
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: 90Epps 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)
1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 62.
91 CONTINUED:
91 91 CONTINUED: 91shooting 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)
1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 63.
92 CONTINUED:
92 92 CONTINUED: 92TREACH (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.
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)
1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 64.
92 CONTINUED:
(2) 92 92 CONTINUED: (2) 92EPPS:
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 Jacksonwill forever be immortalized. His
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