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

Brown and Hamilton describe their traveling circus and offer Solomon paid work accompanying them to New York; he accepts, expecting to return when his family does.

Scene 16 of 211 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Act one

Solomon
Hamilton
Brown

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 9 min into a 2:22 film

The story so farBefore scene 16

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.

Scene 1
A butcher carries a sheep from its pen into the slaughter shed; the killing follows in scene 2, while scene 1 establishes the image of captivity.
Scene 9
Jasper asks how he might escape, and Solomon says to “watch your opportunities and strike for freedom”; this is a reading of the line as the story’s theme of waiting for a chance to act.
Just before
Scene 13
Solomon and Anne prepare for bed in a quiet routine that shows their settled marriage.
Scene 14
Anne and the children leave by carriage for their trip while Solomon waves them off and urges them to travel safely.
Scene 15
Mr. Moon introduces Solomon to Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton, who ask to speak with the renowned violinist.
Scene 16
This scene

16INT. MR. MOON'S TAVERN - LATER

We make a jump cut into the tavern. Solomon, Brown and Hamilton are sitting at a table. Brown and Hamilton drink lightly. Solomon abstains.

SOLOMON

A circus?

HAMILTON

That is our usual employee. The

company currently in the city of

Washington.

BROWN

Circus too constricting a word to

describe the talented and merry

band with which we travel. It is

a spectacle unlike most have ever

witnessed. Creatures from the

darkest Africa as yet unseen by

civilized man. Acrobats from the

Orient able to contort themselves

in the most confounding manners.

Men of great strength...

HAMILTON

And Mr. Brown himself; an

internationally renowned

pantomimist.

BROWN

You are too kind.

HAMILTON

As your talents are too great.

BROWN

We are on our way thither to

rejoin the company having left for

a short time to make an excursion

northward for the purpose of

seeing the country, our expenses

paid by an occasional exhibition.

HAMILTON

The reason for our inquiry with

Mr. Moon...

BROWN

Yes. We had just a devil of a

time in procuring music for our

entertainments. Men of true

talent seemingly in short supply.

As we were discussing our

predicament, Mr. Moon suggested we

make acquaintance with you,

praising your skills at every

opportunity.

SOLOMON