12 Years a Slave Page #14

longer safe for you here. And I

don't believe you will remain

passive if Tibeats attacks. I

have transferred my debt to Edwin

Epps. He will take charge of you.

SOLOMON:

(desperate, urgent)

Master Ford, you must know; I am

not a slave.

FORD:

I cannot hear that.

SOLOMON:

Before I came to you I was a

freeman.

FORD:

I am trying to save your life!

And...I have a debt to be mindful

of. That, now, is to Edwin Epps.

He is a hard man. Prides himself

on being a "n*gger breaker." But

truthfully I could find no others

who would have you. You've made a

reputation of yourself. Whatever

your circumstances, you are an

exceptional n*gger, Platt. I fear

no good will come of it.

90 EXT. MASTER EPPS'S PLANTATION/BACK PORCH - DAY 90

-END OF JANUARY, 1842

From the back porch, we come into the scene on EDWINEPPS; a repulsive and coarse man. His language givesspeedy and unequivocal evidence that he has never enjoyedthe advantages of an education.

(CONTINUED)

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 61.

90 CONTINUED:
90 90 CONTINUED: 90

Epps reads the Bible to his slaves, eight of themaltogether. ABRAM; a tall, older slave of about sixty

years. WILEY, who is forty eight. PHEBE, who is marriedto Wiley. BOB and HENRY who are Phebe's children, EDWARDand PATSEY. Patsey is young, just 23 years old...thoughin the era, 23 not as young as in the present day. She

is the offspring of a "Guinea n*gger," brought over toCuba in a slave ship. She nearly brims with unconversantsexuality.

MISTRESS EPPS, Epps's wife, is also present. She sits

with, holds quite lovingly, some SLAVE CHILDREN. WITH

THEM SHE IS VERY "MOTHERLY." We also see Epps's overseerTREACH. Treach constantly sports a LOADED PISTOL.

Though Epps reads the word of the Lord, he lacks the toneof compassion with which Ford read.

EPPS:

"And that servant which knew his

Lord's will...WHICH KNEW HIS

LORD'S WILL and prepared not

himself...PREPARED NOT HIMSELF,

neither did according to his will,

shall be beaten with many

stripes..." D'ye hear that?

"Stripes." That n*gger that don't

take care, that don't obey his

lord - that's his master - d'ye

see? - that 'ere n*gger shall be

beaten with many stripes. Now,

"many" signifies a great many.

Forty, a hundred, a hundred and

fifty lashes... That's Scripter!

91 EXT. MASTER EPPS'S PLANTATION/FIELD - DAY 91

-AUGUST, 1842

WE START THE SCENE WITH A PAIR OF BLACK HANDS

picking cotton ferociously. As we move out, we identifyPATSEY, a 23 year old striking black woman. The cameramoves out again to a wider shot. This reveals severallines of slaves picking cotton, with Patsey way out inthe lead.

We cut to another pair of black hands. This time,

revealing SOLOMON, clumsy and unskilled hands, pickingcotton. A lash bears down on him.

It is August, "cotton picking" season.

We are looking out over a cotton field in full bloom. It

presents a visual purity, like an immaculate expanse oflight, new-fallen snow. The cotton grows from five toseven feet high, each stalk having a great many branches

(CONTINUED)

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91 CONTINUED:
91 91 CONTINUED: 91

shooting out in all directions and lapping each otherabove the water furrow.

There is a slave to each side of the row. They have asack around their necks that hangs to the ground, themouth of the sack about breast high. Baskets are placedat the end of the furrows. Slaves dump their sacks ofcotton in the baskets, then pick until their sacks areagain filled.

EDWARDS:

Pick that cotton. Move along now.

THE SOUNDTRACK TO THE SCENE IS NOTHING MORE THAN THE

RUSTLE OF LABOR, THE MALE CICADAS BUGS "TYMBALS" IN THEHEAT and a SPIRITUAL SUNG BY THE SLAVES.

Despite the heat, there is no stopping for water. The

slaves are "driven" by Edward, who is himself "driven" byTreach.

TREACH:

C'mon. Drive dem n*ggers.

Edward moves among the slaves, applying the whip to themwithout regard.

EDWARD:

Pick dat cotton. Move along now,

hear?

92 EXT. MASTER EPPS'S PLANTATION/GIN HOUSE - EVENING 92

The day's work is done. The slaves are now assembled in

the gin house with their baskets of cotton which arebeing weighed by Treach. There is anxiety among theslave, the reason for which soon becomes apparent.

TREACH:

Two hundred forty pounds for Bob.

EPPS:

What yah got for James?

TREACH:

Two hundred ninety five pounds.

EPPS:

Tha's real good, boy. Tha's real

good.

TREACH:

One hundred eighty two pounds for

Platt.

Epps does not look happy. Treach says again:

(CONTINUED)

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92 CONTINUED:
92 92 CONTINUED: 92

TREACH (CONT'D)

One hundred eighty two.

EPPS:

How much can even an averagenigger pick a day?

TREACH:

Two hundred pounds.

EPPS:

This n*gger ain't even average.

Epps pulls Solomon aside.

TREACH:

Five hundred twelve pounds forPatsey.

EPPS:

Five hundred twelve. Yah men folk

got no shame lettin' Patsey outpick yah? The day ain't yet comeshe swung lower than five hundredpounds. Queen of the fields, sheis.

TREACH:

Two hundred six pou-

EPPS:

I ain't done, Treach. Ain't I

owed a minute to luxuriate on the

work Patsey done?

TREACH:

...Sir...

EPPS:

Damned Queen. Born and bred to

the field. A n*gger amongniggers, and God give 'er to me.

A lesson in the rewards of

righteous livin'. All be

observant ta that. All!

(beat)

Now, Treach. Now speak.

TREACH:

One hundred thirty eight poundsfor Phebe.

EPPS:

Hit one forty five yesterday.

Pull her out.

TREACH:

Two hundred six pounds for Wiley.

(CONTINUED)

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92 CONTINUED:
(2) 92 92 CONTINUED: (2) 92

EPPS:

How much he pick yesterday?

TREACH:

Two hundred twenty nine pounds.

Wiley is pulled from the line, huddled with Solomon.

93 EXT. MASTER EPPS'S PLANTATION/YARD - EVENING 93

In the distance, a flogging is going on. Solomon, Phebe,

and Wiley are stripped, placed in a stockade and nowbeing given a perfunctory whipping delivered by ANOTHERIDENTIFIED SLAVE.

94 EXT. MASTER EPPS'S PLANTATION - EVENING 94

Evening, but the day is not yet done. Slaves attend

their various evening chores; feeding livestock, doinglaundry, cooking food. There is no respite from aslave's charge.

95 INT. MASTER EPPS'S PLANTATION/SLAVE SHACK - NIGHT 95

A fire is kindled in the cabin. The slaves finally fixtheir own dinner of corn meal. Corn is ground in a smallhand mill. The corn meal is mixed with a little water,

placed in the fire and baked. When it is "done brown"

the ashes are scraped off. Bacon is fried. As the

slaves eat, Abram goes on in great length and with muchemotion about General Jackson.

UNCLE ABRAM:

Hold my words:
General Jackson

will forever be immortalized. His

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