The Birth Of A Nation Page #10

your boy here... a disciplined word

might go a lot further than my

pistol would.

SAMUEL TURNER:

Well, Nat... he’s a good preacher.

EARL FOWLER:

Don’t right mind how good he is.

(pointed)

Long as he say what he s’pose to.

70 EXT. FOWLER PLANTATION - FRONT PORCH - DAY 70

Nat stands on the wooden porch flanked by Earl who cradles ashotgun. Samuel is a bit further back.

A dozen slaves stare wide-eyed. In the BG Hank leads ashackled slave to join the others. This is WILL (30’s, the

scar-faced slave we recognizes from previous scene).

(CONTINUED)

4/9/15 -WHITE 53

70 CONTINUED:
70 70 CONTINUED: 70

Will stands marred and exhausted, his trembling legsstruggling to support his body.

NAT regards the assembly, then turns to Earl, eyes averted.

NAT:

(low)

Mr. Fowler, suh. Regarding mysermon, my plan is to foment inthem concupiscence for song.

EARL:

Concup what?

Samuel, out of earshot, looks on with growing concern.

NAT:

Massa I’m askin’ if you’s opposed

to me using singin’ to keep yo’n*ggers down? As means to sing awayany ‘malignance.’

EARL FOWLER:

That’s fine. Ain’t got no quarrel

with singin’. Long as it don’tinterfere with they workin’.

NAT:

Yes, suh. Thank you, suh.

Nat turns to the slaves, his subservience thaws, his jawtightening slightly.

NAT (CONT’D)

Brethren... I pray you sing to theLord a new song. Sing praise in theassembly of the righteous. Let thesaints be joyful in glory; Let themsing aloud on their beds. Let thehigh praises of God be in themouths of the saints, and a two-

edged sword in their hand, toexecute vengeance on the demonicnations, and punishments on thosepeoples!

Nat builds, as Samuel studies Earl, who watches on seeminglyoblivious to Nat’s innuendos.

NAT (CONT’D)

To bind their kings with chains,

And their nobles with fetters of

iron; To execute on them this

written judgment—

(CONTINUED)

5/8/15 - PINK 54

CONTINUED:
(2) 70 CONTINUED: (2) 70

Crowd members observe, rapt. Will glances toward Nat.

NAT (CONT’D)

This honor have all His saints!

Praise the Lord! Sing to Him a new

song!

CROWD MEMBERS:

-Hallelujah! -Amen! -Yes Lord!

On Nat, regaining his bearings. A female VOICE OS starts up a

spiritual.

*

*

71 EXT. REESE PLANTATION - BACK HOUSE - DAY 71

Cherry pumps water from a well near the forest’s edge. As shefills a bucket, she hears a SOUND. She glances up to see-

COBB, eyes glued on hers.

COBB:

What you doing out so late, girl?

CHERRY:

Evenin’, suh. I’m just pullingwater for the missus.

COBB:

I don’t suppose you got a pass

anywhere under that purty dress?

CHERRY:

No suh. I belongs to Massa Guilesand this here his property.

COBB:

You sassin’ me, girl?

No suh.

CHERRY:

COBB:

Anybody that knows nothing, knowsstate law says “if a n*gger is lessthan ten paces from the treeline,

that n*gger needs a pass.”

Cherry eyes the treeline, which lies only a few feet away.

CHERRY:

Well suh, I can go get one

(CONTINUED)

5/8/15 - PINK 55

CONTINUED:
71 CONTINUED: 71

COBB:

You aint goin’ no where. Either

you’re gonna show me a pass...

Or you gon’ show me something else.

Cobb takes a step forward. Cherry steps back, right into-

JESSE:

Another of Cobb’s men emerges from the trees surrounding her.

Off Cobb’s contorted smile, we-

CUT TO:

72 OMITTED 72 *

73 EXT. TURNER PLANTATION - BIG HOUSE - DUSK 73

Isaiah pulls a robe tight as he reaches the front door. Heopens it to find Nat, distraught. Isaiah steps onto theporch, closing the door behind him. They speak in whispers.

NAT:

I need to talk to Samuel.

ISAIAH:

Samuel has retired for the evenin’.

NAT:

Cherry’s been hurt. I need a pass

to go see her.

(CONTINUED)

73 CONTINUED:

5/8/15 - PINK 56

73

ISAIAH:

I just said, he’s retired.

NAT:

And I just said Cherry, my wife,

your sister in Christ has been hurt-

ISAIAH:

It’s going to have to wait til

mornin’.

NAT:

Isaiah, if you don’t go get Samuel,

right now, I’m gonna go get him

myself.

ISAIAH:

And what if he doesn’t let you go?

(re:
Nat’s no answer)

Let me guess, you gonna go anyway?

(no answer)

Nat, I’m real sorry for whatever

happened to Cherry, but you can’t

run around here with your chestpoked out making demands. We areniggers! I’d have thought you’d

learned by now.

NAT:

We ain’t n*ggers, Isaiah. We men.

I’d have thought you’d learn that

by now.

And with that, Nat reaches past Isaiah, opens the door andstrides into the house.

74 INT. TURNER PLANTATION - BIG HOUSE - STAIRS - DUSK 74 *

Nat bounds the stairs, Isaiah races to get in front. Janiceemerges from her quarters, Isaiah waves her back in. At thetop of the stairs, Isaiah cuts off Nat’s path.

ISAIAH:

(harsh whisper)

Alright, damn it! I’ll get him. *

74A INT. TURNER PLANTATION - BIG HOUSE - SAMUEL’S ROOM - DUSK 74A

Samuel lies passed out in his clothes. Liquor bottles litterthe night stand. A soft knock wakes him.

ISAIAH (O.S.)

Master Sam? Suh?

(CONTINUED)

6/15/15 -YELLOW 56A

74A CONTINUED:
74A 74A CONTINUED: 74A

Sam stirs.

SAMUEL TURNER:

What?

(CONTINUED)

4/21/15 -BLUE

57

CONTINUED:
(2)

ISAIAH (O.S.) *

(his best docile voice)

I’m so sorry to disturb you, suh, *

but Nat needs to speak to you. *

Something awful has happened.

SAMUEL TURNER *

Whatever it is, tell him I’ll get *

to it in mornin’. *

Silence, until-*

ISAIAH (O.S.) *

Suh? *

(re:
no answer) *

Suh? If you could just see Nat for *

one moment-

SAMUEL TURNER *

God damn it Isaiah... *

(swings his feet off the *

side of the bed) *

Tell him I’ll meet him on the *

porch.

NAT (O.S.) *

I’m right here, suh. *

SAMUEL TURNER:

(beat) *

Well you might as well come in.

Isaiah pushes the door open. Samuel lies on the bed fullyclothed. He swings his legs off the side of the bed. *

Isaiah enters with a hesitant smile. Nat follows, takes in

the room he hasn’t been in since his captivity was extended.

ISAIAH:

Again, suh, I’m so sorry-

SAMUEL TURNER:

What’s wrong Nat?

NAT:

Just got word from Reese’s farm.

Cherry... she’s been hurt real bad.

SAMUEL TURNER:

Hurt?

NAT:

Yes, suh... A group of men...

(CONTINUED)

6/15/15 -YELLOW 57A

74A CONTINUED:
(3) 74A 74A CONTINUED: (3) 74A

SAMUEL TURNER:

When’d this happen?

(CONTINUED)

74A CONTINUED:
(4)

5/8/15 - PINK 58

74A

NAT:

Some time yesterday I reckon’.

SAMUEL TURNER:

(beat)

Isaiah, fetch me some paper.

Isaiah promptly snaps to.

SAMUEL TURNER (CONT’D)

Don’t you go down there stirrin’ up

trouble? Take Jupiter, stay thenight, get on back in the mornin’.

NAT:

Yes’suh.

*

Isaiah arrives with paper and pen. Samuel jots a note andhands it off to Nat.

NAT (CONT’D)

Thank you, suh.

Nat exits, followed by Isaiah who smiles, bows as he exits.

75 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT 75

Nat rides like a man possessed, pulling every bit of speedpossible from the colt.

76 INT. REESE PLANTATION - SERVANT QUARTERS - NIGHT 76

Cherry’s bed sits draped by a translucent mosquito net.

Elizabeth, eyes wet, sways nearby in a rocking chair, Joanna

asleep in her arms. She stills as Nat follows Catherine.

ON NAT:

*

*

*

*

Who halts when he sees the bed, its contents silhouetted by

the netting.

CATHERINE:

We’re prayin’ for her, Nat. All of

us.

(beat)

Monsters...

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Nat approaches the bedside, he pulls at the net’s opening to

reveal*

*

CHERRY. Her face swollen and unrecognizable. *

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