The Birth Of A Nation Page #15

KNOCK! KNOCK!

(CONTINUED)

4/21/15 -BLUE 86

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JETHRO:

Wait a goddamn minute!

He staggers to the door, shirtless and half asleep. Just ashe pulls the door open-

THWACK!!!! He’s axed out of frame.

Will takes a step inside wielding a massive SLEDGEHAMMER. Helifts it high over his head. The finishing blow cuts us to

115 INT. TURNER PLANTATION - BIG HOUSE - HALLWAY - (NIGHT) 115

Samuel crawls along his stomach, blood seeping from mouth. *

Nat walks behind him, axe in his hand. Samuel props himselfagainst the wall and we see the deep gash in his chest.

Samuel and Nat’s eyes stay locked a long beat. Nat turns,

exits. On Samuel, left with his thoughts until his eyesslowly sag shut.

116 INT. SLAVE QUARTERS - NANA’S CABIN - (NIGHT) 116

Nancy lies asleep under dim candlelight. Nat sits bedside.

NAT:

Mama.

She wakes; instinctively reaches for her field clothes.

NANCY:

Nat? Oh, Lord, I slept too late?

Nat gently catches her hand.

NAT:

You don’t have to work today, mama.

NANCY:

What?

NAT:

You’re free.

She stares closely at Nat, suddenly noticing the blood on hisface, clothes and hands.

NAT (CONT’D)

The battle has begun, ma.

(toward the cabin door)

Simon.

Simon pokes his head in.

(CONTINUED)

4/9/15 -WHITE 87

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NAT (CONT’D)

Simon’s gonna take you to Reese's.

I need you to take care of Cherryand Joanna until I return...

(re:
Nancy’s sad look)

What’s wrong?

NANCY:

Nothin’. I’m proud of you.

She pulls Nat into an embrace.

NANCY (CONT’D)

You fight. I’ll pray.

PRELAP - SOUND of intense vomiting.

117 EXT. SLAVE QUARTERS - NANA’S CABIN - NIGHT 117

Nat stands keeled over, steadying himself against a tree.

VOICE (O.S.)

Nat.

Nat turns to find Hark.

HARK:

Everybody’s ready.

118 EXT. SLAVE QUARTERS - COURTYARD - NIGHT 118

Nat, atop Jupiter, stares down at the many faces. Hark, Will,

Nelson and Jasper are mounted at his flank. As Nat opens hismouth to speak-Isaiah arrives in his blood-streaked robe.

Delirious, he CHARGES Nat, Will steps in his way.

ISAIAH:

Boy, what did you do?!

No answer.

ISAIAH (CONT’D)

You killed him... You killed us!

(to all, in tears)

He’s killed us! Every one of us is

already dead!

He lunges for Nat, but Will catches him, shoves him to theground. Isaiah staggers away, distraught, leaving a somberfeeling over the group.

(CONTINUED)

5/8/15 - PINK 88

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NAT:

Your earthly master is gone.

You are now free men and woman,

servants of only the Lord.

A murmur spreads throughout.

NAT (CONT’D)

As the sword of the Lord bears down

on our enemies, our ancestors and

unborn children rejoice.

(beat)

Are we dead? No. I say we are now

alive, seeing through eyes that

have been denied us since being

born into the darkness of bondage.

Stand with us... that your other

captive brothers and sisters may

also know freedom. Stand, that our

children, for generations to come

will know that with the

supernatural power of God, we

straightened our backs against the

works of the evil one.

A male steps forward. Then another. And other, until everyable man has stepped up. Off their determined looks

119 EXT. WOODS -NIGHT 119

-- A group of torch-wielding REBELS gallop past camera. *

120 INT. PLANTATION HOME - (NIGHT) 120

--TIGHT ON A LIT WALL to reveal SHADOWS axing down on a bed. *

BLOOD sprays against the wall with the last blow. *

121 OMITTED 121

122 INT. PLANTATION HOME - (NIGHT) 122

--Nat stands in a room of an estate, eyes a military swordmounted on the wall. A REBEL and a SLAVEOWNER wrestle in the

BG.

5/8/15 - PINK

89

123 EXT. FOWLER PLANTATION - NIGHT 123

Nat, sword fitted to his hip, sits atop Jupiter amongst hismen. They eye the Big House in the distance. Will trots up toNat.

WILL:

Can I do this m’sef?

Nat nods. Will dismounts, pulls a SHORT AXE from his belt. He

walks calmly toward the Big House, casually climbs the porch

steps before entering.

*

*

Several long moments pass. Hark crosses past Jasper to Nat.

HARK:

Should we go check on him?SMASH!

A BODY explodes through the second floor window, lands in abloody, lifeless heap! Jasper nearly jumps out of his skin.

Before anyone else can react-

The front door crashes open and a man we recognize as EarlFowler sprints toward us. Will bolts through the doorway inpursuit, gaining on him with every step.

EARL runs wildly, until he suddenly STOPS, realizing hestands in front of Nat and nearly forty armed rebels.

EARL FOWLER:

No...

(stumbles backward)

NO!

Just as he turns, SHUNK!

Will’s axe hacks into his neck. Will straddles Earl’s body,

raises his axe and chops with measured focus. He finallyrises, holding Earl’s steaming head by the hair. He tosses itinto the nearby brush, before remounting his horse.

For a moment, no one even breathes. Then-

The boy!

HARK:

All look around. Hark and Nat lock eyes.

5/8/15 - PINK

90

124 EXT. WOODS -(R. PLANTATION) - NIGHT 124

A FIGURE sprints through the dark. He burst into a clearing,

approaching the back section of a large, familiar house. Ashe arrives to the back door, he bangs repeatedly with all hismight. The door finally swings open to reveal-

ABNER:

We reverse to see our messenger is JASPER.

125 EXT. RANDALL PLANTATION - NIGHT 125

Nat and his men arrive to the plantation entrance. As the menpush forward-

NAT:

(hard whisper)

Wait.

The men stop. Nat stares out at the Big House and surroundingstructures. He squints into the dark. Did something move?

BANG!

A bullet slams into Nelson’s head. Gunfire erupts. *

The men scramble for cover. Will returns fire. Hark

dismounts, scurries to Nelson who lies dead; a bullet hole

cut into his temple.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

RANDALL (O.S.)

Hey, “preacher”. I know you out

there! C’mon. Me and my boys is

ready!

Nat sees a dozen slaves appear on the lawn with guns.

RANDALL (O.S.)(CONT’D)

Ya’ll gonna hang! You hear me?! All

of ya!

NAT:

Hark!

Hark dodges gunfire, joins him.

NAT (CONT’D)

Tell the men to fall back.

HARK:

What?

(CONTINUED)

5/8/15 - PINK 91

125 CONTINUED:
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NAT:

If we have a gun fight now, we’ll

never make it to Jerusalem-

HARK:

That man had my wife- now herbrother! I want my revenge, too!

NAT:

This ain’t about revenge, Hark.

They have all had our wives and

killed all our brothers!

(beat)

The root, not the branch. We must

stay focused, brother.

A long beat before Hark nods.

HARK:

(to others)

Pull back.

126 EXT. RANDALL PLANTATION - YARD - SAME 126 *

John Randall squats beside Abner and Jasper. They levelrifles toward the trees.

TIGHT ON JASPER:

His face, a picture of shame.

127 EXT. OLD ROAD -DAWN 127

Nat, followed by Will, Hark and others jogs from the denseforest, arriving to a clearing. Nat studies the treeline asmen continue to trickle in. Nearly fifty men in all. Even asthe last man emerges, Nat continues to eye the trees.

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