The Birth Of A Nation Page #17

(CONTINUED)

5/8/15 - PINK 96A

134 CONTINUED:
134 134 CONTINUED: 134

NAT (CONT’D)

How old are you?

REBEL BOY 1

Fifteen, suh.

REBEL BOY 2

Fourteen, suh.

(CONTINUED)

5/8/15 - PINK 97

134 CONTINUED:
(2) 134 134 CONTINUED: (2) 134

Nat studies their scared faces. A long beat until-

NAT:

You’ve done good. You’ve been brave

in fighting...

(beat)

But, it’s time to go home. If you

get stopped on the way, tell them

you didn’t have anything to do with

this. Tell them you ran when the

killing started.

The boys slowly stand, unsure.

NAT (CONT’D)

Go’on, now.

They run off into the woods, leaving Nat alone.

135 EXT. DISMAL SWAMP - DAY 135

Nat runs through the swamp, splashing through the soggymarsh. He stops at a massive overturned tree, catches hisbreath. He burrows beneath the tangled roots.

136 OMITTED 136 *

137 INT. ARMORY -DAY 137

ANGLE ON a YOUNG WHITE SOLDIER, musket raised, as he arrives

to Hark who holds his seeping wound. Hark, moments fromdeath, eyes the soldier.

HARK:

John Clark?

JOHN CLARK:

(lowers his weapon)

Hey, Hark.

A moment between them, before a passing MILITIAMAN impales *

Hark with his bayonet. On John Clark, as he processes. *

6/15/15 -YELLOW

98

138 OMITTED 138

139 INT. REESE PLANTATION - BIG HOUSE - DINING ROOM - DAY 139

General Childs, joined by his LIEUTENANT, sits before Cherry *

who wears her new dress. Elizabeth stands close, flanked by *

John Clark. We notice their hands clasped. Catherine and

Nancy hover just behind. Nancy holds Joanna who cries.

GENERAL CHILDS:

You don’t know where he is?

CHERRY:

No, suh. *

GENERAL CHILDS:

And he never mentioned nothing on a

insurrection.

CHERRY:

No, suh.

General Childs eyes her hard. *

GENERAL CHILDS *

When’s the last time you saw him? *

ELIZABETH TURNER

She’s told you everything she *

knows. *

GENERAL CHILDS:

Elizabeth, I’ve known you a long

time, and got a lot of respect for

you and your family, but you’re

interfering with something real

important. A lot of people were

killed the last twenty-four hours.

(CONTINUED)

6/15/15 -YELLOW 99

139 CONTINUED:
139 139 CONTINUED: 139

ELIZABETH TURNER

I know. One of them was my son.

GENERAL CHILDS:

(to Nancy)

So Samuel sent you here to ‘help

out’?

NANCY:

Yes, suh.

GENERAL CHILDS:

How long before the killin’ did youand the boy leave? *

NANCY:

Oh, suh, I don’t know nothing aboutno killin-*

ELIZABETH TURNER *

General! *

GENERAL CHILDS:

(to Lieutenant)

Go get me that boy...

(to Nancy)

Why would Samuel send a field handto help in the house?

ELIZABETH TURNER *

Our hands often go from field tohouse when needed. Not every familytreats their slaves with your levelof savagery.

GENERAL CHILDS:

Not every slave treats theirmasters with the level of savagery

yours done.

Childs’ lieutenant returns with a terrified Simon.

GENERAL CHILDS (CONT’D)

(to Simon)

Boy, what did Samuel tell you thatnight? You lie to me, I’ll kill ya.

SIMON:

Massa Samuel told me to bring MissNancy to help out for a day or two.

GENERAL CHILDS:

And he gave you a pass?

(CONTINUED)

6/15/15 -YELLOW 99A

139 CONTINUED:
(2) 139 139 CONTINUED: (2) 139

SIMON:

Yes, suh.

(CONTINUED)

6/15/15 -YELLOW 100

139 CONTINUED:
(3) 139 139 CONTINUED: (3) 139

GENERAL CHILDS:

You still got it?

Catherine goes to a nearby drawer, produces a crumpled pieceof paper. General Childs examines it.

ELIZABETH TURNER

If you’re done with your questions,

we’d like to get back to mourning.

General Childs tosses the paper, onto the table, along withseveral coins.

ELIZABETH TURNER (CONT’D)

What’s that for?

GENERAL CHILDS:

We’re taking the boy.

Simon’s face falls. *

ELIZABETH TURNER

You most certainly are not!

GENERAL CHILDS:

(to John Clark)

Let’s go.

JOHN CLARK:

Everything will be alright, mama.

As John Clark and Elizabeth embrace-

JOHN CLARK (CONT’D)

(whisper)

They ain’t gon’ find him. Not

unless he wants to be found.

He offers a solemn smile before he joins General Childs, hisLieutenant and Simon. They exit, leaving only silence, until-

A BANG OS.

Elizabeth rushes to the window to see Simon dead on the lawn.

General Childs mounts his horse, tips his hat to Elizabethbefore he and his men head off.

140 OMITTED

5/8/15 - PINK

101

141 EXT. TOWN SQUARE - DAY 141

-- We track across a group of Rebels standing on a woodenplatform. Nooses are fitted around their necks. Tight on amale slave, as he drops out of frame. The rope fills theframe, taut.

142 EXT. WOODS -DUSK 142 *

-- Two black men sit beaten and tied to a tree. Liquid issplashed across their faces. A white hand, holding a litmatch creeps into frame.

143 EXT. PLANTATION - FIELD - DAY 143 *

--We start in close on the pocket of a pair of overalls. We *

pull backwards to reveal a deceased BOY 11 wears them as he *

hangs by the neck. We continue our pull to reveal- Black *

bodies of all sizes hang like ornaments on the branches of a *

massive fallen oak tree. *

144 EXT. REESE PLANTATION - BACK YARD - DAY 144

Cherry hangs clothes near the treeline. Catherine sits on theporch in the distance, drifting in a rocking chair.

VOICE (O.S.)

(whisper)

Cherry...

Cherry freezes.

VOICE (O.S.) (CONT’D)

It’s Nat, love.

(then)

Keep on working.

She quakes visibly as she returns to the hanging clothes.

CHERRY:

They looking for you.

NAT (O.S.)

Did they hurt you?

CHERRY:

No.

NAT (O.S.)

How is Joanna?

(CONTINUED)

5/8/15 - PINK 101A

144 CONTINUED:
144 144 CONTINUED: 144

CHERRY:

She fine.

(CONTINUED)

4/9/15 -WHITE 102

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NAT (O.S.)

And Mama.

CHERRY:

She fine too.

Cherry shoots a nervous glance toward Catherine.

NAT (O.S.)

You heard anything on the others?

CHERRY:

They been hanged... All of them.

They killing people everywhere. Forno reason at all, but being black.

Say the killin’ won’t stop til they

get you...

(then)

All this time, I thought... I

thought you were dead, too.

NAT (O.S.)

I’m here... I’ll always be.

CHERRY:

I miss you so much...

No answer. She stops.

CHERRY (CONT’D)

Nat?

CATHERINE (O.S.)

Cherry, who are you talking to?

Cherry turns to find Catherine just behind her. Cherry wipesher face. Catherine surveys the area, sees nothing.

CHERRY:

I was just talking to myself...

wishing things was different.

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