Tenet · written by Christopher Nolan · 2020

He collides violently with his own earlier, non-inverted self and Neil inside the vault.

Scene 183 of 275 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Act two

Protagonist

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:44 into a 2:28 film

The story so farBefore scene 183

An unnamed intelligence operative, recruited into a shadow war fought through time-inverted weapons and objects, teams with an enigmatic ally to stop a dying Russian oligarch from using technology gifted by a dying future to erase the present.

Scenes 1–17
The Protagonist in his zone of comfort — a skilled, anonymous field operative, competent and confident inside the Kiev operation.
Scenes 18–20
Broken by torture and 'killed,' he needs a new purpose; Fay offers one that transcends the nation-state loyalties that just got his team killed.
Scenes 21–32
He enters the wholly unfamiliar situation of Tenet — the wind turbine, the password test, and Barbara's proof that time itself can run backward.
Scenes 33–144
Mumbai, London, Oslo, and Amalfi — he adapts to the world of inverted physics and Sator's inner circle, paying costs (Kat's trust, his own safety) to get close to the target.
Scenes 145–158
The Tallinn ambush succeeds — he gets what the mission wanted, extracting the plutonium '241' from the armored convoy.
Scenes 159–175
He pays a heavy price for it — Kat is shot, the material is lost to Sator anyway, and he is left not knowing whether any of it mattered.
Just before
Scene 180
They spot the wrecked plane outside and prepare to break out through the breach.
Scene 181
The Protagonist steers Kat's gurney through the burning wreckage toward the vault breach.
Scene 182
He tells Neil to wait as he goes ahead to intercept Sator's men inside.
Scene 183
This scene

183INT. VAULT, FREEPORT – CONTINUOUS

INTO HIMSELF AND NEIL, DRESSED AS BUSINESSMEN AS IN THEIR EARLIER VISIT TO THE ROTAS VAULT – the Protagonist (wearing black clothes and gas mask) TACKLES the EARLIER PROTAGONIST (wearing business suit), the Earlier Protagonist THROWS the Protagonist onto the ground, getting his gun –

SHOUTING at him INCOMPREHENSIBLY – KICKING his INJURED ARM AGAIN AND AGAIN – the Protagonist SCREAMS... The Earlier Protagonist puts his GUN TO THE PROTAGONIST’S HEAD... EARLIER NEIL GRABS HIS ARM, RESTRAINING him...

The Protagonist and Earlier Protagonist STRUGGLE, ROLLING across the floor with the unique physics of forward action merged with backwards action...

They STRUGGLE through the BLUE DOOR of the Rotas vault. The Protagonist gets his gun – the Earlier Protagonist STABS him in the arm with his lockpick – ‘HEALING’ his wound – ENERGIZING him –

He FLIPS the Earlier Protagonist up against the glass, LIFTS his gun – SHOOTS past the Earlier Protagonist’s head, putting a BULLET HOLE through the glass –

Glancing at the OPEN TURNSTILE DOOR, the Protagonist FIRES again, forcing the Earlier Protagonist TOWARDS the door... he looks through the proving window – no one there...

PROTAGONIST

Come on, come on...

The Protagonist FIRES AGAIN AND AGAIN, forcing the Earlier Protagonist closer and closer to the open turnstile...

The Earlier Protagonist takes hold of the gun – the barrel coming around onto the Protagonist who instinctively EJECTS the magazine, REMOVES the SLIDE, tossing it aside, leaving the Earlier Protagonist with a useless STRIPPED AUTOMATIC –

Earlier Neil RACES backwards into the other half of the room – Through the bullet-riddled glass the Protagonist sees HIMSELF (GAS MASK, BLACK CLOTHES) RUN BACKWARDS into the room