12 Years a Slave Page #10

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 42B.

63 EXT. ROAD -LATER 63

As Sam drives the wagon, the other slaves trudge alongside by foot. We should get the sense the travel is longand tedious.

64 EXT. FORD'S WORK AREA - LATER 64

It is a sizable work area on the edge of Indian Creek.

There is much work being done, the slaves primarilyemployed in piling the timber and chopping it intolumber. As before, there is little doubt about therigors of the job at hand.

Working as a carpenter at the work area is JOHN TIBEATS.

There are also various CUSTOMERS who move about placingorders.

65 EXT. FORD PLANTATION - DAY 65

-EARLY TO MID JUNE, 1841

It's Sunday morning. All of Ford's slaves are dressed

with their "finest" clothes - brightly colored and asfree as possible of defect. The slaves are gathered on

(CONTINUED)

66

67

68

67

68

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 43.

CONTINUED:
65

the lawn just beyond the piazza. Mistress Ford is

present as well. As the slaves listen, Ford reads tothem Scripture. His tone is of a man trying to preach byway of compassion.

FORD:

"But as touching the resurrection

of the dead, have ye not read that

which was spoken unto you by God,

saying, I am the God of Abraham,

and the God of Isaac, and the God

of Jacob. God is not the God of

the dead, but of the living. And

when the multitude heard this,

they were astonished at his

doctrine. Then one of them, which

was a lawyer, asked him a

question, tempting him, and

saying, Master, which is the

great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt

love the Lord thy God with all thy

heart, and with all thy soul, and

with all thy mind. This is the

first and great commandment. And

the second is like unto it, thou

shalt love thy neighbor as

thyself. On these two

commandments hang all the law and

the prophets."

Despite the lightness with which Ford speaks and the hopein his words, ELIZA SITS OFF TO THE SIDE - SELF-SECLUDEDA BIT - WEEPING GENTLY.

We should be able to see in Mistress Ford's eyes thatEliza's constant crying is unsettling.

OMITTED 66

OMIT 67

OMITTED 68

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 44.

69 OMIT 69

70 EXT. FORD'S WORK AREA - DAY 70

-MID JUNE, 1841

The slaves have broken for lunch. They snack on smokedmeat and drink water from gourds. As they lunch Solomonreads from Sam's Bible to the other slaves.

SOLOMON:

But he that is greatest among you,

let him be as the younger; and he

that is chief, as he that doth

serve. For whether is greater, he

that sitteth at meat, or he that

serveth? Is not he that sitteth

at meat? But I am among you as he

that serveth.

A white customer - WINSLOW - irate at the sight and soundof slaves reading Scripture, crosses over. He grabs theBible.

WINSLOW:

From where did you thieve this?

SAM:

Suh, the book is my property.

The White Customer has no interest in Sam's answer. With

flailing hands he STARTS BEATING ON SAM. Solomon tries

to stop him. That only makes the situation worse,

Solomon now the target of the man's ire.

WINSLOW:

Take your hands from me!

Ford comes running over.

FORD:

What is the commotion?

WINSLOW:

Your n*ggers are either brazen or

rebellious. This one was readin'

Scripture, and this one claims it

to be his.

FORD:

It is. A gift from his Mistress.

WINSLOW:

You condone this?

FORD:

I encourage it. As a Christian I

can do no less.

(CONTINUED)

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 45.

70 CONTINUED:
70 70 CONTINUED: 70

WINSLOW:

You can do no worse, Ford. A

slave that reads is dangerous.

Winslow moves off. He yells back at Ford:

WINSLOW (CONT’D)

And the man who would allow a

slave to read is unfit to own

n*ggers!

Handing the Bible back to Sam, very matter of factly:

FORD:

Pay him no mind. The word of God

applies to all. In that you may

take comfort.

71 OMITTED 71

72 EXT. ROAD -DAY 72

Sam is at the reigns of the wagon carrying the timber toFord's WORK AREA. Slaves trudge alongside, same as it

ever was. Only...it's not quite the same. Sam bringsthe wagon to a halt. He, and the slaves look up the roadahead of them.

Standing in the middle of the road is a group ofCHICKASAWS INDIANS. They are in their "usual" dress ofbuckskin breeches and calico hunting shirts of fantasticcolors, buttoned from belt to chin. They have with themDOGS and HORSES. They carry with them the carcass of adeer.

The two groups stare at each other for a long moment.

73 EXT. FIELD - DUSK/END OF DAY 73

The groups of slaves and Chickasaws are now intermingled.

They "break bread" - actually they work on the carcass ofthe deer which is now roasting over a large fire. As

well the group share a smoke on a pipe.

One of the Chickasaws is playing a tune on an "INDIANFIDDLE." The Chickasaws perform a customary dance;

trotting after each other, and giving utterance to aguttural, sing-song noise.

The slaves enjoy the respite from work, Solomonparticularly taken by the music...if not entirelyenthralled by it.

(CONTINUED)

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 46.

73 CONTINUED:
73 73 CONTINUED: 73

After a bit, Solomon rights himself and heads from the

group.

74 EXT. RIVER BANK - CONTINUOUS 74

Solomon arrives to some tall grass at the edge of theriver. Lowering his trousers, SOLOMON SQUATS TODEFECATE. As he does, he stares out toward the flowingwaters of Indian Creek. After a few moments, as though athought far greater than relieving himself has come tohim, Solomon stands and replaces his pants.

Oddly, Solomon stares out at the water as though he werea man possessed.

75 EXT. FORD'S WORK AREA - DAY 75

Just beyond the WORK AREA Solomon speaks with Ford asTibeats listens. Solomon is drawing in the dirt, makingrough diagrams for Ford as he explains himself.

SOLOMON:

The creek is plenty deep enough to

sail, even with a boat full of

load. The distance from the WORK

AREA to the point on the latter

bayou is several miles by water

fewer than land. It occurs to me

that the expense of the

transportation would be materially

diminished-

TIBEATS:

"Materially diminished?"

SOLOMON:

If we use the waterway.

TIBEATS:

It's a scheme. Plenty of

engineers have schemed similarly.

The passes are too tight.

SOLOMON:

I reckon them at more than twelve

feet at their most narrow. Wide

enough for a tub to traverse. A

team of n*ggers can clear it out.

TIBEATS:

And you know what of transport and

terra formin'?

(CONTINUED)

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 47.

75 CONTINUED:
75 75 CONTINUED: 75

SOLOMON:

I labored repairing the Champlain

canal, on the section over which

William Van Nortwick was

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