12 Years a Slave Page #4

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 15.

A23 INT. GADSBY HOTEL - STAIRCASE A23

Hamilton and Brown help Solomon to lumber up the spiralstaircase, passing the occasional bemused guest.

23 INT. GADSBY HOTEL/SOLOMON'S ROOM - NIGHT 23

Hamilton is placing a spittoon near Solomon's bed, wherea prone and reeling Solomon lays. Hamilton sits on the

bed. As he strokes Solomon's sweaty face, Hamiltonspeaks sweetly.

HAMILTON:

I'm afraid that Brown and I

haven't brought you much luck.

But rough waters bring smooth

sailing. Eventually they do.

SOLOMON:

....So...so sorry...

HAMILTON:

Shhh. We won't hear it. We

won't.

BROWN:

Let him sleep.

HAMILTON:

Hmm. A good night's sleep. And

tomorrow...tomorrow you will feel

as well and refreshed as though

the earth were new again.

Hamilton lingers a bit too long and a bit too close toSolomon for Brown's taste. With more than a bit of

signification:

BROWN:

Hamilton! Nothing more we can do

for him.

HAMILTON:

Such is the pity.

Displaying an odd sort of disappointment, Hamilton slinksaway from the bed. He crosses to, and BLOWS OUT ACANDLE. The room goes dark with a blackness more thannight. Brown and Hamilton exit. Solomon lays in thedark and moans. His sounds becoming MORE AND MOREDISTRESSED.

24 INT. BURCH'S DUNGEON - DAWN 24

(CONTINUED)

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 16.

24 CONTINUED:
24 24 CONTINUED: 24

Solomon stirs, then slowly awakes to his newcircumstances. He finds himself in a nearly lightlessroom about twelve feet square with walls of solid

masonry. There is a thick and well-locked door, a smallwindow covered with iron bars and a shutter. The onlyfurniture is a wood stool and an old fashioned, dirty boxstove. As Solomon rises he sees that his HANDS are

CUFFED - the chain running to a bolt in the ground - andhis LEGS IN IRONS. At first Solomon is incredulous. But

that emotion is replaced first by fury and then panic.

He begins to pull on the chains, fight against them. He

does so with increasing desperation. Solomon flails

about, the sounds of the steel chains whipping andbeating against the masonry. He grunts and screamswithout regard as the cuffs and irons bite into hisflesh, but he cannot pull himself free.

After several minutes of intense effort, Solomon tires,

slows, then finally he collapses. And in this collapsedstate he remains.

25 INT. BURCH'S DUNGEON - MORNING 25

Solomon again awakens. He hears sounds beyond thedoor...footsteps. Eventually the door opens. Enter

JAMES BURCH - who runs the slave pen - and EBENEZERRADBURN who works as a turnkey and overseer.

As the door opens, this is the first light to seep intothe otherwise near-black room. The shine is painful toSolomon's eyes. With no salutation whatsoever, Burchasks:

BURCH:

Well, my boy, how yah feel now?

Solomon rises up as best he can. With all the resolve he

can put together he states what he considers to be fact:

SOLOMON:

I am Solomon Northup. I am a free

man; a resident of Saratoga, New

York. The residence also of my

wife and children who are equally

free. I have papers. You have no

right whatsoever to detain me-

BURCH:

Yah not any-

SOLOMON:

And I promise you -I promise

upon my liberation I will have

satisfaction for this wrong.

BURCH:

Resolve this. Produce your

papers.

(CONTINUED)

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 17.

25 CONTINUED:
25

With confidence Solomon goes to the pocket of histrousers. He searches one, then the other, but they areempty. He feels quickly about himself, but clearly hispapers have been lifted. Solomon's confidence shifts,

but to resolve rather than fear. Papers or none, he willnot be easily cowed. Still, Burch asserts:

BURCH (CONT’D)

Yah no free man. And yah ain't

from Saratoga. Yah from Georgia.

A moment. Not a word spoken among the trio, but Solomonand Burch do some serious eye f***ing, neither manyielding. Burch says again:

BURCH (CONT'D)

Yah ain't a free man. Yah nuthin'

but a Georgia runaway.

Burch waits for Solomon to acquiesce. Solomon does not

in any way. Both men exchange a long and daring stare.

The two are clearly at an intellectual stand off. Burch,

leans to Radburn, SAYS SOMETHING WHICH WE CANNOTDISTINGUISH.

Radburn walks off-camera and returns with a pair of"instruments:" a PADDLE - the flattened portion, which isabout the size in circumference of two open hands, andbored with a small auger in numerous places. He also

carries a WHIP. A cat-o-nine tails; a large rope of manystrands. The strands unraveled and a knot tied at the

extremity of each. Burch says again:

BURCH (CONT'D)

Yah a runaway n*gger from Georgia.

Solomon stands with a quiet stoicism. He will saynothing of the kind.

As that is the case, Solomon is seized by both men. He ispulled over the bench, face downward, shirt still on hisback. Radburn then STEPS ON HIS CHAINS, holding Solomondown in a bent position.

With no preamble, Burch begins to beat Solomon about theback with the paddle. Burch strikes him wordlessly - notaunting, no sneering. Solomon screaming against eachblow. His back immediately SWELLING WITH WELTS ANDBRUISES.

This beating continues on and on and on until quiteliterally Burch WEARS HIMSELF OUT with the effort.

Dripping in sweat and panting:

(CONTINUED)

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 18.

25 CONTINUED:
(2) 25 25 CONTINUED: (2) 25

BURCH (CONT'D)

Yah still insist yah a free man?

SOLOMON:

...I...I insist...

Burch regrets hearing this. Not from sympathy, butrather because he's nearly too tired to go back tobeating Solomon. Yet, as if returning to work, Burchreturns to pummeling Solomon. Burch punctuates the blowswith:

BURCH:

Yah a slave. Yah a Georgia slave!

Burch continues to strike, and strike... This time until

the paddle SNAPS IN HALF. Burch then GRABS THE WHIP.

Hardly missing a stroke, he whips Solomon relentlessly,

the flails cutting into Solomon's back. Again, Burch'sarm tires before Solomon "breaks."

BURCH (CONT'D)

Are yah slave?

SOLOMON:

...No...

Burch goes back to whipping and whipping, and whipping...

SOLOMON'S BACK IS NOW TORN OPEN WITH LACERATIONS AND

OOZING WITH BLOOD. Finally Burch can whip no more. He

pours sweat and sucks air, leaving himself just enoughenergy to take up his instruments and EXIT. Radburn

lingers for a moment. He takes the irons off Solomon'slegs. Opens the window some. As he makes these

gestures, in a patronizing and confidential manner, onewrought with poor sincerity::

RADBURN:

I seen a good many of the blackkind just where yah're. Sick.

Make me sick. Often times the

situation was resolved, and Ithink; what was all the beatin'and abuse for? Things end as theyshould, and the violence was fornaught. So why cause trouble whenthey ain't no cause for it? Be of

a cooperative nature, and thingsdon't need be particularlyunpleasant.

Rate this script:4.2 / 13 votes