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

Solomon opens the package, fits the new strings to his violin, tests them, and begins to play.

Scene 6 of 211 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act one

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 2 min into a 2:22 film

The story so farBefore scene 6

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.
Just before
Scene 3
A dresser cleans the animal casings, sorts them by quality, and groups them into hanks.
Scene 4
A string maker cuts the casings into ribbons, bleaches and straightens them, then wraps the finished strings.
Scene 5
The string maker carries the packaged strings through Saratoga to a townhouse and calls for Mr. Northup.
Scene 6
This scene

6INT. TOWNHOUSE/STUDY - LATER

We are close on a PAIR OF HANDS. BLACK HANDS. They unwrap the package and display the strings.

WE CUT TO the hands stringing a violin. It's not a high end piece, but it is quite nice.

WE CUT TO a wide shot of the study. Sitting in a chair with violin in hand is SOLOMON NORTHUP; a man in his late twenties. Everything about Solomon, his mein and manner, is distinguished. But he, too, seems a hardy individual. Someone who has known manual labor in his time.

Solomon begins to lightly play his violin, as if testing the strings, their tuning. Satisfied, Solomon begins to play vigorously. As he does, we make a HARD CUT TO: