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

Freeman leads the newly arrived captives into his crowded, walled pen, where the other enslaved people look on despondently.

Scene 67 of 211 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act one

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 43 min into a 2:22 film

The story so farBefore scene 67

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.
Scenes 30–65
Kidnapped and held under the imposed name Platt, Solomon must preserve his life and identity.
Just before
Scene 64
At New Orleans, Arthur’s legal owner secures his release and takes him away, while Solomon watches in vain for help.
Scene 65
At Freeman’s New Orleans market, Freeman imposes the name Platt on Solomon and carts the captives away; Ford’s purchase comes later.
Scene 66
As Freeman’s cart crosses New Orleans, Solomon sees the scars, brands, shackles, and chain gangs that reveal slavery as an entrenched system.
Scene 67
This scene

67EXT. FREEMAN'S SLAVE PEN - LATER

"Burch's stock:" arrive at Freeman's slave pen. They are led in by Freeman and his "HOUSE SLAVE" BOB - a mulatto slave. The yard is enclosed by plank, standing upright, with ends sharpened instead of brick walls as with Burch's. Including Burch's group there are about 30 SLAVES in the pen.

Solomon and the others look around and see nothing but downtrodden and despondent faces who quietly stare back at this new batch of arrivals.