping.
Sakamaki stiffens.
SAKAMAKI
Did they see us?
Inagaki listens — breath held — as another PING ripples
through the sub.
Silence.
INAGAKI
No.
But we’re inside their heartbeat now.
Sakamaki forces a calm breath.
SAKAMAKI
Then we move like ghosts.
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
HA-19 edges between the shadows of battleships — tiny,
fragile, almost invisible.
A patrol boat crosses above, its propellers churning the
morning light.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The CO! alarm pulses faster.
The air is noticeably thicker — like inhaling through cloth.
Sakamaki wipes sweat from his face, but his hand trembles.
Inagaki sees it.
INAGAKI
Kazuo.
Switch positions with me for a moment.
Sakamaki hesitates — pride wrestling with necessity.
SAKAMAKI
You said—
I’m the pilot.
INAGAKI
And I am your senior officer.
We rotate before one of us collapses.
A long beat.
Finally…
Sakamaki yields.
Quiet.
Respectful.
They switch seats — a tight, awkward maneuver in such a tiny
space, their shoulders brushing, breaths mingling.
Inagaki takes the controls with a steady, practiced touch.
INT. HA-19 – LATER (MINUTES PASS)
Sakamaki leans back against the hull, his breathing slow and
forced.
Inagaki pilots, eyes scanning instruments, sweat forming at
his temples now too.
SAKAMAKI
(soft)
You make it look easy.
INAGAKI
Nothing is easy down here.
We only pretend so the other doesn’t break.
Sakamaki lets the truth settle.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
25 -
Courage in the Face of Doom
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – SURFACE – SAME TIME
The bugler finishes assembling his horn.
Sailors stand at attention.
07:55 AM approaches.
Moments before devastation.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki adjusts the periscope.
A faint glimmer of sunlight refracts downward — illuminating
Sakamaki’s face.
He looks young.
Too young.
Inagaki sees it.
INAGAKI
Kazuo…
No matter what happens… you must remember this:
You acted with honor in impossible conditions.
Sakamaki swallows.
SAKAMAKI
If we fail—
INAGAKI
Then we will fail bravely.
Inagaki grips his shoulder — firm, reassuring.
A moment of small, profound connection.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki closes his eyes.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
I did not know then…
that courage is not measured in explosions or victories…
A tear escapes.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
…but in the quiet promise between
two men who refuse to abandon each
other.
Genres:
["War Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
26 -
Survival Under Pressure
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
The sub shudders suddenly.
Inagaki steadies the controls.
INAGAKI
Battery’s close to rupture.
He looks at Sakamaki.
A decision forming.
One Sakamaki won’t like.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Kazuo…
prepare to reverse power.
Sakamaki sits up —
SAKAMAKI
Reverse?!
We’re inside the harbor!
The fleet is above us!
INAGAKI
And if the battery vents acid into
seawater, we will die before we can
release a single torpedo.
A painful truth.
Sakamaki stiffens, torn by duty and survival.
SAKAMAKI
Then tell me—
what is our mission now?
Inagaki meets his eyes.
Not as officer to subordinate.
As man to man.
INAGAKI
To live long enough to understand
why we came here.
The words land hard.
Human.
Deep.
Sakamaki swallows — then nods.
SAKAMAKI
Aye.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
27 -
Tension Beneath the Waves
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS (1941)
Sakamaki steadies his shaking hands over the propulsion
controls. The CO! haze floats visibly in the cramped air.
SAKAMAKI
(quietly, to himself)
Reverse power…
inside the enemy’s harbor…
His voice trails off — the enormity sinking in.
Inagaki watches him with calm resolve.
INAGAKI
Kazuo—
orders are not surrender. They’re survival.
Sakamaki looks up sharply. This isn't what he trained for.
Not what he imagined.
SAKAMAKI
I thought I was ready to die for
this mission.
Inagaki studies him — deeply.
INAGAKI
Dying is easy.
Living with the truth is harder.
The sub CREAKS sharply — a warning.
Inagaki motions.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
On my count.
Three… two…
A distant, muffled BOOM rolls through the water — far away
but unmistakable.
Both men freeze.
Another BOOM.
Sakamaki’s eyes widen.
SAKAMAKI
Was that—
INAGAKI
Yes.
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – SURFACE – SAME TIME
The first Japanese bombs detonate over Battleship Row. Smoke
rises violently. Sailors scream, pointing skyward.
The surprise attack has begun.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
28 -
Tension Beneath the Waves
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The sub shakes from distant shockwaves. Loose bolts rattle in
their mounts.
Sakamaki grips the railing.
SAKAMAKI
The attack’s begun!
We’re late— we need to fire now!
Inagaki holds up a firm hand — unwavering authority.
INAGAKI
No.
Not in this condition. Not with the battery unstable.
Sakamaki slams his fist against the bulkhead — the first real
crack in his composure.
SAKAMAKI
We came here to strike the blow!
To change the war!
Inagaki steps closer — calm but fierce.
INAGAKI
Listen to me—
A man who runs blindly toward glory… meets death, not honor.
Sakamaki breathes raggedly — the CO! taking a toll.
SAKAMAKI
Then what are we?
Failed warriors?
INAGAKI
(soft)
We are alive.
That is not failure.
Sakamaki’s chest rises and falls — fighting tears he refuses
to shed.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
29 -
Courage in the Depths
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki grips the podium, knuckles white.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
I thought him weakened by age…
cautious… too careful.
A painful swallow.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
But wisdom…
is courage wearing humility.
He wipes a small tear before it can fall.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
The sub tilts abruptly — pitching downward.
Inagaki grabs the wheel, stabilizing.
INAGAKI
Battery vent’s worsening!
Kazuo— NOW. Reverse power!
Sakamaki slams the throttle into reverse.
The sub SHUDDERS violently.
The bow dips… then rises.
The engine whines under strain.
SAKAMAKI
Reverse propulsion engaged!
The boat inches backward — painfully slow.
Water trickles from a seam, landing on Sakamaki’s sleeve.
He stares at it — a drop of cold reality.
INAGAKI
Steady…
Steady…
Sakamaki’s breath grows shallow.
He looks at Inagaki — fear slipping through.
SAKAMAKI
I can’t feel my fingertips.
Inagaki moves closer — grounding him with a hand on his
shoulder.
INAGAKI
Stay with me.
Do not drift.
Sakamaki focuses — locking on Inagaki’s voice like a
lifeline.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
30 -
Descent into Chaos
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
HA-19 backs away from the center of the harbor.
Above, explosions ripple across the water’s surface.
The world is erupting while the tiny submarine struggles
simply to live.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki checks the pressure gauge — alarmingly high.
INAGAKI
Readings are spiking.
We need to distance ourselves from the fleets before we—
A violent SHOCKWAVE hits the sub — an underwater quake
sending tools, charts, and both men flying.
Sakamaki slams into the bulkhead.
Inagaki catches himself — barely.
Sakamaki gasps, disoriented.
SAKAMAKI
What was—
INAGAKI
A magazine explosion.
The ships are being hit in sequence.
He helps Sakamaki upright, gripping his arm tight.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Kazuo… you’re losing consciousness.
Sakamaki’s vision blurs.
A HUM filters into his ears — like the world is fading.
SAKAMAKI
(weak)
I—
I’m here…
INAGAKI
(stern, urgent)
Look at me.
LOOK at me.
Sakamaki forces his eyes open.
Inagaki’s stare pins him to reality.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
If you pass out now, you die.
Do you understand?
Sakamaki nods — barely.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Action"]
Ratings
Scene
31 -
Echoes of Survival
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – CONTINUOUS
Older Sakamaki’s voice fractures.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
He kept me alive…
when the Navy… and even God felt far away.
He wipes another tear.
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
Sakamaki clings to the controls.
Inagaki steadies him.
INAGAKI
We’re pulling back.
Slow. Controlled.
Sakamaki forces breath after breath through the thick, stale
air.
SAKAMAKI
What… what if we surface?
INAGAKI
Then we are taken.
Alive.
A beat — heavy with meaning.
SAKAMAKI
Alive…
for what?
Inagaki’s eyes soften.
INAGAKI
For the truth you will one day
tell.
Sakamaki absorbs the words — barely, but deeply.
A new vibration trembles the hull — not from explosions…
…from mechanical failure.
Inagaki leans toward the gauge.
His expression hardens.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Kazuo—
brace yourself.
SAKAMAKI
For what?
A sudden metallic SNAP reverberates—
The rudder seizes.
The sub jerks sideways—
INAGAKI
—For that.
The HA-19 begins an uncontrolled corkscrew spin.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
32 -
Descent into Chaos
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS (1941)
The submarine SPINS violently — metal SCREAMING as the rudder
locks hard to starboard.
Loose tools slam against the bulkheads.
Sakamaki is thrown sideways, smashing into the control panel.
SAKAMAKI
(grunting)
Rudder— seized—!
Inagaki claws his way toward the manual override, fighting
centrifugal force.
INAGAKI
Grab the wheel— steady her!
Sakamaki tries, arms trembling, but the spin yanks him away.
The sub tilts dangerously — bow dipping.
SAKAMAKI
We’re losing depth—!
Another violent LURCH.
Lights flicker.
Inagaki reaches the emergency crank and throws his full
weight into it.
Metal GROANS — nothing.
He tries again, his jaw clenched, sweat dripping into his
eyes.
INAGAKI
(through teeth)
Come on… come on…
The crank finally JERKS a few inches.
The spin slows — but does not stop.
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
The HA-19 spirals downward like a wounded animal, kicking up
silt in a violent vortex.
Above, explosions ripple across the surface — the harbor in
utter chaos.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Action"]
Ratings
Scene
33 -
Struggle and Reflection
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The CO! haze thickens.
Sakamaki coughs, then gasps for breath — his lungs fighting
dead air.
Inagaki inches the crank another quarter turn.
The spin slows again… slightly.
INAGAKI
Kazuo—
You need to help me.
Sakamaki tries to crawl toward him — dizzy, weak.
SAKAMAKI
I… I can’t…
can’t see straight—
He collapses to one knee, palm pressed to the fogged metal
flooring.
Inagaki grabs him by the harness straps, pulling him upright.
INAGAKI
Listen to me.
If we don’t unlock this rudder— we hit the bottom and never
rise.
Sakamaki tries to focus on Inagaki’s face — it swims in and
out of clarity.
SAKAMAKI
(hard whisper)
Tell me…
what to do.
Inagaki shoves the secondary crank into his hands.
INAGAKI
Turn with me.
Slow.
Together.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Ready?
One— two— PUSH!
Both men strain, muscles trembling, the metal resisting like
bone.
The crank shifts—
The spin slows—
Then, mercifully, stops.
Both collapse against the bulkhead — exhausted.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – SAME TIME
Older Sakamaki breathes deeply, remembering the moment with
reverence.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
We stopped the spin…
but not the danger.
He looks up — eyes glassy.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
Inagaki’s strength…
was more than muscle.
A quiet murmur ripples through the crowd.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
34 -
Descent into Chaos
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
The sub drifts, shuddering occasionally — wounded but steady.
Inagaki checks the depth gauge.
His face tightens.
INAGAKI
We’re too low.
We have to rise or the pressure will crack us open.
SAKAMAKI
Can the ballast respond?
Inagaki flips the switch — nothing.
He tries again — sputtering.
INAGAKI
It’s jammed.
Manual release only.
Sakamaki wipes sweat from his brow, determination returning
through haze.
SAKAMAKI
Then we do it manually.
Inagaki gives a rare, small smile.
INAGAKI
There’s my pilot.
They crawl to the manual ballast wheel.
Inagaki motions.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
On three.
One… two—
A thunderous UNDERWATER BLOOM rocks the sub — a magazine
explosion from the harbor above.
Both men slam against the hull.
Sakamaki’s ears ring.
He sees flashes of light — hallucinations from rising CO! .
SAKAMAKI
(weak)
The air…
It’s… burning…
INAGAKI
Kazuo!
Stay awake!
Sakamaki blinks — vision tinted red from burst capillaries.
SAKAMAKI
I… I’m here…
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – SURFACE – SAME TIME
A battleship groans as it lists.
Smoke plumes tower over the harbor.
Sailors scream for water hoses, for medics, for anyone who
can help.
Chaos unfolds.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Action"]
Ratings
Scene
35 -
Descent into Despair
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki sees Sakamaki’s eyelids drooping.
INAGAKI
Kazuo— look at me.
LOOK at me.
Sakamaki forces his eyes open, trembling.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
You breathe when I say.
In… now.
Hold—
Out.
Again.
Sakamaki follows, fighting to stay conscious.
Inagaki grips the ballast wheel with both hands.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Help me turn it.
Slow and steady.
Sakamaki slides beside him.
Their shoulders press together for support.
They turn the wheel — muscles shaking, lungs starving for
air.
Metal groans—
—then finally gives.
The sub rises a few feet.
Inagaki coughs hard — the air affecting him too.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
Again.
They turn—
The sub rises.
Another turn—
More rise.
Sakamaki collapses against Inagaki’s shoulder, gasping.
SAKAMAKI
(coughing)
How… high…?
INAGAKI
High enough to keep the hull
intact.
Low enough to stay hidden.
He slumps beside Sakamaki, the air heavy and poisonous.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
We must surface soon.
Or we won’t be conscious enough to choose.
Sakamaki stares at him — stunned.
SAKAMAKI
Surface… in the middle of the
attack?
Inagaki nods wearily.
INAGAKI
Better prisoners…
than dead men no one remembers.
Sakamaki lowers his head — devastated, humbled, breathless.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
36 -
Tides of Despair
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS (1941)
Silence hangs in the cramped steel coffin — heavy,
suffocating, final.
Sakamaki stares at Inagaki, barely processing.
SAKAMAKI
Surface…
in enemy waters… during the attack…
His voice is a rasp — CO! stripping its strength.
Inagaki forces a small, tired smile.
INAGAKI
The sea gives us choices…
but never the ones we want.
Another distant explosion echoes through the water — a low,
rolling THUD.
Both men flinch — nerves stretched thin.
Sakamaki finally manages:
SAKAMAKI
If we surface…
it means capture.
Inagaki nods slowly.
INAGAKI
Capture… and survival.
Or stay below… and certainty.
Sakamaki closes his eyes — the weight crushing him.
SAKAMAKI
We failed… didn’t we?
Inagaki reaches out — rests a hand on his shoulder.
INAGAKI
No, Kazuo.
We lived.
That is not failure.
Sakamaki swallows a rising wave of emotion.
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
HA-19 drifts upward slightly — its wounded hull groaning as
pressure shifts.
Above, shockwaves ripple the surface from the ongoing
bombardment.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
37 -
Survival in the Depths
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki coughs — hard — leaning against the bulkhead.
Sakamaki reacts immediately.
SAKAMAKI
Inagaki-san—
Inagaki waves him off.
INAGAKI
It’s nothing.
But the truth is clear:
He’s weakening too.
Sakamaki looks around at the tiny, collapsing world around
them.
SAKAMAKI
We should…
signal?
If we surface?
INAGAKI
We surface slowly.
Hands visible.
No sudden movements.
SAKAMAKI
And… if they fire?
Inagaki meets his gaze — calm, resolved.
INAGAKI
Then we die on the surface instead
of strangling in the deep.
A grim truth.
A soldier’s truth.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – SAME TIME
Older Sakamaki wipes his eyes — the memory raw even after
decades.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
In those minutes…
we were not warriors.
Not enemies.
Not heroes.
He steadies himself.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
We were simply…
two men.
Trying not to die.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
38 -
Descent into Chaos
INT. HA-19 – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
Sakamaki struggles to focus — hallucinations flickering at
the edges of his vision.
A shadow shifts in the corner — a trick of CO! .
He blinks rapidly.
SAKAMAKI
I… I’m seeing things.
Inagaki grips his arm hard.
INAGAKI
Stay with me, Kazuo.
Don’t drift into the fog.
Look at me.
Sakamaki forces his gaze to lock onto Inagaki’s.
SAKAMAKI
Are you… seeing anything?
Inagaki hesitates — a small flicker in his eyes.
INAGAKI
I see you.
That is enough.
They share a tight, intimate silence — comrades in the most
human and fragile sense.
EXT. PEARL HARBOR – SURFACE – SAME TIME
Battleship Row erupts in fireballs.
Smoke clouds roll across the harbor.
Plane engines scream overhead.
Machine gun bursts echo like thunder.
Chaos reigns above.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The sub rattles from a nearby underwater shockwave.
Inagaki slams his hand against the ballast release.
It sticks again.
INAGAKI
Damn—!
Kazuo, help me.
Sakamaki crawls to him — every movement slow, labored.
Together they brace themselves—
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
On three—
one— two—
THREE!
They pull—
The ballast lever finally JERKS loose.
A loud WHOOSH of shifting ballast water.
The HA-19 tilts upward.
INAGAKI
We’ve committed.
We’re rising.
Sakamaki grips a beam, dizzy.
SAKAMAKI
Are we…
surfacing now?
INAGAKI
Yes.
God help us.
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
The crippled submarine begins its slow, painful ascent — its
hull creaking like an old tree.
A trail of bubbles leaks from a fracture.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
39 -
A Purpose Amidst Chaos
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki rests his head back — exhaustion overwhelming him.
Sakamaki clasps the periscope pipes for stability.
SAKAMAKI
(quiet, shaking)
Inagaki-san…
I’m… honored to die beside you.
Inagaki opens his eyes — and smiles softly.
INAGAKI
You misunderstand…
We’re not dying today.
He touches Sakamaki’s cheek — a simple, human gesture.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
We’re living.
Even if it hurts.
Sakamaki blinks away tears.
SAKAMAKI
You… you never feared death?
Inagaki exhales slowly.
INAGAKI
I feared dying without purpose.
But you— your life… your future… that is purpose.
Sakamaki trembles — moved beyond words.
EXT. OCEAN SURFACE – MOMENTS LATER
The conning tower of the HA-19 breaks the water.
The tiny sub bobs up violently, bobbing in the swell.
Smoke columns rise over Oahu.
Gunfire crackles.
Chaos everywhere.
But the moment is strangely quiet at sea level.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
40 -
The Last Order
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The interior brightens as daylight filters in through
periscope cracks.
Inagaki braces himself.
INAGAKI
Kazuo…
listen closely.
Sakamaki leans in — barely conscious.
INAGAKI (CONT’D)
When we open the hatch…
you will go first.
Sakamaki freezes.
SAKAMAKI
No.
You’re the senior officer—
INAGAKI
And I command you…
to live.
Silence.
Sakamaki’s jaw tightens.
Tears well.
SAKAMAKI
Hai…
Inagaki-san.
Inagaki grips his shoulder — firm, affectionate, absolute.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS (1941)
Sakamaki steadies himself, hands trembling as he reaches for
the hatch wheel overhead.
His breath is ragged, his lungs barely functioning in the CO! -
thickened air.
Inagaki watches him — pride and sorrow mixing in his
exhausted eyes.
INAGAKI
Kazuo… slowly.
The hatch may be jammed from pressure.
Sakamaki nods, grips the wheel.
He strains —
The wheel doesn’t budge.
He tries again, every muscle shaking.
SAKAMAKI
(through teeth)
It… won't move—
Inagaki forces himself upright.
INAGAKI
Step aside.
Sakamaki gives him room.
Inagaki grasps the wheel, exhales deeply, and heaves—
The metal GROANS, resisting—
—and finally SNAPS FREE, turning a fraction.
Inagaki gasps, clutching his ribs.
Sakamaki immediately supports him.
SAKAMAKI
You’re hurt.
INAGAKI
(weak smile)
Pain is proof I’m still here.
Help me turn it again.
Together, slowly, they push the wheel.
It CREAKS open another inch… another…
A thin beam of blinding sunlight pierces through the crack.
Both men freeze — the sudden light surreal after hours in
darkness.
Sakamaki blinks rapidly, eyes wet.
SAKAMAKI
We made it to the surface…
Inagaki looks up at the beam — reverent.
INAGAKI
Yes.
But now comes the harder part.
They take a moment, just breathing in the faint trickle of
fresh air.
EXT. OCEAN SURFACE – SAME TIME
The HA-19 bobbles violently in the waves, its hatch slowly
turning open.
Smoke fills the sky.
Planes scream overhead.
AA guns rattle from the shoreline.
The entire harbor is chaos.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The hatch is now open just enough for Sakamaki to squeeze
through.
He hesitates… looking back at Inagaki.
SAKAMAKI
We climb together.
Inagaki shakes his head slowly — a gentle command.
INAGAKI
You first.
That is my last order.
Sakamaki’s lip trembles.
SAKAMAKI
I won’t leave you behind.
INAGAKI
You will.
Because your future… means something.
Sakamaki swallows hard — barely standing.
He grips the hatch rim, lifting himself.
EXT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Sakamaki emerges into the blinding sunlight.
He gasps — inhaling pure air for the first time in hours.
Waves crash against the metal hull.
He pulls himself onto the slick surface, coughing violently
as oxygen floods back into his system.
Above him, a fighter plane roars past, machine guns blazing
at targets inland.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
41 -
A Heartbreaking Farewell
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Inagaki prepares to follow — but collapses onto one knee,
gripping the bulkhead.
He coughs, eyes fluttering.
INAGAKI
(weakly, to himself)
Just a moment…
Just a breath…
He forces himself upright — determination overpowering pain.
He reaches for the hatch.
EXT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Sakamaki turns, extending a hand down the hatch.
SAKAMAKI
Inagaki-san!
Take my hand!
Inside, Inagaki looks up — his vision blurred, the sunlight a
halo.
He tries to lift himself…
His hand rises… shaking…
INAGAKI
Kazuo…
He tries to take Sakamaki’s hand—
—but slips, falling back against the ladder.
SAKAMAKI
(shouting)
Inagaki-san!
Sakamaki descends halfway back into the hatch, reaching
desperately.
Inagaki forces a smile — soft, heartbreaking.
INAGAKI
Live…
Kazuo.
His eyes drift closed—
He collapses.
Unconscious.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
42 -
The Weight of Survival
EXT. OCEAN – CONTINUOUS
A U.S. NAVY PATROL BOAT cuts across the water, heading toward
HA-19.
Sailors shout and point.
SAILOR (O.S.)
THERE!
ON THAT SUB—!
Sakamaki freezes — cornered, exposed, torn.
He looks down the hatch.
Inagaki lies motionless.
Sakamaki’s breathing breaks — a sob caught in his throat.
SAKAMAKI
(in Japanese, whisper)
Forgive me…
for surviving.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – SAME TIME
Older Sakamaki steadies himself on the podium.
His voice cracks.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
I left him…
alone in that steel tomb.
He wipes trembling hands across his eyes.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
That guilt lived longer than any
war.
The audience sits in absolute silence.
EXT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS (1941)
The patrol boat closes in fast.
Armed sailors take aim.
SAILOR #1
HANDS UP!
DON’T MOVE!
Sakamaki shakily lifts both hands — surrendering.
He takes one last, agonizing look into the open hatch.
SAKAMAKI
(soft)
Goodbye…
Inagaki-san.
He lowers to his knees on the sub’s hull as the American boat
pulls alongside.
Two sailors leap aboard and seize him roughly.
SAILOR #2
We got him!
He’s alive!
Sakamaki doesn’t resist.
He barely breathes.
EXT. OCEAN – MOMENTS LATER
As the patrol boat pulls away with Sakamaki—
The HA-19 drifts alone.
The hatch still open.
The sun glinting off wet steel.
Silent.
Broken.
Carrying a man who will never rise again.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
43 -
Silent Descent
EXT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS (1941)
Two U.S. sailors climb onto the bobbing submarine, rifles
trained on Sakamaki.
He barely reacts — dazed, swaying, eyes fixed on the open
hatch.
SAILOR #1
KEEP YOUR HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE ‘EM!
SAILOR #2
(stepping closer)
He looks half-dead…
Sakamaki’s lips move — barely a whisper.
SAKAMAKI
(in Japanese)
Don’t… hurt him…
SAILOR #1
What the hell’s he saying?
They grab Sakamaki’s arms.
He offers no resistance — his gaze locked on the darkness
below.
INT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The hatch opening casts a fractured beam of light over
Inagaki’s unconscious body.
He doesn’t move.
Doesn’t breathe visibly.
It is still.
Silent.
A tomb.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
44 -
Desperate Pleas
EXT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
The sailors drag Sakamaki toward the rail of the patrol boat.
One pauses.
SAILOR #2
(looking down hatch)
Hey… there’s somebody else in
there!
SAILOR #1
(dead serious)
If he’s alive, he comes out.
If not— (commanding gesture) —seal it. We ain’t risking booby
traps.
Sakamaki’s eyes widen — raw panic cracking through his daze.
SAKAMAKI
No—!
NO—!
Please—
He tries to break free, but collapses under his own weakness.
The sailors restrain him easily.
SAILOR #1
You calm the hell down!
We’ll check it when it’s SAFE!
But Sakamaki shakes his head wildly, tears blurring his
vision.
SAKAMAKI
(in Japanese, desperate)
He’s alive!
Please—
PLEASE—
The sailors don’t understand.
They haul him aboard.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
45 -
Despair on the Deck
EXT. U.S. PATROL BOAT – CONTINUOUS
Sakamaki collapses to the deck, coughing violently — inhaling
fresh air like it’s fire.
A medic rushes over, shining a light into his eyes.
MEDIC
Pupils blown… he’s hypoxic.
Get him water!
A canteen is pressed to his lips.
Sakamaki drinks, choking, then gasping.
His eyes dart back to HA-19 — terrified.
SAKAMAKI
(weak, pleading)
He’s…
he’s still inside…
The medic exchanges a look with the sailors.
MEDIC
We’ll check it.
Just breathe, son. You’re safe now.
Sakamaki closes his eyes tight — shame, grief, and relief
collapsing into one.
EXT. HA-19 – CONTINUOUS
Two sailors cautiously peer into the hatch with a flashlight.
SAILOR #2
I don’t see—
(wait)
—there, movement…?
No…
False alarm.
He lowers the light.
SAILOR #1
He’s gone.
The words echo — final.
The hatch is sealed shut.
Genres:
["War Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
46 -
Echoes of Regret
EXT. PATROL BOAT – DECK – CONTINUOUS
Sakamaki sees the hatch closing.
His chest tightens — he collapses onto his knees.
SAKAMAKI
(in Japanese, sobbing)
Inagaki…
I’m sorry…
The waves crash against the hull.
The world burns behind them.
And Sakamaki’s soul breaks quietly.
The sailors exchange glances — confused, uneasy.
One crouches beside him.
SAILOR #3
Hey—
Hey, look at me.
You’re okay now.
Sakamaki stares blankly through him.
He is not okay.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – SAME TIME
Older Sakamaki grips the sides of the podium — his breath
trembling.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
They sealed the hatch.
They thought it safe… routine…
He lowers his gaze.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
And I…
…did not have the strength to say goodbye.
His voice cracks — the memory still a wound.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
47 -
Shattered Remorse
EXT. PATROL BOAT – MOVING – LATER (1941)
The patrol boat speeds toward Ford Island.
Sakamaki sits wrapped in a blanket, shivering.
An American guard watches him closely — rifle across his lap.
But Sakamaki’s mind is elsewhere.
He looks back at the shrinking HA-19 — drifting alone at sea.
SAKAMAKI
(whisper)
Forgive me…
Inagaki-san…
Tears spill silently down his cheeks.
EXT. FORD ISLAND DOCK – MOMENTS LATER
The patrol boat pulls alongside the pier.
Military personnel rush about in chaos — smoke, shouting,
stretchers, wounded sailors.
Orders bark through the din.
SHORE OFFICER
Bring the prisoner!
MOVE!
Sakamaki is lifted to his feet — barely able to stand.
GUARD
Easy—
Watch his head—
He is marched down the gangplank, stumbling.
EXT. FORD ISLAND – CONTINUOUS
Sakamaki is dragged past smoking buildings, burned sailors,
and debris.
His eyes widen — shocked, horrified, overwhelmed.
He whispers to himself:
SAKAMAKI
(in Japanese)
What… have we done?
For the first time — he truly sees the destruction.
He looks away, ashamed.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
48 -
Broken Under Fire
INT. MAKESHIFT HOLDING ROOM – FORD ISLAND – LATER
A small utility room, emptied and repurposed.
A single metal chair.
A bare bulb swinging overhead.
The door slams.
Sakamaki sits, wrists bound, shaking uncontrollably.
A U.S. NAVY OFFICER (40s, stern, exhausted) enters.
NAVY OFFICER
You’re going to tell us everything.
Understand?
Sakamaki lifts his head — defeated, hollow.
SAKAMAKI
(soft)
I will tell…
what I remember.
The officer studies him — surprised at the fragile sincerity.
Fade out on young Sakamaki’s broken eyes.
INT. MAKESHIFT HOLDING ROOM – FORD ISLAND – DAY (1941)
Sakamaki sits alone on the metal chair, wrists bound,
shivering from both cold and shock.
The bare bulb flickers overhead.
Distant explosions echo outside as the attack continues.
He breathes slowly — his chest still tight from CO!
poisoning.
The door SLAMS open.
A NAVY INTERROGATOR (50s, calm but hard-edged) enters with
two enlisted guards.
He sets a canteen on the floor and pulls up a chair opposite
Sakamaki.
INTERROGATOR
You speak English?
Sakamaki raises his eyes — exhausted, hollow.
SAKAMAKI
(soft)
Very little.
INTERROGATOR
Then we keep it simple.
He leans forward.
INTERROGATOR (CONT’D)
Name?
Sakamaki hesitates… then answers.
SAKAMAKI
Ensign…
Kazuo Sakamaki.
The interrogator nods — having expected rank.
INTERROGATOR
Your vessel —
(subtle, testing)
—still capable of attack?
Sakamaki’s face falls at the word vessel.
He shakes his head.
SAKAMAKI
No.
Damaged.
Unmoving.
The interrogator studies him carefully.
INTERROGATOR
Crew?
Sakamaki’s breath catches.
He looks down at his lap.
SAKAMAKI
One.
Inagaki.
INTERROGATOR
Alive?
Sakamaki closes his eyes — pain ripping through him.
SAKAMAKI
(whispers)
I do not know.
The interrogator watches the emotion closely.
This isn’t an enemy officer brimming with defiance.
This is a broken boy.
EXT. FORD ISLAND – SAME TIME
Sailors race in every direction — dragging hoses, carrying
wounded, manning guns.
A burning aircraft smolders on the runway.
A truck screeches past, full of bleeding men.
The war is everywhere.
Genres:
["War","Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
49 -
Shame and Survival
INT. HOLDING ROOM – CONTINUOUS
The interrogator flips open a small notebook.
INTERROGATOR
Why were you here?
What was your mission?
Sakamaki swallows — torn between duty and the reality of what
he’s just seen.
SAKAMAKI
I…
We were told… to enter harbor… attack battleships.
He forces himself upright, even in disgrace.
SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
We failed.
The interrogator nods carefully.
INTERROGATOR
You surrendered.
Sakamaki stiffens — shame exploding inside him.
SAKAMAKI
I…
lived.
A long beat.
INTERROGATOR
Did you intend to be captured?
SAKAMAKI
(shakes head quickly)
No. Never.
He looks away — haunted.
SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
But ocean…
(subtle gesture)
…took choices away.
The interrogator sees the truth in him — beneath the uniform,
this is a frightened young man.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – SAME TIME
Older Sakamaki looks out across the rows of veterans and
civilians, his voice low and fragile.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
In those first hours…
I believed I had dishonored my family… my nation… my
commander.
A painful swallow.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
But I had not yet understood…
that survival can be the bravest act of all.
Genres:
["War Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
50 -
A Moment of Humanity
INT. HOLDING ROOM – FORD ISLAND – 1941 – CONTINUOUS
Sakamaki grips the sides of the chair — hands trembling.
The interrogator softens his tone.
INTERROGATOR
Did you want to die…
on that submarine?
Sakamaki tries to answer — but emotion chokes him.
SAKAMAKI
I…
I wanted… to follow orders.
He takes a thin, painful breath.
SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
But Inagaki…
he said…
“Live.”
His voice breaks.
SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
He saved me.
The interrogator watches this — the sincerity undeniable.
INTERROGATOR
Where is he now?
Sakamaki’s expression shatters.
SAKAMAKI
(whispers)
Still inside sub.
The interrogator stands — motioning to the guards.
INTERROGATOR
Get a salvage crew out there.
If there’s someone alive— we bring them in.
Sakamaki snaps his head up.
SAKAMAKI
(noted hope)
You will…
try?
INTERROGATOR
We don’t leave men behind.
Enemy or not.
Sakamaki bows his head — overwhelmed.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
51 -
Echoes of Loss
EXT. OCEAN – LATE MORNING (1941)
A small salvage skiff motors toward the drifting HA-19.
The water is littered with debris.
Smoke stains the horizon.
The sub sits half-submerged, bobbing gently.
The salvage crew pulls alongside.
A diver shines a light into the sealed hatch.
DIVER
Nothing.
He’s gone.
The diver signals to the boat.
DIVER (CONT’D)
Mark the hull.
Command will decide when to tow.
They leave the tiny submarine behind — a quiet gravestone at
sea.
INT. HOLDING ROOM – SAME TIME
The interrogator returns.
Sakamaki rises slightly — hope flickering.
The interrogator’s face answers before his words do.
INTERROGATOR
Your crewmate…
is deceased.
Sakamaki’s breath stops.
His world collapses silently.
SAKAMAKI
(whisper)
Inagaki…
He grips the chair so tightly his knuckles go white.
INTERROGATOR
I’m sorry.
Silence.
A crushing, devastating silence.
Sakamaki bows forward — forehead touching his bound hands.
He doesn’t cry loudly.
He just… breaks.
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – SAME TIME
Older Sakamaki steadies himself, gripping the podium.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
They told me he was gone.
And I… felt my soul collapse.
He breathes — deep, shaky.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
I lived…
because he chose for me to live.
He lifts his head — eyes red, but resolute.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
52 -
A Moment of Humanity
INT. HOLDING ROOM – FORD ISLAND – AFTERNOON (1941)
The single lightbulb sways gently, casting long shadows
across the cramped room.
Sakamaki sits alone, wrists bound in front of him, eyes red,
face hollowed from shock, dehydration, and grief.
A distant alarm sounds outside.
Boots pound across concrete.
Voices shout orders.
War rages beyond the door.
But here… it is quiet.
Sakamaki lifts his trembling hands and touches the spot over
his heart.
SAKAMAKI
(soft, in Japanese)
I will carry you…
always.
He lowers his hands and stares ahead — numb.
The door CREAKS open.
A young NAVY CHAPLAIN (30s, gentle disposition) steps in.
He carries a tin cup of water and a blanket.
He approaches cautiously.
CHAPLAIN
You… must be cold.
Sakamaki doesn’t look up.
The chaplain drapes the blanket over his shoulders.
Sakamaki flinches at the unexpected kindness.
CHAPLAIN (CONT’D)
You’re… very young.
Sakamaki keeps staring at the floor.
SAKAMAKI
(quiet)
I am…
alive.
CHAPLAIN
Yes.
That’s a blessing.
Sakamaki finally looks up — eyes burning.
SAKAMAKI
For me…?
Or for capture?
The chaplain softens.
CHAPLAIN
For life.
Sakamaki absorbs that — unsure what to do with compassion
from an enemy.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
53 -
Shadows of War
EXT. FORD ISLAND – EVENING (1941)
Sakamaki is escorted by two guards toward a transport truck.
Hands bound.
Head lowered.
His gait slow and unsteady.
Planes roar overhead.
Smoke plumes rise in the distance.
The world around him is broken.
A guard nudges him forward.
GUARD
Keep moving, soldier.
Sakamaki lifts his head at the word.
SAKAMAKI
(softly)
I am… not soldier now.
The guard hesitates — the quiet sincerity catching him off
guard.
INT. TRUCK BED – MOVING – EVENING (1941)
Sakamaki sits with several wounded American sailors —
bandaged, burned, exhausted.
They stare at him — some angry, some confused, some simply
numb.
He doesn’t meet their eyes.
A young AMERICAN SAILOR (19) speaks through gritted teeth.
SAILOR (19)
You killed my friends…
Sakamaki freezes — breath hitching.
He opens his mouth—
—but can’t speak.
SAILOR (19) (CONT’D)
…or your planes did.
Same thing.
Sakamaki lowers his gaze — shame crushing him from both
sides.
Another sailor speaks quietly.
SAILOR (OLDER) (CONT’D)
War’s bigger’n him, kid.
Bigger’n all of us.
Silence settles again.
Sakamaki closes his eyes, Inagaki’s face flashing before him.
INT. MILITARY HOLDING WAREHOUSE – NIGHT (1941)
A converted supply building now houses rows of makeshift
cells — some just rope boundaries, others barred cages.
Sakamaki is led inside.
He passes American wounded lying on stretchers… medics
working frantically… chaplains praying with the dying.
Finally, a guard stops at an empty cell.
GUARD
Inside.
Sakamaki steps in quietly.
The door CLANKS shut.
He sits in the corner, wraps his arms around himself, and
stares at the floor.
A long beat.
Then finally…
He allows himself a small, broken sob.
Genres:
["War","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
54 -
Reflections of a Forgotten Boy
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – SAME TIME
Older Sakamaki pauses, gripping the edge of the podium.
The audience is riveted — the air heavy with emotion.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
They thought I was the enemy.
A symbol.
A monster.
He shakes his head softly.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
But I was…
only a boy.
Alone… in a world that no longer had a place for me.
He lifts his eyes — older, wiser, full of regret and
humility.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
The war took many lives.
But it also took… the parts of us that could never grow
again.
The room is silent.
EXT. AMERICAN POW CAMP – TEXAS – DAY (1942)
A line of Japanese POWs stands outside wooden barracks.
Sakamaki is among them — thinner, calmer, carrying quiet
sorrow.
A GUARD walks down the line, checking names on a clipboard.
GUARD
Sakamaki — step forward.
Sakamaki steps out, eyes forward, posture humble.
GUARD (CONT’D)
You’re assigned to work detail
today.
Keep your head down, follow orders.
You’ll be treated fair.
Sakamaki bows slightly.
SAKAMAKI
Hai.
The guard blinks — not expecting respect.
GUARD
Uh… right.
Come on.
Sakamaki follows.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
55 -
Seeds of Resilience
EXT. POW CAMP GARDEN – DAY (1942)
Sakamaki rakes soil in a small garden patch.
Rows of vegetables sprout — tended by prisoners for their own
food.
An older Japanese POW (50s) approaches him quietly.
OLDER POW
You are… the first captured?
Sakamaki nods — ashamed.
SAKAMAKI
Yes.
OLDER POW
Your family…
they will think you dead.
Sakamaki absorbs this — the weight settling into his bones.
SAKAMAKI
Then…
I honor them by living well.
The older POW studies him — impressed by the quiet strength.
EXT. POW CAMP GARDEN – TEXAS – CONTINUOUS (1942)
The older POW nods slowly — the response unexpected, wise
beyond the young man’s years.
OLDER POW
Living well…
in captivity?
Sakamaki looks down at the soil in his hands.
SAKAMAKI
Living with purpose.
Even here.
He presses seeds gently into the earth.
SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
Inagaki taught me that.
The older POW studies him carefully, then bows his head in
respect.
OLDER POW
Your teacher…
was a good man.
Sakamaki doesn’t answer — his throat tight, eyes distant.
Genres:
["War Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
56 -
Silent Struggles
EXT. POW CAMP – PERIMETER FENCE – LATE AFTERNOON
The sun hangs low.
Shadows stretch across the dusty yard.
Sakamaki sits alone on a bench by the fence, sketching the
outline of a submarine in the dirt with a stick.
Another POW walks by, scowling.
POW #2
You shame Japan.
Captured.
Alive.
Sakamaki freezes — but says nothing.
POW #2 (CONT’D)
Men like you…
He spits on the ground near Sakamaki’s feet.
POW #2 (CONT’D)
…bring dishonor to all of us.
He walks off.
Sakamaki keeps staring at the drawing in the dirt.
His hand shakes.
He drags a line through the submarine sketch, erasing it.
INT. POW BARRACKS – NIGHT (1942)
Dim lantern light.
Rows of bunks.
Soft snoring.
Whispers in Japanese.
Sakamaki lies awake, staring at the ceiling.
He clutches a small scrap of paper — given by the camp
chaplain — containing a single English phrase:
“YOUR LIFE STILL MATTERS.”
Sakamaki traces the words with his finger — memorizing them.
A tear rolls across his temple into his hair.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
57 -
The Journey to Forgiveness
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – SAME TIME
Older Sakamaki stands before the audience, voice soft but
steady.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
I learned humility…
in a place where pride was a burden I could no longer carry.
He touches his chest.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
And I learned…
that forgiveness is not granted.
It is earned… one quiet day at a time.
A few audience members wipe tears.
EXT. POW CAMP – SMALL LIBRARY TENT – DAY (1943)
Sakamaki enters the makeshift library, head bowed.
An American VOLUNTEER TEACHER (40s), kind-eyed, looks up from
a table of books.
TEACHER
You again, Kazuo?
Sakamaki nods shyly.
SAKAMAKI
I want… learn English more.
The teacher smiles warmly.
TEACHER
Then let’s keep going.
He slides a thin book toward Sakamaki.
TEACHER (CONT’D)
Pronouns today.
Small words.
Big meaning.
Sakamaki sits, grateful.
INT. LIBRARY TENT – LATER (1943)
Sakamaki practices:
SAKAMAKI
“I forgive…”
“I forgive… myself.”
He stops — emotional.
The teacher watches quietly.
TEACHER
That last one’s the hardest.
Sakamaki nods — eyes glistening.
EXT. POW CAMP – SUNSET (1944)
Sakamaki works in the garden again — older now, stronger,
carrying himself with calm dignity.
He waters a row of sprouting plants.
A guard approaches.
GUARD
Sakamaki—
Mail call.
Sakamaki blinks — surprised.
The guard hands him a single envelope with Japanese writing.
Sakamaki opens it with trembling fingers.
Inside: a letter from his mother.
Her handwriting is delicate, warm.
Sakamaki reads silently — tears building with every line.
He presses the letter to his forehead.
SAKAMAKI
(in Japanese)
Mother…
I am alive.
He laughs softly through tears — the first genuine joy he has
felt in years.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
58 -
A Gift of Grace
INT. AUDITORIUM – OLDER TIMELINE – SAME TIME
Older Sakamaki’s voice softens to a whisper.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
When I learned my mother knew I
lived…
I understood that survival… was not shame.
He wipes his eyes.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
It was…
a gift.
He looks out at the audience — steady, open, unguarded.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
A gift from Inagaki.
EXT. HAWAIIAN SHORELINE – PRESENT DAY
Older Sakamaki walks alone along the edge of Pearl Harbor —
the memorial glinting across the water.
Tourists in the distance.
White flowers floating on the waves.
He kneels by the waterline and places a single white blossom
into the sea.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
(in Japanese)
For you… my brother.
The flower drifts gently out.
Sakamaki watches it — eyes moist but peaceful.
INT. AUDITORIUM – MOMENTS LATER (PRESENT DAY)
He returns to the microphone for the final lines of his
speech.
A hush fills the room.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
I was once the enemy.
Once the invader.
Once a frightened boy in a steel coffin beneath your ships.
He breathes.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
But today…
I stand before you only as a man.
A man who lived… because another gave his life.
The room is silent.
Moved.
Changed.
INT. AUDITORIUM – CONTINUOUS (PRESENT DAY)
Older Sakamaki steadies himself at the podium. The weight of
decades sits on his shoulders, but his gaze is steady.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
I was once the enemy…
but grace found me in a place I never expected — in the hands
of those who chose mercy over hatred.
He breathes deeply, voice softening.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
And today…
I return that mercy… to a young man who never came home.
The audience watches him — transfixed.
A young Japanese-American BOY (12), who has been listening
intently from the front row, clutches a small model submarine
in his hands.
He looks at Sakamaki with awe — and something deeper.
Hope.
Sakamaki notices the boy, smiles softly.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
59 -
A Lesson in Courage and Peace
INT. AUDITORIUM – LATER
The ceremony disperses. Chairs scrape gently. Soft
conversations begin to rise.
Sakamaki descends from the stage carefully, leaning heavily
on his cane.
The BOY approaches him shyly, holding the model sub.
BOY
(small voice)
Sir…
were you really… in that submarine?
Sakamaki kneels slowly to meet him at eye level.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
Yes.
I was the pilot.
The boy’s eyes widen — full of wonder.
BOY
My grandfather fought here.
He… he told me to learn about the past. To understand it.
Sakamaki nods, deeply touched.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
Your grandfather was a wise man.
The boy hesitates.
BOY
Was it… scary?
Sakamaki holds the boy’s gaze — gentle, honest.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
Yes.
Very much so. Courage… does not erase fear. It only teaches
us to walk with it.
The boy carefully extends the model sub.
BOY
Would you sign it?
Sakamaki smiles — humbled.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
I would be honored.
He signs in delicate, careful strokes:
K. Sakamaki
He hands it back.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (CONT’D)
Remember this, young one…
Peace is built by those who know war… and choose another
path.
The boy nods, taking these words into his heart forever.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
60 -
A Voice Beneath the Waves
EXT. PEARL HARBOR MEMORIAL – SUNSET (PRESENT DAY)
Golden light reflects off the water. White blossoms drift
across the gentle waves.
Older Sakamaki stands at the railing, looking out toward the
USS Arizona Memorial.
He closes his eyes.
OLDER SAKAMAKI (V.O.)
In the silence beneath the waves…
I heard a voice. A voice that told me to live.
He opens his eyes — peaceful now.
EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN – FLASHBACK (1941)
We briefly return to the HA-19.
The tiny submarine drifts alone. The hatch sealed. The hull
half-submerged.
Inside — the stillness of Inagaki’s final rest.
But the moment is treated with reverence, not horror.
A final salute to a man unremembered by history… but never
forgotten by Sakamaki.
EXT. PEARL HARBOR MEMORIAL – SUNSET (PRESENT DAY)
Older Sakamaki releases another white blossom into the water.
OLDER SAKAMAKI
(in Japanese)
Rest well, my friend.
The flower drifts gently… joining dozens of others that float
like small souls upon the sea.
Sakamaki watches until the blossom disappears over a ripple.
A deep breath.
A soft, peaceful smile.
He turns… and walks away slowly into the amber glow of
sunset.
FADE OUT.
TITLE CARD:
KAZUO SAKAMAKI – JAPAN’S FIRST WWII POW – LIVED A QUIET LIFE
AS A TEACHER AND BUSINESSMAN UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1999.
TITLE CARD
(CONT’D):
THE HA-19 SUBMARINE WAS RECOVERED AND TODAY REMAINS A
PERMANENT EXHIBIT AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PACIFIC WAR
IN TEXAS.
TITLE CARD
(CONT’D):
THIS FILM IS DEDICATED TO ALL WHO WERE LOST ON DECEMBER 7,
1941 — ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PACIFIC.
THE END