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

In an ornate room, Freeman drills the captives on how to stand and line up so they will appear more marketable.

Scene 70 of 211 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act one

Freeman
Tall Slave

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 43 min into a 2:22 film

The story so farBefore scene 70

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 67
Freeman leads the newly arrived captives into his crowded, walled pen, where the other enslaved people look on despondently.
Scene 68
Freeman has the enslaved men and women wash and groom themselves while he inspects them.
Scene 69
The captives receive clean clothes selected for their sex and are prepared for sale.
Scene 70
This scene

70INT. FREEMAN'S/GREAT ROOM - LATER

It's an odd, ironic scene. The slaves are in a large and fairly ornate room within Freeman's house. Bob plays a tune on a fiddle - background music - as Freeman tries to line up the slaves. It has the air of an etiquette class, though what Freeman is trying to do is coach the slaves into being more "sellable." He works with them in groups of five or so.

FREEMAN

Tallest to smallest, understand?

Are yah taller than her?

TALL SLAVE

Yes, sir.

FREEMAN

Then yah'd go before her, wouldn't

yah?

TALL SLAVE

Yes, suh.

FREEMAN

Then do it. Move.