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

The captain assigns the captives shipboard labor: Robert is sent to cook, while Solomon must haul and clean despite explaining his skills.

Scene 52 of 211 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Act one

Captain
Reed
Biddee
George
Robert
Solomon

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 33 min into a 2:22 film

The story so farBefore scene 52

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 49
Radburn unlocks the prisoners’ shackles and takes them from the hold to the deck.
Scene 50
On deck, Burch pressures Eliza to drink while a woman advises her to accommodate the men for her child’s sake; Eliza slaps her hand away and refuses.
Scene 51
At Norfolk, Burch and Radburn add more captives, including battered Arthur and watchful Robert, then leave; Solomon glares after them as they sail on.
Scene 52
This scene

52I/E. ORLEANS - DAY

As the brig sails, the slaves are seated and huddle on deck. The CAPTAIN, along with his first mate - BIDDEE - move among them, looking them over for prospects to do labor. He demands of one MALE SLAVE:

CAPTAIN

Stand up.

Immediately, and with much trepidation, the slave does as told.

CAPTAIN (CONT'D)

What can you do with yourself?

REED

I can...I can clean.

CAPTAIN

You can clean? Mr. Biddee, get a

mop in this one's hands and get

him to swabbing.

BIDDEE

Sir.

The Captain continues to move among the slaves. Arriving to another:

CAPTAIN

Get up.

Again, and quickly, the slave does as ordered.

CAPTAIN (CONT'D)

What can you do with yourself?

GEORGE

I'm a carpenter.

CAPTAIN

Got no need for that. Two weeks

to New Orleans, you will find a

way to make yourself useful.

GEORGE

I am able with a needle and

thread. Any mending that you

might--

CAPTAIN

Shovel coal is what you can do.

Get him below, Mr. Biddee

The Captain keeps on until he arrives to ROBERT:

CAPTAIN (CONT'D)

Stand up.

Unlike the others, Robert makes no move to stand right away. With more assertion:

CAPTAIN (CONT'D)

Get up.

Robert stands, but does so with little alacrity.

CAPTAIN (CONT'D)

What can you do with yourself?

In quiet defiance Robert doesn't say a word.