The Birth Of A Nation Page #14

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4/9/15 -WHITE 80

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NAT:

How many slaves you think here? On

all the plantations in-county?

NELSON:

Whole lot.

NAT:

How many white?

SIMON:

But they got guns.

NAT:

We’ll take the armory in Jerusalem.

We’ll have guns too.

HARK:

Jerusalem?

NAT:

That’s right. We’ll start at

Turner’s, then fight our way there.

By then we’ll number in the

hundreds- thousands even. The

grapevine’s ablaze with talk of

fightin’. Slaves just like us, all

over, havin’ meetings. Waitin’ for

somethin’. Waitin’ for us.

The others don’t look so sure.

NAT (CONT’D)

If ever there was a time to have

faith my brothers, it’s now.

WILL:

We make a stop at Fowler place?

NAT:

We will.

WILL:

I’m witchu.

HARK:

(beat)

Me too.

NELSON:

When we fight?

(CONTINUED)

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104

NAT:

Soon. The Lord will provide a sign.

Until then, remain steadfast, readyto strike at the moment of the

Lord’s call.

(beat)

With the strength of our Father,

we’ll cut the head from the

serpent... We’ll destroy them all.

105 INT. TURNER PLANTATION - BIG HOUSE - DEN - DAY 105

Janice, in the room alone, cleans. She moves to a bottom row

of books, dusts them. As she dusts with one hand, the other

pulls a book from her apron, sliding it onto the shelf. As

she removes a different book*

*

A HAND catches her wrist. Startled, she looks up to findIsaiah. Off her terror, we-

CUT TO:

106 INT. SLAVE QUARTERS - NAT’S CABIN - MORNING 106

Nat, dressed for the day’s work, pulls up suspenders beforeheading for the cabin’s exit. He opens the door to find

Isaiah.

ISAIAH:

May I enter.

Nat allows him in, but not before a quick glance outside.

NAT:

Something wrong?

ISAIAH:

There’s much wrong.

(beat, then)

Whether you consider me a friend ornot, I don’t know. But I care what

happens to you. The same way I careabout what happens to every othersoul on this property...

NAT:

If there’s something you need to

say, Isaiah, I’m listening.

ISAIAH:

There was a meeting a few nightsback.

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Nat offers no reaction.

ISAIAH (CONT’D)

While I’m not privy to what was

said, I can assume by it’s secrecy,

it couldn't have been entirely...

productive.

(no response)

Now, I don’t know what ideas swirl

in your head, but I’ve lived enoughto know the result of certain ideas

won’t lead to what you want.

NAT:

All I want, I want for the

oppressed people of God.

ISAIAH:

Do you want death for them? Foryour wife and daughter?

NAT:

If it be God’s will.

ISAIAH:

God’s will? Who’s selected you the

instrument of such things?

NAT:

He has.

ISAIAH:

You walk a dangerous line.

NAT:

In his ordered steps.

ISAIAH:

And you’re sure it’s him doing the

“ordering”.

Nat only stares.

ISAIAH (CONT’D)

I may live in the house, but myhead isn’t in a hole. I know whites

are wrong for what they’ve done andcontinually do. But I also know aman of God is called to lead in

love. Anything else will only leaveus all worse off.

Isaiah studies him a beat before reaching into his suitjacket, pulling from it a BOOK. CLOSER to reveal it is thebook Janice took from the shelf.

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4/21/15 -BLUE 83

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ISAIAH (CONT’D)

(pointed)

He is a God of love, Nat. Don’t

forget that.

He hands him the book before turning towards the door.

NAT:

I won’t.

(beat)

Nor will I forget he is a God ofwrath.

Isaiah turns back locks eyes with Nat a beat, before slippingfrom the cabin.

107 EXT. COTTON FIELD -DAY (VISION 3 MANIFEST) 107

Nat pulls a near full cotton bag through a row. He glances upto notice several slaves have stopped picking, their gazesdirected upward. A shadow creeping across their faces. Natfollows their eyes to see-

THE MOON PASSING IN FRONT OF THE SUN IN A BRILLIANT ECLIPSE.

ANGELIC VOICE (O.S.)

(to Nat, as if carried bythe wind)

The serpent is loosed.

The eclipse passes. As the enslaved go back to picking, Hark,

steps into Nat’s row. Nat holds his gaze.

108 INT. REESE HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT 108

Nat and Cherry lie opposite each other, eyes locked.

NAT:

The Lord’s called me... To stand

and fight.

A long beat, until*

(CONTINUED)

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6/15/15 -YELLOW 84

108

CHERRY:

I knew this day would come. I toldmyself I wouldn’t be scared. All mylife I been prayin’ for the Lord tohelp us, or to send somebody whocould. We all have. Just wasn’t

‘spectin it to be my own husband.

(beat)

If the Lord’s called you to fight,

you fight. You fight for me. ForJoanna. Fight for us all.

Nat pulls her and Joanna into an embrace.

108A INT. REESE PLANTATION - BEDROOM - NIGHT 108A *

Cherry stirs awake to find Nat gone, a cloth-wrapped package *

lies in his place. She opens it to find A BEAUTIFUL DRESS. A *

moment before she flips the bottom hem to find: THE PATCH *

FROM HER PREVIOUS DRESS. Off her look, we-*

CUT TO:
*

108B INT. REESE PLANTATION - BEDROOM - NIGHT 108B *

Cherry lies asleep. As Elizabeth clears of dishes from *

Cherry’s night stand, she tips a glass spilling water onto *

the floor. As she bends to towel it, reaching deep under the *

bed, her hand catches something. Tight on her face as she *

studies something we don’t see. She eyes a sleeping Cherry *

with concern. *

INT. UNKNOWN LOCATION - NIGHT *

A candle dances within a dark room. An OC gust distinguishes *

it. *

109 OMITTED 109

110 OMITTED 110

111 OMITTED 111

(CONTINUED)

4/21/15 -BLUE 85

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*

112 OMITTED 112 *

113 INT. TURNER PLANTATION - BIG HOUSE - SAMUEL’S ROOM - NIGHT 113

Samuel sleeps. A few seconds before he stirs awake, reachesfor a glass of water. He suddenly freezes. As he squints intothe dark, his eyes adjust and he sees the shape of a man.

SAMUEL TURNER:

Who’s there?

Nat takes a half step into a shard of moonlight.

SAMUEL TURNER (CONT’D)

Nat?

NAT:

(directly into his eyes)

Yes.

Before Samuel can utter a response, the glint of a swinging

axe.

114 INT. TURNER PLANTATION - OVERSEER’S BACKHOUSE - NIGHT 114

OVER BLACK we hear a KNOCK. Then another. A lantern flashes

to reveal Jethro, sat up in bed. A YOUNG SLAVE GIRL (10) liesbeside him. Jethro rubs his eyes-

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