12 Years a Slave Page #7

(CONTINUED)

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1/24/13

CONTINUED:

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 31.

45

CUT TO:
*

Solomon, Clemens Ray and Robert, now in mid-conversation.

ROBERT:

I say we fight.

Robert delivers this in a hushed voice.

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SOLOMON:

The crew is fairly small. If itwere well planned, I believethey could be strong armed.

CLEMENS RAY:

Three can’t stand against a whole

crew. The rest here are n*ggers,

born and bred slaves. Niggersain’t got the stomach for a fight,

not a damn one.

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ROBERT:

All I know, we get where wetravelling we’ll wish we’d died

trying.

CLEMENS RAY:

Survival is not about certain

death, it is about keeping yourhead down.

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Solomon looks at Clemens Ray, agitated -- his voice nowraised above the previous whispers. Grits his teeth.

SOLOMON:

Days ago I was with my family, inmy home. Now you tell me all islost. “Tell no one who I really

am” if I want to survive. I don’t

want to survive, I want to live.

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46 OMIT 46 *

47 OMIT 47 *

47A EXT. SEA -DAY 47A *

The steamboat paddles pound the water, filling the wholeframe. The vessel ploughs on south.

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1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 32. 32.

48 OMIT 48 *

48A INT. HOLD -NIGHT 48A *

The slaves are asleep.

A Sailor descends the ladder approaching Eliza. He bends

down and attempts to wake the daughter by caressing herface.

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Solomon rouses, and looks across to witness the scene.

From his vantage point, we see Eliza stand to interruptthe Sailor. The Sailor looks at Eliza, Eliza looks backat him. Knowingly she leads him off into a corner of thehold.

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As she does so, Eliza passes Robert who jumps up to standbetween Eliza and the Sailor. Stretching out a firm handto the sailor’s shoulder, Robert’s look says “No you

don’t.”

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Clemens Ray is awake now, watching.

There is an odd moment of stillness between the Sailor

and Robert, an impasse.

We focus on the Sailor’s face. Slowly, a greasy smileerupts upon it. Back now to Robert’s face, a look of

incomprehension.

Robert looks down. We follow his gaze to the knife thathas already been jabbed unseen between Robert’s ribs.

The sailor withdraws the bloody blade.

A wide shot of the two men. Robert collapses to thefloor like a sack of potatoes.

Clemens Ray and Solomon react. Complete horror.

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49 OMIT 49 *

50 OMIT 50 *

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 33.

51 EXT. ORLEANS/DECK - DAY 51

We are back up on the deck of the ship. SOLOMON AND

CLEMENS RAY dump ROBERT's body over the side of the ship.

Solomon watches as the body churns for a moment in thewake of the vessel... then sinks beneath the water.

Clemens Ray, with no sentimentality:

CLEMENS RAY:

Better off. Better than us.

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51A EXT. NEW ORLEANS HARBOUR - DAY 51A *

Solomon’s POV from the back of the steamship of Robert’s

corpse slipping gracefully into the water.

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52 EXT. NEW ORLEANS/PORT - DAY

-MID MAY, 184152

A white male, fairly smart, with broad shoulders, standsand bellows-

RAY:

Clemens...! Clemens Ray!

We are in the port of New Orleans, one of the busiest inthe young nation.

On the dock itself there is a bustle of activity as goodsare loaded and unloaded from a various ships. It's a bit

of controlled chaos as a VARIETY OF LANGUAGES are spokenand shouted while slaves are shuttled from the Orleans to

a holding pen. Solomon, and all the slaves areoverwhelmed by all that is happening around them.

Two men - among many - are awaiting the arrival of theOrleans. They are JONUS RAY - Clemens Ray's master - andDAVIS who is the solicitor of Mr. Ray. They both looklike they mean business. The moment the gangplank islaid, Ray yells for Clemens.

Clemens, seeing his master, is nearly crazy with delight.

He is, uncharacteristically beside himself. Ironically,

his master now represents "freedom."

(CONTINUED)

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 34.

52 CONTINUED:
52 52 CONTINUED: 52

CLEMENS:

...My master... Master Ray, sir!

Master Ray!

Clemens pulls on his chain. As he does so, Several otherslaves collapse in his effort to reach his master, likedominos.

RAY:

Who is in charge of this vessel?

CAPTAIN:

I am the Captain.

RAY:

I am Mr. Jonus Ray. My solicitorhas documentation verifying thatthe Negro named Clemens Ray is myproperty.

As he reads PAPERS handed to him by Davis:

CAPTAIN:

I know nothing of-

RAY:

You are ordered by court to returnthat property immediately, or facecharges of thievery.

CAPTAIN:

My duty is to transport goods. I

am not responsible for theirorigin.

RAY:

Remove these contraptions!

To his mate:

CAPTAIN:

Free him!

Biddee does as ordered. Once free, Clemens hugs and sobsover his master as would a lost and then found child.

RAY:

It's all well, now, Clemens. You

will return home with me.

(to the Captain)

Consider this notice and warning.

(CONTINUED)

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 35.

52 CONTINUED:
(2) 52 52 CONTINUED: (2) 52

Ray, Davis and Clemens head away. Solomon seems both

desperate and hopeful of some aid from Clemens and Ray.

But there is none forthcoming. Ray and Clemens continueon - Clemens not so much as even looking back inSolomon's direction. Solomon stands and watches as theyfade into the environs and are gone from sight.

53 EXT. NEW ORLEANS/PORT - LATER 53

Hours later. The slaves sit off on one side of the dock,

baking in the sun, awaiting their fate.

THEOPHILUS FREEMAN - a tall, thin-faced man with lightcomplexion and a little bent - moves along the deckcalling out names from a list. The slaves STAND as theyare called.

FREEMAN:

Oren. John. Lethe. Eliza.

Randall. Emily. Platt... Platt!

Solomon does not respond. Freeman looks around. He

spots Solomon.

FREEMAN (CONT'D)

Captain, who shipped that n*gger?

CAPTAIN:

Burch.

Freeman steps to Solomon. He gives him a looking over.

FREEMAN:

Stand up.

Solomon does as told.

FREEMAN (CONT'D)

You fit the description given.

Why didn't you answer when called?

SOLOMON:

My name is not Platt. My name is-

Freeman strikes Solomon hard across the face.

FREEMAN:

Your name is Platt, and I will

teach you your name so that you

don't forget.

(to the Captain)

Shackle my n*ggers. Get them to

my cart.

1/24/13 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 36.

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