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

Forced to wash naked with the other captives, Solomon comforts the crying Randall by promising his mother will come.

Scene 37 of 211 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act one

Radburn
Randall
Solomon

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 25 min into a 2:22 film

The story so farBefore scene 37

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 34
In daylight, the cell door opens and Solomon steps out into the yard.
Scene 35
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 36
Radburn brings Solomon a dirty shirt and takes the shirt his wife gave him; Solomon reluctantly changes, thanks him, then refuses the food.
Scene 37
This scene

37EXT. BURCH'S DUNGEON/YARD - DAY

Solomon, Clemens Ray, John and Randall are in the yard. ALL STAND NAKED. Though they try to cover their privates a bit, they are all aware of the uselessness of modesty. Radburn is present. He has before him A COUPLE OF BUCKETS OF COLD WATER. He throws water on the naked men.

RADBURN

Go on. Warsh up.

The men, soaking in humility as well as water, begin to scrub with A SINGLE HARSH BAR OF SOAP passed among them.

RADBURN (CONT'D)

The boy, too. Get him clean.

Solomon takes some soap and rubs it over Randall.

RADBURN (CONT'D)

Scrub now. Git 'em clean.

Solomon scrubs harder. Randall - clearly cold and uncomfortable - begins to cry, becoming nearly inconsolable.

RANDALL

Mama...! Mama! Is she going to

come?

RADBURN

Hush him up!

Doing all he can to spare the child from a certain beating:

SOLOMON

Quiet, please.

RANDALL

Mama!

RADBURN

Shut him up!

Saying anything to keep the boy quiet:

SOLOMON

Your mother will come, I swear she

will, but you must be silent.

Please. Be silent!

On the seeming strength of Solomon's promise, Randall goes silent. Solomon looks to Radburn, who just throws water on the soapy men.