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

Solomon meets fellow captives Clemens and John and the child Randall in the yard; Randall asks for his mother, but Radburn drives him away.

Scene 35 of 211 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act one

Randall
Radburn

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 23 min into a 2:22 film

The story so farBefore scene 35

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.
Scene 30
Solomon is drugged and abducted in New York, abruptly ending his free life and beginning his captivity.
Scene 31
After Solomon is drugged and abducted in scene 30, he wakes in chains and discovers that he has been stolen from his free life.
Just before
Scene 32
Burch rejects Solomon’s claim to freedom and beats and whips him until he is bloodied; Radburn warns that resistance will bring worse, but Solomon keeps calling for help.
Scene 33
The view pulls from Solomon’s barred cell across Washington’s government buildings, contrasting his captivity with the nation’s symbols of freedom.
Scene 34
In daylight, the cell door opens and Solomon steps out into the yard.
Scene 35
This scene

35EXT. BURCH'S DUNGEON/YARD - CONTINUOUS

It is a yard just beyond Burch's. The yard is hemmed in by a brick wall. In the yard are two men, and a boy. The oldest is CLEMENS RAY a man of about 25 years of age. He is well educated, but overwhelmed with fear by the situation. JOHN WILLIAMS is about 20 years old. He is born and bred a slave, and is lacking in education. Finally there is a child about 10 years of age who answers to the name of Randall. Randall is running around the yard chasing a butterfly.

For a long moment the three men just stare at each other, wary of one another. Though they are clearly in similar circumstances, for the moment they choose to keep their distance.

Radburn is ever present, though he remains off to one side.

Randall runs up to Solomon, asks rather innocently:

RANDALL

Do you know when my mama will

come?

Solomon doesn't know what to say. Before he has a chance to answer Radburn crosses over and shoos Randall away.

RADBURN

Get away from him.

RANDALL

When will my mama come?

RADBURN

Yah hear? Get.

Randall runs off. The three men maintain their distance.