September 5 (2024) Movie Script

1
(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC PLAYING)
ANNOUNCER:
The 1972 Summer Olympics!
Nine days ago,
the nations of the world marched
into the Olympic Stadium
in Munich, West Germany.
And you were there live
for this historical moment!
It was a starting signal
for a peaceful
post-war Germany...
(STARTING GUN FIRES)
...to share itself
with the world
and an Olympics
full of sporting sensations.
Now that more than half
of the competition days
are over,
we at ABC Sports,
show you how these pictures
make their way
from here in Munich
to your home overseas.
The games of '72
are the first in history
to be broadcast live
via satellite across the world.
An unprecedented
technical apparatus
was set up
by the German organizers,
and ABC Sports
has live cameras everywhere.
We even placed one
on the Olympic Tower,
which gives us
a nice aerial overview
of the entire Olympic Village.
Hey look, that's us!
From here, we send everything
to the bird,
as we call this technical marvel
orbiting Earth,
allowing us to bring
the Games to you
live and in color.
But daytime for you
means night shift for us.
And we're operating
around the clock here in Munich
to ensure you don't miss
a single moment of the action.
Stay tuned
for many more highlights
in the final days
of these glorious Olympics.
(STARTING GUN FIRES)
(CROWD CHEERS)
COMMENTATOR: That's a good start
for Mark Spitz.
DONALD:
Okay, now cam two in position.
Cam two.
Cam six.
COMMENTATOR:
Now Spitz takes the lead.
DONALD: Cam one.
Underwater cams.
COMMENTATOR: Look at that style.
Those powerful moves.
DONALD: Cut to 1.
COMMENTATOR:
Spitz leaves the German swimmer
far behind.
DONALD: Now 2.
COMMENTATOR: He is about
to write Olympic history here
by winning
his seventh gold medal.
DONALD: Cam one, tighten in.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
(CROWD CHEERS)
COMMENTATOR:
And he did it! Spitz wins!
Yes!
Get ready
for Spitz's close-up.
No, go to the German first.
Sure?
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
Cam two, change of plans.
Give me the German swimmer.
COMMENTATOR:
Werner Lampe is devastated.
He even shaved his hair
for this.
DONALD: Cam two, pan to Spitz.
COMMENTATOR:
But nothing stops history.
Spitz climbs out of the pool
and runs towards his parents.
I can't believe it! Solid gold.
Tighter.
DONALD:
All right, six, run over there.
Back him up, Charley.
Put six in preview.
That's it, hold it.
Now take six.
(CROWD CHEERING)
(MUSIC FADES)
COMMENTATOR 1:
Finland was well represented
at these Olympic Games.
(PENCIL SCRIBBLING)
COMMENTATOR 1:
They were somewhat favorites
but they were not expected
to do as well as they did...
(GEOFF SIGHS)
...as you will see...
(PHONE RINGING)
(NEWS REPORT PLAYING
OVER MONITOR)
GEOFF: Hello?
RECEPTIONIST:
Good morning, Mr. Mason,
this is your wakeup call.
GEOFF: Thanks,
I'm already awake.
COMMENTATOR 2:
...Virn immediately got up
and began to run again.
Turned out to be a key moment.
Because at the end of the race,
who was it? It was Virn,
the man who fell,
not only racing to victory,
but setting a new world record
for the event.
Lasse Virn,
the policeman from Finland.
("FORTUNATE SON"
PLAYING OVER RADIO)
It ain't me
I ain't no millionaire's son
No, no
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no
(BIRDS CHIRPING IN DISTANCE)
(CAR BRAKE SCREECHING)
(SONG STOPS ABRUPTLY)
(PARKING BRAKE RATCHETS)
(SIGHS)
(BIRDS CONTINUE CHIRPING
IN DISTANCE)
(DOOR CLOSES)
MARVIN: Would you please
prep all captions
for, uh, swimming
and basketball?
Hey, Geoff?
Hmm?
Thank you.
TECHNICIAN: Sure.
You were supposed to be here
before the show ends.
Hey, I'm a minute
and 30 seconds early.
MARVIN: Right.
Oh, in New York,
I'm five hours early.
That's funny,
because if you screw this up,
I'm the one
in trouble with Roone.
So we need
to go over the schedule.
Day starts
with volleyball, 09:30,
Group D, covered by C Unit,
while B preps for
the soccer pre-match at 10:30.
All right,
all right. You got it.
(INDISTINCT DISTANT CHATTER)
What?
Are you going on a date?
Just got off one.
Your wife says hello.
JIM: (OVER MONITOR)
...Jim McKay speaking to you...
AC is broken.
Ooh.
JIM: ...and this concludes
our daily report here
at the 20th Summer Olympics.
It's now 4:00 a.m.
here in Munich...
(TAPE MACHINE BUZZING)
...and soon the competition
will begin again.
DONALD: Jim,
set up the Spitz presser.
Mark Spitz, the American athlete
who set
an all-time Olympic record
by winning seven gold medals,
will be interviewed tomorrow,
only here, on ABC Sp--
(TECHNICIAN GROANS)
Come on, not again!
Jacques, what's going on?
Is it our feed?
No, it's not.
Then why are my screens black?
The feed is clean.
Close with the stinger.
TECHNICIAN: All right.
Roll tape five.
(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC PLAYING
OVER MONITOR)
ANNOUNCER: (OVER MONITOR)
The Summer Olympics.
Up close and personal.
The ABC way.
And we're clear.
(ALARM BUZZING)
All right.
Okay, it's back to you,
New York.
Great job, everyone.
B-Unit's turn tomorrow.
Enjoy your day off.
CAMERAMAN: Good night, Jim.
See you on Thursday.
Good luck on your day, Mase.
Thanks, Don, enjoy the Alps.
DONALD: I will!
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(PHONE RINGING)
Uh, Roone, excuse me,
I'd like to do a handover
with Geoff here, who I...
Did you check out
Jennings' Dachau piece?
Not yet, no.
Would you watch it
and see if it's any good?
I do have some concerns
about cutting from sports
to the Holocaust.
Spitz is Jewish, right?
Since when am I ABC's expert
on Judaism?
He is. Spitz, he's Jewish.
What time's the presser?
GEOFF: 4:00 p.m.
There's your lead-in.
MARVIN:
So, you wanna ask a Jew
about the Holocaust
on live television?
ROONE: Yeah.
Ask him what it's like
to win a gold
in Hitler's backyard.
Do you guys wanna follow me?
Talk me through the day.
The day starts with volleyball.
It should be
a pretty good match.
No US team.
Uh, then it's soccer,
intermediate round.
Who?
GDR versus Mexico.
Morocco versus Denmark.
Burma versus Malaysia.
There's boxing.
The Great White Hope,
he's in quarters with Tefilo.
The Cuban?
GEOFF: Yeah. He's pretty good.
He knocked down Denderys
in 30 seconds. First round.
So, we lose, and the whole
thing's over in 30 seconds?
Doesn't matter.
It's America versus Cuba.
You sure you want
to bring in the politics?
It's not about politics,
it's about emotions.
How about
"Cold War Heats Up Again,
Cuba Launches Missile
at America's Hope"?
It's too long,
but good direction.
Has he
ever done live coverage before?
Yeah, I di--
He's done golf tournaments.
And, uh, minor league baseball.
I'll be back for the boxing.
No calls until ten.
I promised my daughters.
(CAR DOOR CLOSES)
MARVIN: All right, good.
(CAR ENGINE STARTS)
So, you prep that tease
while I contemplate the demise
of my fellow Jews. Oh, jeez...
Looks like I'm spending
another night here. Whoo-hoo.
No calls before ten.
I promised myself.
(GEOFF SCOFFS)
You fixed that?
Yeah, on it.
Only about nine miles lie
between the Serene Games center
and Germany's darkest chapter
in history.
Unimaginable atrocities
were committed at the Dachau
concentration camp.
And yet, 27 years after the war,
it has become
a place of remembrance.
Of reconciliation.
Thanks to the Olympic spirit.
A spirit
that makes images possible
that seemed impossible before.
That's exactly what the Olympics
are all about, you know.
Um, like
our fencing coach Andrei says,
we're here
and we can talk to Germans, um,
chat with athletes
from Lebanon or Egypt.
This is
what we've been dreaming about,
you know,
it's not just sports.
(SPEAKING GERMAN)
MARVIN: You're German, right?
Uh, excuse me?
You're the new translator, yes?
Uh, can you do me a favor?
What...
What... what is...
(TAPE MACHINE WHIRRING)
What is Hans saying here?
(HANS SPEAKING GERMAN)
He is saying that the Games
are an opportunity
to welcome the world
to a new Germany,
to move on from the past.
Yeah, sure.
I mean,
it's what we all hope for.
What else can we do
but move on, try to be better?
(BUTTON CLICKS)
Are your parents still around?
Yes.
Let me guess.
They didn't know either, right?
Well, I'm not them.
No.
No, you're not. I'm sorry.
(CLEARS THROAT)
I'm Marvin Bader.
I know. Head of Operations.
Hmm.
Yeah, I'm Marianne Gebhardt.
Nice to meet you.
You too. Um, welcome to ABC.
(EQUIPMENT WHIRRING)
(SWITCH CLICKS)
I need to swap all cables.
Then do it.
Grumpy has no spares.
At least, not for a Frenchman.
(METALLIC RATTLING)
GEOFF: Hermann, we really
don't have any cables?
Hey! I'm talking to you.
We need cables.
Your boss fills out paper.
Gives it to my boss.
Then you get cable.
(MALE VOICE SPEAKING GERMAN
OVER MONITOR)
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
Hey you.
(BUTTON CLICKS)
Has the old man
already taken his nap?
Uh, I don't know. He just left.
(SIGHS)
Any way I can help?
(IN GERMAN)
Yeah.
(HERMANN SIGHS)
(CABLES CLINKING)
Merci. Merci, Hermann!
(GUNSHOT IN DISTANCE)
(BREATHES SHARPLY)
(GUNFIRE IN DISTANCE)
Were those gunshots?
(IN GERMAN)
(FOOTSTEPS RECEDING)
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
(LOW, OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
(PHONE BUZZES)
KENNETH:
Hi, this is Kenneth Moore.
did you hear gunshots
or something?
No, I haven't heard anything.
KENNETH:
Okay. You've got my number
if you hear something.
Yeah, we'll let you know,
Mr. Moore.
Thank you.
KENNETH: Thank you. Goodbye.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
GEOFF: Hey.
Kenneth Moore just called.
Marathon runner?
GEOFF: Yeah.
He wanted to know
if we heard gunshots.
So, it was gunshots.
GEOFF: What?
Uh, we heard gunshots.
In the distance.
(LOW, OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES)
(ROTARY DIAL WHIRRING)
(DIAL TONE RINGING)
(MAN SPEAKING GERMAN OVER PHONE)
(IN GERMAN)
(MAN SPEAKING GERMAN)
(MAN SPEAKING GERMAN)
(PHONE CLATTERS)
already received several calls
and are investigating
the matter.
And?
That's all they said.
I could walk over
to Bayerischer Rundfunk
and see what they know.
They are radio. They work late.
GEOFF: You know how these work?
I'm on channel two.
(RADIO STATIC CRACKLING)
(FOOTSTEPS RECEDING)
(BUTTON CLICKS, RADIO BEEPS)
(RADIO STATIC CRACKLING)
Uh, hey, sorry,
can I borrow your receiver?
(MUSIC PLAYING OVER RADIO)
Sure.
And the headphones too, please.
Thank you, I'll bring it back.
Thanks.
(JACQUES BLOWS AIR)
Still getting dropouts?
Yep.
JACQUES: How often?
GEOFF: Constantly.
(BUTTON CLICKS)
Jacques, can you sort this out
on your-- Hey.
Morning.
Morning.
Gary, did you hear gunshots?
What?
Maybe it was just fireworks?
What did it sound like?
Like gunfire, Geoff.
What's going on?
MARIANNE: (OVER RADIO)
Anyone there?
You're there, already?
MARIANNE:
No, I'm walking over the bridge.
But I can see dozens
of police cars already.
Where? In the Village?
MARIANNE:
Yes. Whatever happened,
it happened here.
I need to wake Bader.
(OMINOUS MUSIC GROWS LOUDER)
GEOFF: Marv. Get up.
(MARVIN MUMBLES)
GEOFF: Wake up.
There's been shots fired
in the Olympic Village.
MARVIN: Shots?
Yeah. Fucking shots!
Gunshots?
GEOFF: Yeah.
I don't know.
They-- they say
that there's a ton of police.
You serious?
GEOFF: Yeah.
Come on!
MARIANNE:
Can you hear me?
Yeah, go ahead.
MARIANNE:
The phones won't stop
at the Rundfunk.
A friend here heard
the shots were fired
in the Israelis' apartments.
Give it to me, give it. Uh...
This-- this is Bader.
What are we talking about here?
Anyone hurt?
MARIANNE:
Rumor is hostage taking.
Hostages? Wait, uh, who?
MARIANNE: I don't know. Uh,
but the BR will say something
on their six o'clock news.
Go to the control room,
call Roone.
Roone?
MARVIN: Yeah, just--
Yeah, call him.
And I'll get Jennings.
(FOOTSTEPS RECEDING)
Oh...
Jesus Christ!
(OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES)
(ROTARY DIAL WHIRRING)
(RECEPTIONIST SPEAKING
OVER PHONE)
Roone Arledge's room, please.
RECEPTIONIST: Mr. Arledge
doesn't want to be disturbed.
Trust me, he's gonna want
to be woken up for this.
RECEPTIONIST: I'm sorry, sir--
Just connect me now, please.
(DIAL TONE CLICKS, RINGS)
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
(DIAL TONE RINGING)
ROONE: (OVER PHONE) Hello?
Roone, Geoff Mason.
ROONE: I said not to disturb me.
I understand that.
But... but there's
a hostage situation
going on right now
in the Olympic Village.
ROONE:
What're you talking about?
I'm talking about
a hostage situation.
And it gets worse.
It's in the Israeli quarters.
ROONE: Is this confirmed?
Not yet, but--
Geoff.
(RADIO HOST SPEAKING GERMAN)
Wait, they're about
to say something
on the German radio.
I'm gonna put you
on the speaker.
(BEEP OVER RADIO)
(ANNOUNCER SPEAKING GERMAN)
(MALE VOICE SPEAKING GERMAN
OVER RADIO)
Marianne.
Can you translate this?
MARIANNE:
Let me check my receiver.
(MALE VOICE CONTINUES
SPEAKING GERMAN)
MARIANNE:
There have been reports
of shots being fired inside
the Olympic Village.
(MALE VOICE CONTINUES
SPEAKING GERMAN)
MARIANNE: Reports,
that have not yet been confirmed
by the police,
say that the Israeli team
may have been attacked
by so-called terrorists.
(RADIO STATIC CRACKLES)
ROONE: I'll be there in 20.
(DIAL TONE CLICKS)
Get the crew in.
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
(DOOR CLOSES)
GEOFF: So, wake him up.
I don't know.
We need as many bodies
as possible.
(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)
Priority are camera.
Tell them
the bus leaves in ten minutes.
Okay? And don't forget
to bring Carter.
Is it confirmed?
Yeah. It's definitely gunshots,
definitely the Israelis.
And this is from?
German radio.
We can't quote another station?
A second source?
We got a wire.
"One, possibly two
Israeli athletes killed
at Olympic Village."
"Arab guerrillas
likely took hostages."
Let me see that, Gary.
Peter, what are
we dealing with here?
PLO. PFLP. Or...
worst case, Black September.
You know
the political background.
You report
from the inside. Okay?
PETER: Okay.
Where are the Israelis housed?
MARVIN: Israel.
Connollystrasse 31.
They're here.
Well, this...
should give us a good angle.
MARIANNE: (OVER RADIO) Geoff.
(CLAMOR OVER RADIO)
MARIANNE: Seems like the police
will seal the Village.
REPORTER: (OVER RADIO) Hurry up!
MARIANNE: Reporters here
are rushing to get in now.
Fuck.
(DOOR CLOSES)
Peter, what's the situation?
I'm going in.
But we need a cameraman.
(DOOR OPENS)
MARVIN: This is
the Israelis' building...
Where's the crew?
GEOFF:
First shuttle is on its way.
So, when's Jim coming in?
It's his day off.
I didn't call him.
We need Jim for this.
GEOFF: All right.
All Right?
(CLEARS THROAT)
What time
do we have the bird today?
3:00 p.m., 10:00 a.m. Eastern.
No. We need the breakfast slot.
Jim McKay's room.
Then you need to sweet-talk CBS.
GEOFF:
Hi Margaret, is Jim there?
(MARGARET SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY
OVER PHONE)
He's in the pool,
he's doing his morning laps.
Who're you talking to?
His wife.
Give me that, would you?
Margaret, it's Marv.
MARGARET: Hi, Marv.
MARVIN: Uh, would you please...
We're all ready to go,
but still no cameramen here yet.
What about him?
MARVIN: Thank you.
He's just an assistant.
Hey, what's your name?
BEN: Uh, Ben.
Ben, you ever hold
a camera before?
Yeah.
ROONE: Know how to change film?
Sure.
Okay. There's your guy.
News will want
to take over soon.
I'll talk to them.
MARVIN: As soon as he can,
would be--
(MARGARET SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
Thank you so much. I--
And I hope we didn't ruin--
(DIAL TONE CLICKS, BEEPS)
Jim's gonna anchor.
Okay. We need someone
at the press center.
Well, I doubt Hans
is releasing anything
at this point.
ROONE: What about you?
You know him.
If anything happens,
we'd be the first to know.
Yeah. Let's...
let's have Geoff coordinate
the set-up while I'm gone.
Not on his first day
with A-Unit.
Right? How about Ohlmeyer?
He's on a hiking trip
in the Alps.
Maddock?
MARVIN:
Keep trying him, no answer.
But it's early, so...
ROONE: I'll handle CBS
and the satellite.
You get me something
to feed the bird.
MARVIN: Okay.
All right.
(FOOTSTEPS RECEDING)
So, what do we air?
Whatever info I get from Klein.
GEOFF: I'm talking visual.
We're just
gonna show Jim talking?
We can't do that.
The footage that Ben shoots
is gonna take 20 minutes
to develop.
We have to have a live image.
Can we use that mobile unit?
The guys with the backpack?
GEOFF: That's only wide-angle.
We need a long lens. Christ,
it's happening right there!
Wait, we're...
We're here?
MARVIN: Yeah.
So why don't we...
just wheel out
one of the studio cams?
You can put it right here.
Gives us a live shot
of the apartment.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
(DOOR CLOSES)
MARVIN:
Anything on the hostages yet?
Only mixed information.
Well, call around
to get things double-checked.
All right?
And, you have a walkie.
Okay?
Yeah.
Channel four.
Okay.
Robert? Uh, coffee, aspirin,
and a list of today's slots
on the satellite.
Right away.
(ROTARY DIAL WHIRRING)
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
GEOFF: All right.
All right,
you know what happened.
Let's get to work.
(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)
I need four men in the studio.
STAFFER: Yeah.
So, you're the big boss now?
Come with me.
We're gonna
take cam two outside.
We're gonna go live with it.
You... you do know
how heavy those are?
CARTER:
The wiring will be tricky.
I trust you'll get it.
CARTER: Yeah.
You, too, Frenchie. C'mon.
Yeah.
(IN GERMAN)
(FEMALE VOICE SPEAKING GERMAN
OVER PHONE)
There's nothing I can do.
CBS has had
that slot booked for months.
Listen to me.
It's a public interest story.
And people are gonna want
to see it live.
And we are the only people
capable of doing that.
CLAIRE: I get that, Roone, but--
Okay, hang on.
I got the schedule.
CLAIRE: Listen, I understand...
Aspirin?
We ran out of them.
...but there's just no way
I can give up
the afternoon slot.
Never mind.
(BUTTON CLICKS)
Okay. (CLEARS THROAT)
This is what we're gonna do.
We're gonna swap.
So, you're gonna take
the three o'clock slot,
and we're gonna take
the noon time.
CLAIRE:
You really think
it will be done by then?
Yeah. The Germans are gonna have
this taken care of in no time.
So, we have a deal?
CLAIRE: Fine.
Excellent. ABC owes CBS one.
MARVIN: (OVER RADIO)
Geoff, are you there?
Talk to me, Marv.
MARVIN: I'm at the press center.
Hans Klein got word
from the Olympic Committee,
the Games must go on.
Do they really think people
are gonna care
about sports today?
MARVIN: Good news
is two Israelis escaped
during the attack and--
Hold on a sec.
They just confirmed
the injured coach died.
Moshe Weinberg.
Shot twice in the head,
once in the gut.
Terrorists demanded
Israel release
over 200 Palestinian prisoners
by noon.
If not, they kill one hostage
every hour.
Jesus Christ.
Are they negotiating?
MARVIN: I don't know.
So, should I pass this along
to Roone?
MARVIN: Geoff, you have to be
the center of everything now.
Not just the control room.
All communication, everything.
Geoff?
Yeah, I got it.
All communication, everything.
ABC headquarters called.
They want News to take over.
Tell them we'll be in touch.
(OBJECTS CLATTERING)
JACQUES: On the left...
What the hell
are you guys doing?
Trying to get a live shot
of the apartment.
Get the viewers
right into the action.
Who are the hostages?
Uh...
Uh, Bader just... He confirmed
that one of them died. Uh--
Moshe Weinberg. I read the wire.
GEOFF: Right.
But who's inside that apartment?
(PHONE RINGING)
We don't know yet.
Then we find out.
Who are they?
What's their background?
Do they have a family?
There's no point in aiming
this thing at the building
if the viewer doesn't know
the people inside.
Okay.
ROBERT: Roone.
Headquarters on the line again.
I can't hold them back
any longer.
Right. Don't fuck it up, Mason.
Okay.
I got the bird, live at noon.
GEOFF: All right.
(FOOTSTEPS RECEDING)
(DOOR CLOSES)
Marv, do we have
any more information
on who the hostages are?
MARVIN: No. Marianne is on it.
MARIANNE: (OVER RADIO)
Yes, I'm on it.
Where are you?
MARIANNE: Editing room.
Okay, I'm coming to you. Great.
Get this sucker outside.
(MALE VOICE SPEAKING OVER PHONE)
MARIANNE: (IN GERMAN)
What do you got?
MARIANNE: (IN GERMAN)
I need to confirm this first.
Mister Bader, do you read me?
MARVIN: (OVER RADIO) Marianne,
what've you got?
My source at the BR told me
there are ten hostages.
Five coaches and five athletes.
MARVIN: Okay.
Lines up with my info.
Also, we've been told
the Palestinians attacked
apartments one and three.
After cross-referencing that
with the housing plans
and who slept where,
I think--
JACQUES: (OVER RADIO)
Hey, Geoff.
GEOFF: Yeah.
JACQUES:
I think we found a good spot.
Coming.
Get that to me
in the control room
as soon as you're done.
So, I'd say
the five athletes being held
are Romano, Slavin,
Friedman, Berger, and Halfin.
MARVIN: Wait. Berger?
David Berger?
Yes. Why?
(ALARMS BLARING IN DISTANCE)
You guys think
you'll get it up there?
JACQUES: (OVER RADIO)
Yes, almost done.
Okay.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
GARY: (OVER RADIO) Geoff,
we have Jennings on the phone.
Coming.
(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)
Jennings, it's Geoff Mason.
PETER: (OVER PHONE)
You're running things?
Yeah. So, where are you?
PETER: I'm on a balcony
in the Italian compound.
It's a good spot.
JJ.
PETER: I've got
a direct view of 31.
And I'm not alone up here.
The other balconies
are full of reporters
and photographers,
all of us waiting
for something to happen.
So, what, nothing's going on?
PETER: No.
Police are just milling around.
Doesn't seem like they've
even started negotiating yet.
There's an eerie silence.
MARIANNE: Geoff.
PETER: You can actually hear
the cameras clicking.
They're too small.
Get those to Judy.
Three times bigger.
All right.
And there's a report
Mr. Bader watched earlier
that has an interview
with one of the hostages.
David Berger, a former American.
PETER: There's movement
at the apartment.
The door
on the second-floor balcony
is opening.
Someone's peering out.
Jennings, what's happening?
PETER: Someone's on the balcony.
Wearing some kind of a mask.
Now he's going back in.
(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)
PETER: Ben down there
caught it all on 16 mil.
I wish you
could get this shot, Mason.
Yeah, I'll send a runner.
PETER: No chance.
Police sealed off
the entire area.
Only athletes can get past.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
GARY: All right, now.
(ADHESIVE TAPE SCREECHING)
Good luck.
Thanks.
Nice, man.
So, we have loaded mags,
sandwiches, walkies, long lens,
cigarettes for Jennings.
So, what if they search me?
Don't worry. From now on,
you are officially an athlete.
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)
PETER: (OVER PHONE)
A man's stepping out
of the apartment now.
White suit, white hat,
face painted black.
Must be the leader of the group.
He's waving at the cameras.
STAFFER: Geoff.
PETER:
A policewoman's walking up now.
All by herself. Unarmed.
Looks like she's handling
the negotiations.
Good.
Pin these up on there.
PETER: He seems to have
a grenade in his hand.
God. (SIGHS)
Jennings, how close are you?
PETER: A hundred, 130 feet.
Maybe you should get away
from there.
PETER: Kill radius
is only 16 feet.
I've been in the Middle East.
All right, but be careful.
Gary's on his way.
Do we have someone
on the Tower yet?
Channel 6.
(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)
(RADIO BUTTON CLICKS)
Tower cam, read.
CAMERAMAN:
(OVER RADIO) Copy.
GEOFF: Can you give me an image?
Show me the entrance
to the Village.
(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)
Push in on that.
There. Hah! Go, Gary!
GLADYS: Yes! He's in.
(CREW CHEERS)
JACQUES: Yeah. He made it.
(LAUGHS)
MARVIN: Hey, people.
Get BR on the radio.
The police chief's making
his first official statement
right now.
(MANFRED SPEAKING GERMAN
OVER RADIO)
Marianne.
(MANFRED SPEAKING GERMAN)
The perpetrators demand
that 200 persons be released...
who are in Israeli hands.
If these 200 persons
are not released,
they will shoot one hostage
every hour starting at noon.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Can't you tell us something
we don't know?
MARIANNE: Someone's asking
the chief of police
if he thinks it was a mistake
that the Olympic Village
had no armed police.
Of course it was!
I guess they didn't want
the world to be reminded
of the last time
armed Germans patrolled fences.
So, Germany's makeover is more
important than people's safety?
C'mon. This isn't our business.
That is our business.
And in less than an hour,
we go live.
ROONE: We're not giving
this story to News.
MALE VOICE: (OVER PHONE)
But why?
Well, because we're in Munich.
We're a 100 yards... away
from where it's happening.
MALE VOICE:
Roone, just leave it.
We're not giving it to anyone.
Yeah, Sports is keeping this.
MALE VOICE: Roone,
this is just not your field.
It's just that News...
That's it.
(PHONE CLATTERS)
(PHONE RINGING IN DISTANCE)
PETER: (OVER PHONE)
Now it looks like
the negotiations are happening.
German politicians
and the leader in the white suit
are talking.
Whatever they're discussing,
honestly, I can't imagine
the Prime Minister Golda Meir
and the Knesset will respond
in any way to blackmail.
It's so ironic.
I've been the Middle East expert
in Beirut for five years,
and yet,
I have never gotten this close
to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Hang on one second, Peter.
Can we get his voice live
when we go on air?
I'll give it a shot.
MARVIN: Jennings, this is Bader.
Any idea how many Palestinians
are inside?
PETER: We've seen a lot of heads
popping out of windows.
These men
are definitely professionals.
I suspect
they're deliberately trying
to create confusion.
There's a second commando
on the balcony now,
brandishing his submachine gun
like a threat.
Fucking Arabs.
JACQUES: Hey, watch it.
My mother is from Algeria.
I'm not talking
about your mother.
Hey. Come on.
Just the bad Arabs?
PETER: Whatever conception
you have of Arabia or Arabs,
you need to understand
how sensitive this situation is.
This is no longer the Olympics.
Thank you, Peter,
for, uh, clarifying.
It does bring up
a good question. (HESITATES)
What should we call them
on the air?
PETER: In News, we would refer
to them as commando guerrillas.
Commando? That sounds like
we're in Vietnam or something.
What was it they called them
on German radio?
"Terrorists."
ROONE: What was that?
They used "terrorists."
Okay. Let's...
let's go with that.
PETER: That's a charged term.
PETER:
Terrorism is the organized
and systematic use
of violence against civilians
to affect a political goal.
Isn't that pretty much
what's happening here?
PETER: Nobody knows yet
what is happening here.
So we have to be very careful
about everything we say on air.
No offense guys,
but you're Sports.
You're in way over your head.
News should take over.
(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)
(SIGHS) Peter, just call us back
in a couple of minutes.
(GROANS)
He might be right.
Okay, look, I know
this isn't a responsibility
that everyone wants.
But does it make more sense
to have a talking head
from News take over
from halfway across
the fucking world?
Our job is to tell the stories
of these individuals,
whose lives are at stake,
100 yards away.
And our job
is really straightforward.
We put the camera
in the right place,
and we follow the story
as it unfolds in real time.
News can tell us
what it all meant
after it's over.
And I'm sure they're gonna try.
But this is our story.
And we're keeping it.
All right, you heard the boss.
We have 45 minutes left.
Do we have an opener yet?
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
(BAG UNZIPS)
GARY: It's a 50 and a 250.
JUDY: All right.
STAFFER: Four fresh rolls,
50 daylight.
Okay.
(ZIPPER CLOSES)
(TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(STATIC FEEDBACK CRACKLING)
GEOFF: Ready?
JUDY: Ready.
(EQUIPMENT WHIRRING)
That's our opener.
(PHONE RINGING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Cam two, that's good,
but I need the balcony
to be at the very center
of the shot, Charley.
CAMERAMAN: (OVER RADIO)
You got it, Kubrick.
Tower cam,
get nice and close on that roof.
You gotta push in.
Yeah, keep going in.
There you go.
ROONE: Okay.
Talk me through.
Yeah. So, we have Jim
on cam one.
Cam two has a live shot
of the balcony.
Tower cam has an aerial view
of the entire Olympic Village
and can zoom in.
We got 16 millimeter footage
on tape machines three
through six.
(STATIC FEEDBACK SHRILLING)
And we can now
hear Jennings live on the air.
We also have an overview
of the hostages.
Plus an interview
with one of them. David Berger.
It's ready for playback.
Good work.
Five minutes, everyone!
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
Five minutes,
take your positions.
Tower cam, I want you to start
with an establishing pan
over the spectators.
And then push in.
I want a gut-punch close-up
of that terrorist.
Uh, Geoff, can you...
can you turn it down a notch?
It's not track and field.
It's-- They threatened
to kill people.
Is the noon deadline confirmed?
Uh, yeah.
What do I tell the cameras?
MARVIN: (HESITATES)
What do you mean?
I mean, can we show someone
being shot on live television?
(BREATHES HEAVILY)
We can't control what happens.
No, wait, wait, wait.
We're the only station
going live with this.
Which means everyone
will be watching us,
including
the hostages' families.
Okay, okay. Hallway.
(DOOR OPENS)
All right, everyone,
stay on your headsets.
You don't want anybody
to see their kid executed
on live television.
Of course not, Marv--
MARVIN: So, I... I don't know
about the Israelis,
but David Berger's folks
are in Ohio.
So I'm pretty sure
they'll watch.
Well, someone should tell them
not to watch it.
But we have
a bigger responsibility here.
What about the sponsors?
The sponsors
are not gonna be concerned.
All they care about are viewers.
Guys. We have two minutes.
Okay.
So, uh, is that what we're
trying to achieve here?
Ratings?
No. We're just...
We're following the story
wherever it takes us.
All right.
Then let me ask you this,
let me ask you this.
Black September,
they know that the whole world
is watching, right?
That's why they chose
the Olympics.
If, I'm saying if,
they shoot someone
on live television...
Right, whose story is that?
Is it ours, or is it theirs?
How about this?
If things get tense,
we only leave
the 16 millimeter running.
That gives us
plenty of time to decide
whether we air it or not.
Yeah, that's it.
Hmm?
That's it. Yeah.
That's it. Thank you, Geoff.
Thirty seconds to open.
(PHONE RINGING)
(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
And here we go.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
GEOFF: Jim ready yet?
We're last looks.
GEOFF: Comm check, one, two.
CAMERAMAN 1: (OVER RADIO)
All set.
Cam one, tight on Jim.
CAMERAMAN 1: Right down on me.
Two on preview. Tower cam,
stay wide on building 31.
CAMERAMAN 2: Got it.
Gladys, opening title on five.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
Clear the frame, please.
TECHNICIAN: Fifteen seconds.
Title one ready for insert.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
Okay, people. And...
ten, nine,
eight, seven...
GEOFF: Roll two.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
...six, five...
ROONE: If things do get tense,
go to the onlookers,
we'll cut to reaction shots,
right?
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
...two, one. We're on.
Roll two. Opening title on five.
(TIMER TICKING)
GEOFF: Ready one. Take one.
Jim, you're on.
JIM: (OVER MONITOR)
Good morning, I'm Jim McKay
speaking to you live
at this moment
from ABC headquarters,
just outside the Olympic Village
in Munich,
West Germany.
Cam two on preview.
JIM: The peace
of what had been called
the "Serene Olympics"...
GEOFF: Dissolve to two.
JIM: ...was shattered
just before dawn this morning
about five o'clock...
GEOFF: Ready three.
JIM: ...when terrorists
armed with submachine guns...
GEOFF: Dissolve to three.
JIM: ...faces blackened,
climbed the fence...
GEOFF: Ready one.
...went to the headquarters
of the Israeli team...
GEOFF: Dissolve to one.
...and immediately killed
one man,
Moshe Weinberg, a coach.
Two shots in the head,
one in the stomach.
They've been holding
14 others hostage since then,
and the latest report
is that one more
has been killed.
Ready two. Take two.
Peter Jennings
is inside the Village.
Let's go to Peter now.
PETER: (OVER PHONE)
Jim, I'm directly across
from the Israeli building.
It will be a famous number
before long.
Thirty-one.
It is on Connollystrasse.
The reports here
vary dramatically
as to what is going on.
JIM: Peter, do we already know
who is responsible
for the attack?
PETER: (BREATHES DEEPLY)
There is a great deal
of speculation
one could indulge in,
which would be risky,
but if I were to guess,
I would most likely narrow in
on a group
called Black September.
That, however,
is pure speculation.
Back to one.
JIM: Something that
is not speculation
is that one of the hostages
is David Berger, 26 years old,
a former United States citizen,
we are told by the Israelis.
Moved there about two years ago.
He's in
the light heavyweight class.
Roll tape one.
JIM: After receiving
a law degree
from Columbia University...
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
Five, four...
JIM: ...Berger failed to qualify
for the U.S. team.
...three,
two, one, ready to go.
JIM: To fulfill his dream
of the Olympics,
he emigrated to Israel.
Two days ago,
he was interviewed
by Peter Jennings
for an ABC color piece.
Hit it.
That's what the Olympics
are all about, you know.
We're here,
we can talk to Germans, uh,
chat with athletes
from Lebanon or Egypt.
This is what
we've been dreaming about.
You know. It's not just sports.
Back to one. Clean.
(BUTTON CLICKS)
I'm gonna get back to Hans Klein
and wait for the latest.
GEOFF:
Bird, caption on my cue.
And now.
JIM: Ladies and gentlemen,
these dreams have been shattered
by this terrible,
terrible attack.
The terrorists have demanded
the release of some 200
Arab guerrilla prisoners
in Israel
in exchange for the lives
of Israeli athletes.
And they had set
a deadline of noon,
saying that they were
going to kill
all of their hostages
at that time.
That deadline obviously
has passed,
so nobody knows
what is gonna happen now.
(DOOR OPENS)
GARY: Same as last time.
JUDY: Got it.
(TAPE MACHINE WHIRRING)
HANK: I can't believe
she's the negotiator.
She doesn't strike me
as the hard-boiled type.
Well, if the terrorists
underestimate her like you do,
she probably has a chance
to get information.
Just look.
She's asking him
for a cigarette.
No, no, no.
She's earning his trust.
(SCOFFS)
I just wish I could hear
what she's saying.
(TAPE MACHINE CLICKS)
The Olympics, at this moment,
are still continuing.
It's a very strange atmosphere.
As I said,
we're only about 500 yards
from this building here.
Roll tape four.
JIM: Within 200 yards
from where that building is,
there is a kind of
a man-made pond,
not a formal swimming pool,
but a very lovely pond,
with a little dock,
where the athletes lie out
and take sun.
And that's what
they're doing right now.
They're out there
sunning themselves,
they're swimming,
talking about technique
with athletes
of other countries.
And yet,
this grim, terrible thing
is taking place inside
the Village.
Three hundred yards closer,
well, take a look
at this right now,
this is a live picture.
Action in boxing going on,
a crowded arena.
Here at the Boxhalle in, uh...
in... in Munich,
Volley... volleyball
is also taking place,
incidentally.
Duane Bobick...
I'll make sure
we still have the bird.
...who was scheduled to fight
at just...
What's he talking about?
Don't we still have three?
He swapped slots.
JIM: The Arab nations
that are here
are Algeria, Saudi Arabia...
(STAFFERS EXCLAIM)
JIM: ...Egypt, Iraq,
Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon...
Guys!
JIM: ...Sudan, Syria...
TECHNICIAN: Sorry, boss.
JIM: ...Tunisia, Morocco.
They're all here.
No word from them as yet.
Uh, no indication
if there will be
any statement...
(PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING)
(STATIC FEEDBACK HUMMING,
CRACKLING)
Can we get
a cup of coffee, please?
(INDISTINCGERMAN RADIO CHATTER)
CARTER: Great.
You just sent away
the one person
who could understand this.
(RADIO CHATTER CONTINUES)
PETER: (OVER PHONE)
Something's happening
here in Connollystrasse.
It seems like
they're bringing in food now.
If you ask me,
these are policemen
dressed as cooks.
Tower, keep tracking them.
My half-blind grandmother
could tell these cooks are cops.
CLAIRE: (OVER PHONE)
Roone, again.
NBC has that satellite at three.
What's your suggestion?
ROONE: Change it,
that's my fucking suggestion.
They can't have the slot.
You guys will think
of something.
I gotta keep going.
PETER:
Looks like they're proving
the food isn't poisoned.
Now the cooks seem eager
to carry in the food,
but the leader
takes it from them...
goes in alone.
Whatever the Germans tried
to achieve here, it failed.
NEWS PRESENTER:
The long-range forecast
said today
that high radiation level--
To Smith's illegal regime--
(BOTH SPEAKING HEBREW)
(PHONE CLATTERS)
JIM: Peter Jennings is still
in the Italian team's...
GEOFF: Yeah?
I'm watching Channel 11,
Israeli TV.
Um, who is that?
Give me Channel 11.
JIM: ...but it is not yet clear
how they can handle
this hostage situation...
(JIM SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
(SPEAKING HEBREW)
JIM: I think that's Tuv...
Tuvia Sokolsky.
He is one of the Israelis
who escaped.
ROONE:
Why don't we have him?
Larry, run over to their lot,
grab that guy,
bring him here.
I'm on it.
And tell JJ we're hungry.
And not German food, please.
DISPATCHER:
(IN GERMAN, OVER RADIO)
POLICE OFFICER: (OVER RADIO)
DISPATCHER:
What's all that mean?
New ultimatum is 5:00 p.m.
JIM: And we're moving in now
on the windows,
behind which at this moment
nine terrified
living human beings
are being held prisoner.
The demands have been many--
There is someone right now.
Uh, certainly has to be
one of the guerrillas.
JJ: Geoff.
One of them
is believed to be a woman.
And this has happened time
and time and time again.
The door opening,
the head coming out
to see what is going on.
Chuck, play that back
in slo-mo, will you?
(TAPE MACHINE WHIRRING)
JIM: We see the moment again
here in slow motion.
(PHONE RINGING)
JIM: It's been such
a terribly tantalizing symbol...
Hmm?
JIM: ...of this situation.
Okay.
Master Control wants
a block of five. Now.
JIM: What's going on inside
that head?
Jim, commercial break
in ten seconds.
JIM: We're gonna take
a very short station break
at this point.
And hopefully, when we get back,
we have at least some answers
for you.
Drop to commercial.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
And we're clear.
ANNOUNCER: (OVER MONITOR)
The Kodak XL Movie Camera.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
Back in three.
ANNOUNCER:
This is the camera and film
that lets you take movies
without movie lights...
Let's see what's
on the competition.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER TV)
Still the only ones
providing live coverage.
Yeah, seems like it.
(IN GERMAN)
is very heavy today.
As an athlete and as an Arab,
I would like to express
my solidarity
with my Israeli colleagues.
And I pray
that everything ends well.
Excuse me, may I ask you
if you heard anything...
Hey, this is Gary.
...this morning in the Village?
GARY: (OVER TV) Uh, no.
(ALL CHUCKLE)
REPORTER:
What is your discipline?
Weightlifting.
(ALL CHUCKLE)
REPORTER: Any comment
on the current situation?
(DOOR OPENS)
No, I gotta go.
Guys? Guys. He's here.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING)
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
Thirty seconds.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)
TECHNICIAN 1: Okay, for me.
TECHNICIAN 2: Master Control,
we are ready for take over.
Hey Jim, it's Roone.
So, this is about as close
as you're gonna get
to the hostages. Make it count.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: And five,
four, three, two, one.
Take one.
We're coming to you live
from ABC headquarters
in Munich, West Germany.
I'm sitting right now
with a man who has just come
into the studio.
His name is Tuvia Sokolsky.
He is on the extreme left here.
The gentleman in the middle
is Nasim Javidi,
translator for the Israeli team.
Mr. Sokolsky
does not speak English.
(PHONE RINGING)
He is the coach
of the weightlifters...
(PHONE CLATTERS)
...and came out
of that room today.
Roone.
JIM: Would you ask him
just to tell us, briefly...
They wanna talk to you.
JIM: ...what happened today.
(NASIM SPEAKING HEBREW
OVER MONITOR)
(TUVIA SPEAKING HEBREW
OVER MONITOR)
ROONE: Yeah.
CLAIRE: (OVER PHONE) Roone.
We need
our slot back immediately!
I tried to negotiate for you.
(SPEAKING HEBREW)
"At about 4:30 this morning,
I heard-- I was fast asleep,
when I woke up and..."
(SNAPS FINGERS)
Geoff. Geoff!
Tell Jim we're about
to lose the satellite.
What? We're in the middle
of the interview.
In a couple of seconds,
all anyone is gonna see
is a black screen.
You have to tell him
to say something.
(CLAIR SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
Jim? Jim, CBS
is taking the satellite.
Look, we can keep recording,
but wrap the segment up.
I'm sorry,
we've run out of time.
We'd like to continue
the interview on tape.
And we'll have it later.
We're losing
the satellite right now.
The Arab guerillas are still
in the Israeli quarters.
One man is dead,
Mr. Javidi tells me,
another man
is now definitely dead,
but we don't know
his identity as yet.
The tense battle goes on,
the deadline, five o'clock,
that's in an hour
and 45 minutes.
Jim McKay,
as the Olympics continue
in Munich, West Germany.
Dissolve to five.
(ALL COMPLAIN)
Goddamn it.
Five minutes?
We're in the middle
of something.
GEOFF: What are we doing?
What's going on?
CBS insisted on the slot.
They said they're keeping it,
unless we share the feed.
Why can't we share?
When do we get it back?
ROONE: Well...
What?
When do we get it back?
I don't know.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Um, we could give it to CBS,
but we could show our logo
in the stream.
What do you mean?
Well, just put "ABC" up there.
Um, and just leave it there
constantly in the top corner.
GEOFF: What transmission
are you talking?
Well, it'll be output only.
So you just put
a permanent superimpose on it.
Yeah. Do that.
Yeah?
ROONE: Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Someone put on CBS.
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
Logo ready on four.
Back on the bird.
(PHONE RINGS)
Tell Jim to start the interview
where we left off.
Take up the interview.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
Five, four, three,
two, one.
Take one.
(SPEAKING HEBREW)
GEOFF: Fly logo in.
You own the story now.
(SPEAKING HEBREW)
NASIM:
Well, he... he...
he hasn't got any real
practical suggestions.
He feels
that one should not give in.
But-- And he leaves
the whole affair to--
in the hands
of the security people,
the professionals.
On the other hand,
he yearns for the moment
that his friends
and all his colleagues,
these athletes whom
he had known for so many years,
family men, will be out safely.
JIM: I can see the emotion
that he's feeling.
It's very high in this room.
I can't tell you how much
I appreciate Mr. Sokolsky
taking the time
to tell the story to us.
Thank you, too.
Thank you.
They're suspending the Games.
DISPATCHER: (IN GERMAN)
POLICE OFFICER:
The important thing right now
is that the Games
of the 20th Olympiad
have now been
officially suspended.
And as you can see
from this footage
that has just reached us,
the situation outside
the apartment
is becoming
increasingly confusing.
(INDISTINCT CLAMOR)
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)
(CROWD CLAMORING)
(CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING)
DISPATCHER: (IN GERMAN)
just gave green light
for some action.
POLICE OFFICER: (IN GERMAN)
POLICE OFFICER:
MARIANNE:
Police are clearing
all press out of the Village.
What?
The police are clearing
all press out of the Village.
Where did you hear that?
I've been listening
to the police scanner next door.
Jennings.
Jennings, you need to hide.
PETER: (OVER PHONE) What?
The police are clearing
all the buildings.
POLICE OFFICER: (OVER RADIO)
German police! Open up!
(YELLING IN GERMAN)
(DIAL TONE CLICKS)
JACQUES: Guys,
check the Tower cam.
GEOFF: Get back
to the police scanner.
Jennings?
(LOW, SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
(CLATTERING OVER PHONE)
PETER: All good,
they moved on.
Okay, great.
It looks like the police
are about to make a move.
Can you get back to the balcony?
PETER: Yes, give us a minute.
Preview cam three.
Jim, check your preview.
We are told
that there are men with guns,
beginning to train those guns...
Take Tower cam.
...on the rooms where
the two heads were sticking out
a moment ago,
the Arab guerillas lookouts.
GEOFF: Tower cam, push in.
JIM: Now, I don't...
Now, I'm not sure these men
have guns or... or cameras.
That's a gun, all right.
PETER: That's a gun, yeah.
One man with binoculars,
another with a gun.
Peter... Peter Jennings
is in the Village.
Peter, can you see this
going on?
PETER:
They're walking cautiously
on the roof.
Hopefully, not being heard
in the rooms below.
JIM: This is happening now,
if you can
possibly believe that.
At the Games
of the 20th Olympiad.
Within a few hundred yards,
some athletes are still training
on the running track.
Volleyball competition
is going on.
Look at this, this is right now.
Volleyball competition
going on in the Olympic Games.
As we said, the Games
have been interrupted,
but only at the conclusion
of competition that was going on
when the announcement was made.
Now, back to the--
(SCOFFS SOFTLY)
Now, back to the...
real world, I guess
you'd call it at this point.
Although this seems
like the unreal one.
Go bird, caption.
(TAPE MACHINE CLICKS)
They don't seem prepared at all.
Yeah. They don't.
POLICE OFFICER:
(IN GERMAN, OVER RADIO)
These cops have no idea
what they're doing.
No wonder they lost the war.
(CHUCKLES, SIGHS)
What a shame that most people
see this in black and white.
Not in America. Every bus driver
has a color TV nowadays.
And the athletes here.
Germans put a color TV
in every apartment.
So, are they seeing
what we're seeing?
What are you talking about?
Are the terrorists seeing this?
They're not receiving ABC here.
Yes, they are.
Inside the Olympic Village...
every athlete can access
any international station.
(MONITOR BUZZING)
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES)
Cam two, pan a bit down.
Push in.
That's a TV.
(RADIO CHATTER)
POLICE OFFICER 1:
(IN GERMAN, OVER RADIO)
POLICE OFFICER 2:
DISPATCHER:
did they just say ABC?
(IN GERMAN)
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
(CREW CLAMORING)
Off! Cameras off!
What?
(YELLS IN GERMAN)
Hey! Are you fucking nuts?
You do not point a gun
at my crew!
Jesus Christ! All live cams off!
Three, Charley, that's you too,
turn the Tower cam off.
Happy?
ROONE: Hey! Hey, hey.
What's going on here?
They just took us off the air.
ROONE: Who's in charge?
This guy?
You in charge? Yeah?
You speak English?
Get the fuck out
of my studio! Out!
Out!
(IN GERMAN)
DISPATCHER: (OVER RADIO)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER IN GERMAN)
The police are climbing down
from the roof now.
They seem to be calling off
the attack.
Looks like this was yet
another failed attempt
to get the situation
under control.
Was that our fault?
(LOW, SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
(CREW MURMURING)
Let's just go--
We'll take a commercial, okay?
Commercial break,
five minutes. Get on that.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
Here we go.
(CLEARS THROAT)
TECHNICIAN: Master Control...
Bader, can we talk?
Then they should've cut
the electricity
to the apartment.
It's not up to us
to double-check on them.
That-- Marv, it's not okay
if we made it worse.
You know that.
We don't even know
why they called it off.
The Germans seem
generally pretty overwhelmed.
They are.
I'm listening
to the police radio.
It's local cops doing things
they have never done before.
(MUSIC FADES)
The German Army
gave them sniper rifles
and had to instruct them
on how to use them.
Why doesn't the German Army
just do it itself?
They're not allowed
to operate here.
German constitution.
That's ridiculous.
The rumor is Israel offered
to send a special unit
to help them out.
And that Germany refused it.
They are just making
one mistake after another.
And trying to act
like they've
got it all under control.
Let's keep going.
Marianne, I want you with me,
in the control room.
Bring the radio.
Okay.
JIM: Ladies and gentlemen...
PETER: (OVER PHONE) The Germans
are back to negotiating.
This time,
Interior Minister Genscher
is joining them.
The leader only seems willing
to talk to Gensch--
Wait.
Wait, put me live! Put me live!
Jim, Peter has
some breaking info.
We're going to him.
JIM: I just got word something
is happening at Connollystrasse.
Peter, you have news?
PETER: Thanks, Jim. Yes.
Moments ago, a window opened.
And, for the first time,
now we're seeing
some of the hostages.
No, we're not.
We might as well be listening
to the fucking radio.
Cam two, Tower, either of you
have an angle on this?
CAMERAMAN 1: (OVER RADIO)
Clear shot, Mase.
CAMERAMAN 2: Clear as crystal.
JIM: ...and also
how many terrorists are visible.
PETER: We've seen two hostages
so far.
They were led to the window
one after the other.
One guerrilla
with an AK-47 behind them.
This is ridiculous.
PETER: It's a terrible sight.
JIM: Now, that sounds
very dramatic, Peter.
Ladies and gentlemen...
(PHONE BUZZES)
JIM: Um...
We're sorry that we can't
show you a live image...
Yeah?
Geoff, turn the cameras back on.
You got it, Roone.
All right,
we're back in business.
All cams back on.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Cam two, back on.
Cam three, back on.
(BUTTONS CLICKING)
(EXHALES SOFTLY)
Anyone know who that is?
(CLICKS TONGUE)
The fencing coach.
Andrei Spitzer.
Twenty-seven years old.
Gladys, I'm gonna need you
to make a caption.
Andrei Spitzer.
Caption ready.
Insert Spitzer graphic.
(LOW, SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
PETER: It looks like
Spitzer wants to tell
Genscher something.
Now he's dragged away
from the window,
and the curtains
are closed again.
Genscher is talking
to the leader.
He seems furious.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
GEOFF: What is she saying?
Um, Genscher offered
to swap himself
with the Israeli hostages,
but the terrorists refused
the offer. Um...
Genscher insists on going inside
to see how the hostages are.
PETER:
The leader's taking Genscher
and another official
into the apartment now.
MARIANNE: Someone asked,
um, if they already know
the destination for the flight.
CREW: What flight?
(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)
Flight?
There's talk of flying them
out of the country.
(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)
Well, where could they fly
them to?
What airport?
(OVERLAPPING CHATTER CONTINUES)
Everyone shut up, please!
Shut up!
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
They're giving orders.
The... the policewoman...
"Tell... tell the leader
that it takes time
to prepare the plane."
They mentioned two helicopters
to fly the hostages
and the terrorists
to the airport.
What airport?
Uh, they didn't say.
PETER: They're coming back out.
Genscher seems shocked.
God only knows
what horrors he saw in there.
Uh, Cairo-- They... they said
Cairo as their destination.
Okay, listen up.
We need to find out
where in the Village
these choppers can land,
and what airport
they're gonna go to
for transfer!
JIM: Sun is beginning
to sink behind the buildings.
(CARTER SIGHS) Great, great.
Thanks.
JIM: There's some way
from darkness here.
CARTER: Sorry.
JIM: But I can't help but think
what a difficult task
this would be if the commandos
got out in the Olympic Village
after dark.
You got it?
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
CARTER: Yeah.
Riem's the obvious choice,
but probably not,
there's too much air traffic.
Augsburg?
It's too far away.
JIM:
...nations around the world...
They just mentioned
a flight time
of five to seven minutes
with the helicopters.
What was the name
of that little airport
in the middle of nowhere,
where we picked up
the equipment that time?
Um, it was something...
Feld... Furst--
Furstenfeldbruck.
Furstenfeldbruck.
HANK: Yeah. That was it.
That's a military airport.
JACQUES: Furstenfeldbruck.
That'd make sense.
No one is out there.
Hmm.
Guys.
Do you hear that?
(HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRRING)
(JIM SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY
OVER MONITOR)
(WHIRRING CONTINUES)
(EXHALES SHAKILY)
What's going on?
Do we have eyes
on these choppers?
Come on, show me something.
Tower? Do you have eyes
on the choppers?
CAMERAMAN: (OVER RADIO)
Negative.
Guys, I'm blind here. Come on.
HOWARD: (OVER RADIO)
Gentlemen, can you read me?
Yeah, Howard,
we got you loud and clear.
HOWARD:
I see them! Two choppers.
Approaching from southeast.
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
Howard, where exactly are you?
Are you inside the Village?
HOWARD: Yes. I'm at Gate 6.
They let me in after
the boxing match.
Ran into Gary here.
I'm taking over his channel.
MARIANNE: Uh, they're talking
about a bus now.
A bus escorting them
to the helicopters.
Howard, are the police
clearing out the area?
HOWARD: No, it's packed.
There are people
with cameras everywhere.
It's like Elvis has landed.
They'll use the, um...
(CLICKS TONGUE)
...parking level
below the apartments, um...
There's the next staircase.
Building 12.
Howard, look behind you.
Do you see a staircase?
HOWARD: Uh, yeah.
Okay, go down it
and look for a bus.
HOWARD: Got it.
PETER:
The light in the hallway's on.
Looks like they're leaving
the apartment
using the inner staircase.
HOWARD:
I'm in the parking area,
and it's a complete
madhouse down there.
Police and press are everywhere.
There's men with cameras
next to men with guns.
Put him on the air.
There's no connector.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
GEOFF: Patch this mic through
to the air.
Get him on the air.
HANK: Uh, yeah.
ROONE: You got it?
HANK: Yeah, yeah.
Uh, Jim, Pete.
I'm just looping Howard in here.
GEOFF: Good?
HANK: Go!
Howard, we're putting you live
on the air with Jim and Peter.
JIM: Word is they're flying out
both the hostages
and the terrorists.
Let's hear
Peter Jennings on this.
PETER: Thank you, Jim.
My colleagues and I
are scrambling
to put the pieces together.
But Howard Cosell
is currently on location.
Howard, this is Peter.
Do you have something
to report from there?
Howard, go ahead.
HOWARD: I certainly do, Peter.
I'm in the parking garage.
Terrorists and hostages
are arriving,
their hands tied together.
The police are here
in almost platoon-like numbers.
We're building up to
what I think
will be quite the climax.
Okay, the bus just came in!
They're bringing the hostages
to the bus.
The terrorists
have submachine guns.
Pushing the young athletes
onto the bus.
JIM: According
to unconfirmed reports,
Cairo was named
as the flight destination.
There are helicopters waiting
to bring the hostages,
um, and the terrorists
to a military airport
for the changeover.
Take three.
CAMERAMAN: (OVER RADIO)
Geoff, this is Tower,
I have eyes on the bus.
HOWARD: Jim, I just ran
onto the bridge. I can see them.
One Arab is getting out.
Flashes from the cameras
are hitting him
from every direction.
He almost looks like
a rock star walking on stage.
Now I can see the Israelis.
I hear something.
(CROWD SHOUTING)
HOWARD: People shouting
from the windows and balconies,
but I don't know what it is.
ONLOOKERS: Shalom! Shalom!
HOWARD: It's "shalom,"
the Hebrew word for peace.
(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)
HOWARD:
The propellers are turning
and the chopper is lifting off.
These Israeli athletes
are leaving the Olympic Village,
not as free and proud
competitors of their country,
but as victims
of a brutal act of terror.
PETER: The first helicopter
now proceeding out
over the main Olympic stadium,
flying around this
tremendously high Olympic Tower.
Flying to what seems like
the last chapter
of a nerve-racking day.
Stretch the show with sports
until we have news
from the airport.
GEOFF: Sports?
ROONE: Yeah.
Jim will smooth over
the transitions.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(MUSIC FADES)
(HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRRING)
Screw it, I want to see it, too.
Sorry.
Jacques, get right back here.
JACQUES: Two minutes!
(HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRRING)
Carter, grab a 16 mm.
Get footage from the airport.
You're gonna go with him.
Take my car.
You're the only one
who speaks German.
Okay.
Where is it parked?
GEOFF: Back lot.
Blue BMW.
Okay.
Are they gonna really
fly them out?
I don't know.
So then, how does this end?
In a shootout?
You'll need sound.
Hank.
(FOOTSTEPS RECEDING)
JIM: (OVER MONITOR)
The 10,000 meter run
was nearing the halfway mark
and out in front
was Dave Bedford of England,
followed by little
Miruts Yifter of Ethiopia,
and Mariano Haro of Spain.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING
OVER MONITOR)
JIM: Back of the pack,
Lasse Virn,
in the dark jersey...
PETER: Hey guys,
I don't think there's anything
left to do here.
So, how about
I just come back to the studio,
provide some analysis?
That's a great idea, Jennings.
Get back here
as soon as you can.
Charley, might as well roll
cam two back into the studio.
GLADYS: Uh, Geoff? Geoff,
you gonna wanna see this.
I think
it's David Berger's father.
REPORTER: (OVER TV)
Have you gotten any help
from any of the governments
or any of the agencies?
No.
All the information we have
has come from the news
on television.
I just hope they get
the situation under control...
and we hear from our son soon.
REPORTER:
Is there anything you wanna say
to your son right now?
Marianne, you read me?
BENJAMIN:
I just want him to come home.
JACQUE: Forget it,
they are too far away.
(JIM SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY
OVER MONITOR)
Marv, you got anything?
MARVIN: (OVER RADIO)
Hold on just a second.
Supposedly all hell
has broken loose at the airport.
There's shooting.
(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
Oh, God.
(OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES)
Carter?
It's crazy out there.
Massive traffic jams,
hundreds of people
blocking the road.
The police couldn't even
get through with their tanks.
Tanks?
Yeah.
(PANTS)
(TAPE WHIRRING)
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(MARIANNE SPEAKING GERMAN)
(MALE VOICE RESPONDING
IN GERMAN)
You see those lights?
That's the airport.
Everyone just left their cars
behind and walked there.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(DOG BARKING)
How did you get back here?
Marianne convinced some guy
to lend us his moped.
There they are!
(POLICE OFFICER YELLING
IN GERMAN)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(SIRENS WAILING)
This is great stuff, Carter.
We gotta get more of this.
Okay.
(INDISTINCT CLAMOR)
This is useless there.
I saw some pay phones.
We'll call
as soon as there's any news.
(INDISTINCT CLAMOR CONTINUES)
(HEAVY GUNFIRE IN DISTANCE)
MALE VOICE:
Can you hear the shots?
(HEAVY GUNFIRE CONTINUES)
How many more clips
in the package?
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR:
Uh, two. About ten seconds.
Okay.
Ready one. Take one.
JIM:
With me now is Peter Jennings,
who reported the whole day
for us
directly out of the Village.
Standby two. Take two.
JIM: Peter, what conclusions
do you draw
from these recordings?
PETER: Clearly,
the German authorities
want to end it
here and now, Jim.
But now, they have to improvise.
(PHONE BUZZES)
PETER: And so far,
they haven't proven themselves
to be very good at that.
JIM: There's no
further reports...
(GARY) Hello?
Marianne's on the phone.
JIM: But the head
of the Olympic...
GEOFF: Patch it through.
(PHONE RINGS)
GEOFF: Yeah?
MARIANNE: (OVER PHONE)
Can the footage be used?
Yeah, yeah,
we're watching it right now.
We have it on the air. Why?
MARIANNE:
Listen, there's a rumor
going around here
that the hostages are free.
(HESITATES) What?
MARIANNE: The hostages are free.
That's amazing news!
That's-- Hold on.
Everybody! Listen to this!
Marianne,
say what you just said to me.
(CLAMOR OVER PHONE)
MARIANNE: For the last hour,
we've been hearing gunshots.
A few minutes ago,
the shooting suddenly stopped.
Then a man
from Hans Klein's office
came up from the airport
and said
the hostages are all free.
(CREW CHUCKLES)
(RELIEVED CHATTER)
Is this confirmed?
MARIANNE: I don't know, Geoff.
People here are celebrating.
Everyone is--
(REPORTER SPEAKING GERMAN)
MARIANNE: (IN GERMAN)
(PHONE BUZZING)
ROONE: (OVER PHONE)
Check the Germans. ZDF. Now.
I don't know
what they're saying,
but they sound damn happy.
Turn that up. Right there.
MARIANNE: I have to go.
No, no, no. Stay on the line.
MARIANNE:
Everyone wants this phone.
I need you
to translate something.
Okay? Translate this.
(IN GERMAN)
He says it, too.
They're all free.
ZDF is saying
that they're all free.
ROONE:
Then have Jim announce it.
Yeah, I'm gonna check
with Marv, okay?
Hold on.
Marv?
MARVIN: (OVER RADIO)
Yeah. We're watching it.
Is... is it confirmed?
MARVIN: Not yet.
I see Klein's press staff
on the phone.
It seems that
they have serious doubts.
Don't air it yet.
Wait for the confirmation.
Marv says
that it's not confirmed yet.
ROONE: Then we have Jim
use the phrase,
"as we're hearing."
(DIAL TONE CLICKS, BEEPS)
(JIM SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY
OVER MONITOR)
(SIGHS) Look, Marv,
we... we're gonna go with it.
Uh, but we're gonna use
the phrase "as we're hearing."
MARVIN: Where's Roone?
Let me talk to him.
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
MARVIN: Geoff, don't air it.
We need two confirmed sources.
Marv, we have to go now.
MARVIN: If we air it,
then everybody else will.
So what? We let CBS
or NBC take the scoop?
MARVIN:
This isn't a competition.
Wait for confirmation.
(LOW, SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
MARVIN: Geoff? Do you read--
(RADIO SWITCHES OFF)
(JIM CONTINUES
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
Jim.
We... we're getting good news.
It sounds like
all the hostages are free.
But we need to use the phrase
"as we are hearing," okay?
And...
As we are hearing now,
it appears that the Germans
were able to free all hostages,
but we don't know just yet
what exactly happened there.
(DOOR SLAMMING OPEN)
(HAND SLAMMING)
Everybody's reporting it now.
They're all just following
our lead.
Then it's good
we got it out there first.
Yeah, you know,
Klein can't even find
the guy at the fence
who broke this.
We're talking worldwide news
based on the word
of one mysterious man,
no one has been able to confirm.
Oh, come on.
Roone wanted me
to get it out there.
No, no, no.
Geoff, Geoff, no.
You pulled the trigger.
Not Roone!
It's on ZDF, Marvin!
That's German state television.
And this is ABC!
(HAND SLAMMING)
And I vouched for you, Geoff!
I vouched for you.
We never said it was a fact.
We used "as we are hearing."
Yeah, that's a fucking
technicality, Geoff.
(TELEPRINTER WHIRRING)
(TELEPRINTER CLICKS)
STAFFER: Geoff?
Geoff! Here.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
It's official. They're free.
(CREW LAUGHS, CHEERS)
Let me see that!
(CREW APPLAUDS)
(SIGHS)
GEOFF: Marv...
Yeah. Forg... forg... forget it.
(SIGHS)
(CHEERFUL CHATTER)
(PHONE RINGING)
(PANTS)
(MALE VOICE SPEAKING
OVER PHONE)
(JIM SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
It's Starger.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Cheers!
Cheers! Good work, everyone.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Cheers!
Good job, everyone.
CREW: Cheers.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Really good.
GEOFF:
We're not done yet, though.
We need access to the cops
on the airfield.
I'm talking interviews,
behind the scenes,
anything like that.
And maybe we can even talk
to the hostages.
(PHONE CLATTERS)
What?
He said that we've made
broadcast history.
Probably more people
have seen this
than watch Armstrong land
on the moon.
(MARVIN SIGHS)
So, you're gonna get
a big bonus. (CHUCKLES)
I need a fucking drink.
You?
MARVIN: Yeah. Oh, yeah.
(EXHALES)
Mason on deck?
Yeah.
That kid's good.
MARVIN: Right?
Yeah.
(JIM SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
(DRINK POURING)
Lehayim.
JIM: Now in our studio
is Chancellor Brandt's
press secretary, Conrad Ahlers.
It's an honor...
Ahlers is here.
JIM: When was it agreed,
do you know,
to allow the guerrillas to go
from the building
to the helicopters?
Well, just two hours ago.
But of course,
that was part of the game.
We never meant to let them go
free out of this country.
I'm very glad
that as far as we can see now,
this police action
was successful.
"As far as we can see"?
AHLERS: Of course,
it's an unfortunate...
What is that?
AHLERS: ...interruption
of the Olympic Games,
but, I mean,
if all that comes out
as we hope it will come out.
"As we hope"?
AHLERS:
I think it will be forgotten
after a few weeks.
(LOW, OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)
JIM: And if the reports,
as we hear them, are true,
the Games will continue
probably by tomorrow.
Well, I'm quite sure,
and you must understand
that for us Germans,
it was a tragic situation
that all this happened
to Jewish people.
You know, after all our past,
of course it was our main...
our main idea
to get these Israelis free,
otherwise, you know...
(CLEARS THROAT)
...some of the old memories
might have come back.
That doesn't sound right. Hmm?
JIM: I think the people
of the world are well aware
that those volunteers...
Can I use your phone?
...who were trying to free
the Israelis today were Germans.
Yes, I hope
that they don't forget.
(ROTARY DIAL WHIRRING)
That they won't forget it.
Thank you very much,
Mr. Secretary.
I appreciate you taking the time
to talk to us.
Thank you very much.
JACQUES: And we're clear.
Any word
from the airport police?
Can't get through.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Same here.
Been on hold for 20 minutes.
GEOFF: How about the hostages?
(SIGHS) Don't you think
we should give them a break?
Maybe.
(PHONE RINGS)
Guys,
what about the bus drivers,
helicopter pilots? Come on,
we gotta get creative here,
we have a story to tell.
Let me talk to Hans.
(MALE VOICE SPEAKING OVER PHONE)
MARVIN: Why can't I--
MALE VOICE: Please understand,
we can't confirm anything yet.
(MARVIN CHUCKLES)
What do you mean?
Conrad Ahlers just announced
it on live television.
In our studio.
MALE VOICE:
The office is not corroborating
with others.
Shooting is still going on.
MARVIN: What'd you just say?
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
(MALE VOICE SPEAKING
INDISTINCTLY)
There's still shooting
going on at the airport.
There's still shooting
at the airport!
CREW: What?
We were wrong. There's still
shooting at the airport.
GEOFF: Who's shooting?
Jim has to go on air
and say something.
I know it wasn't true!
'Cause I got
a fucking TV set too!
Just tell me what happened!
Jim, Peter.
Listen, this is gonna be tough.
Hans, I'm asking you.
I'm asking you as a friend.
Please just tell me
what happened.
JIM: The latest word
we get from the airport
is that, quote, "All of Hell
has broken loose out there,"
that there's still
shooting going on,
that there's a report
of a burning helicopter,
but all seems to be confusion.
Nothing is nailed down.
We have no idea
what's happened to the hostages.
But one of the men, by the way,
who was a hostage,
as far as we know,
is still alive.
Roone.
JIM: David Berger,
who went to Columbia University.
Geoff.
JIM: Uh, he was
the only American-born member...
Hallway. Please.
...of the Israeli team
that was being held captive.
Uh, he was a weightlifter,
moved to Israel
just about two years ago.
PETER: Well,
we'll keep you up to date...
GEOFF: Stay with it.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
What happened?
All... all of them.
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
(SCOFFS) What if this
is just a rumor?
We don't-- What did they say?
They said
that there were gunshots.
Did they--
Klein heard it
from three separate sources.
It's over.
It's bullshit.
(PHONE BUZZING)
We still have a team out there.
They haven't even called us yet.
We... we have to do some--
We'll send another team
out there.
I'll go with them this time.
And we have to get this right.
This is our chance
to get it right, Roone.
Come on.
JACQUES: Geoff.
Marianne is on the phone.
(LOW, SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
Yeah. Marianne?
(MARIANNE SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
Okay, thank you.
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
(SIGHS)
(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)
Cam one, close on Jim. Only Jim.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Jim?
...so many, um, other people.
GEOFF: (OVER HEADSET)
All the hostages are dead.
It's over.
Ready one.
Take one.
JIM: I've just gotten
the final word.
When I was a kid,
my father used to say,
"Our greatest hopes
and our worst fears
are seldom realized."
Our worst fears
have been realized tonight.
They've now said
that there were 11 hostages.
Two were killed
in their rooms...
this morn-- yesterday morning.
Nine were killed
at the airport tonight.
They're all gone.
But it's all over.
The Israeli Olympic team
is destroyed.
Much of it.
But what will happen
to the Games
of the 20th Olympiad?
(SNIFFLES)
None of us know
what will happen to... (SCOFFS)
...the course of world history.
We don't know.
(MUSIC FADES)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Hey. You all right?
Uh...
Mm. No, um...
Innocent people died in Germany.
Again.
And we failed. Germany failed.
Marianne,
I'm sorry I sent you out there.
I can only imagine
the things you saw.
Uh, I saw nothing.
I... I was there
with hundreds of people,
we stared into the night.
We were waiting
for something to happen,
because we wanted
to take a picture of it.
(SIGHS HEAVILY)
(SOBS SOFTLY)
Uh, Geoff?
Roone would like a word.
See you tomorrow.
Yeah.
(DOOR OPENING)
(DOOR CLOSING)
ROONE: Hmm.
(MALE VOICE SPEAKING OVER PHONE)
ROONE: Mm-hmm.
Hang on one second.
(PAPER RUSTLING)
There's gonna be a commemoration
at the stadium tomorrow
at 10:00 a.m.
I got us the bird.
Jim and Jennings
are gonna anchor
and I want you to be in charge.
I know
it might not feel like it,
but you did
a hell of a job today.
But... (INHALES SHARPLY)
But it was a catastrophe.
Get some rest.
Roone?
We need to talk about
a one-hour special for tomorrow.
Okay. I'll call you right back.
And I have an approach.
We take a flash unit out
to the airport.
Helicopters will still be there.
We'll see them in daylight.
Well, what's left of them.
(GEOFF SNIFFLES, CLEARS THROAT)
(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)
(SIGHS)
(SOMBER MUSIC CONTINUES)
(MUSIC FADES)