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

Burch and Radburn wake the captives at night and force Eliza and her children out of the cell for what Radburn disguises as a boat trip.

Scene 42 of 211 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act one

Burch
Eliza
Radburn

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 29 min into a 2:22 film

The story so farBefore scene 42

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 39
Solomon argues that Brown and Hamilton will secure their release; Clemens challenges his faith in them and recalls Brown’s shabby performance.
Scene 40
Clemens predicts they will be sold in New Orleans, while John insists his master will redeem him; Burch brings Eliza and her children, who reunite in the yard.
Scene 41
In the cell, Eliza tells Solomon how her former master promised freedom but his family instead sold her and her children into harsher bondage.
Scene 42
This scene

42INT. BURCH'S DUNGEON - NIGHT

It's the deep of night, all are sleeping. A KEY TURNS IN THE LOCK AND THE DOOR OPENS. Burch enters with Radburn beside him. Both carry LANTERNS with them. Hardly giving Solomon and Eliza a moment to rouse themselves, Burch demands:

BURCH

Come on. Get yer blankets. Get

up.

Sensing that things will not end well:

ELIZA

No, please don't...

BURCH

I don't want to hear yer talk.

Get in the yard.

ELIZA

Please...

Radburn, stepping in, seeming reasonable:

RADBURN

Ain't no need for all that. Yah

frightenin' the chil'ren.

Putting hand to Randall's head.

RADBURN (CONT'D)

Jus takin' a li'l trip, tha's all.

Don't want to frighten the

chil'ren none over a li'l boat

ride, do yah?

Eliza gives a shake of her head to the negative.

RADBURN (CONT'D)

Alright then. Git yerselves up.