12 Years a Slave · written by John Ridley and Steve McQueen · 2013

Solomon finds Eliza at the Tanner plantation, where she still mourns her children; when she clings to him, Tibeats beats them both until overseer Chapin intervenes.

Scene 112 of 211 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Act two

Tibeats
Solomon
Eliza
Chapin

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:06 into a 2:22 film

The story so farBefore scene 112

After being kidnapped from New York and sold into slavery, Solomon Northup uses his skills and carefully placed trust to survive and seek a way back to his family.

Scenes 1–29
Solomon lives freely in Saratoga as a husband, father, worker, and musician.
Scenes 30–65
Kidnapped and held under the imposed name Platt, Solomon must preserve his life and identity.
Scene 86
Ford takes Solomon, Harry, and Eliza from Freeman; Eliza is dragged away from Emily, committing Solomon to plantation life and its family separations.
Scene 87
Ford brings Solomon and the other captives into plantation life; Solomon must survive within a system that denies his identity.
Just before
Scene 109
Ford reads Scripture about protecting children and the consequences of harming them to the plantation’s gathered slaves.
Scene 110
Ford admits his debts and transfers Solomon to Tibeats, who plans building work at a nearby plantation; Ford promises Solomon he will help if asked.
Scene 111
Tibeats drives Solomon, Sam, and Harry by wagon along Bayou Boeuf to their next assignment.
Scene 112
This scene

112EXT. TANNER PLANATION - LATER

The Solomon arrives on wagon with Tibeats to the Tanner Plantation. As the wagon comes to a stop, Tibeats orders the slaves:

TIBEATS

Gather up your wares, but don't

wander about until I make space

for you.

Tibeats retreats to do just that. He converses with CHAPIN who is the overseer on the plantation.

As he waits, Solomon sees a figure in the near distances pulling up dead plants from the yard. The person is just far enough away Solomon can't clearly make out who it is. Recognition gradually comes to him. He yells to the person.

SOLOMON

Eliza...

The figure looks up. It is Eliza. She makes the LONG TRAVEL over to Solomon, moving slowly at a somnambulistic pace. As she nears, Solomon can see that Eliza looks weary and gaunt. She has grown feeble and emaciated, and is still in mourning for her children. There is no awareness in her eyes.

SOLOMON (CONT'D)

It's Platt. It's Platt, Eliza.

A moment before Eliza, her faculties clearly slipping, recognizes Solomon. A bit, just a bit, of life and light return to her.

ELIZA

Platt...? You knew my babies.

SOLOMON

I did.

ELIZA

Do you recollect how handsome

little Emily was? And Randall...

Do you recall how he loved me more

than anything?

SOLOMON

He did.

ELIZA

I wonder if they are still living.

I think they are still alive. A

child would perish without their

mother, a lesser child. But mine