Convicts

DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY.

COME ON. COME ON. COME ON. COME ON.

HERE. COME ON NOW.

MOVE IT! MOVE IT! COME ON NOW!

MARTHA.

MARTHA.

ARE YOU AWAKE?

I AM NOW.

YOU HEAR THEM HOUNDS?

THEY RUNNIN' AFTER THAT CONVICT

THAT'S TRYIN' TO GET AWAY.

RECKON SO.

KEEP GOING, FELLAS!

MOVE IT OUT THERE, GOD DAMN IT.

MOVE IT OUT! YES, SIR!

HOLD ON.

MOVE! MOVE!

COME ON, Y'ALL.

GOD DAMN IT! MOVE IT OUT!

I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THAT MAN.

COME ON, NOW. LET'S GET HIM!

BEN. BEN.

THEY'RE SHOOTIN'.

I HEAR 'EM.

YOU THINK THEY KILLED HIM?

GOD KNOWS.

IT'S QUIET NOW. GO BACK TO SLEEP.

ASA, WHY AREN'T THOSE CONVICTS OUT IN THE FIELD WORKIN'?

GOD ONLY KNOWS.

WE'LL HEAD BACK TO TOWN AS SOON AS WE FINISH UP HERE.

GIVE ME A DRINK OF THAT WHISKEY.

AS SOON AS I'VE FINISHED.

BEFORE WE GO BACK TO TOWN,

I HAVE TO STOP BY MY PAPA'S PLANTATION.

WHAT FOR?

I LIKE TO CHECK ON THINGS OUT THERE WHEN HE'S GONE.

HMM, LOOK AT THAT GUARD OVER THERE.

WHAT'S GOIN' ON AROUND HERE?

I EXPECT WE'LL BE COMIN' OUT HERE

BEFORE TOO LONG FOR UNCLE SOLL'S FUNERAL.

AW, ASA.

THE OLD BUZZARD CAN'T LAST MANY MORE CHRISTMASES.

WELL, YOU'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR THE LAST 5 CHRISTMASES.

WHOA.

I'LL GO SEE IF HE'S INSIDE.

DON'T BE LONG.

MR. SOLL.

MR. SOLL.

MR. SOLL.

NOWHERE AROUND.

GODDAMN CHRISTMAS WILL BE RUINED FOR SURE NOW.

I'LL BE RIGHT OUT.

HURRY UP NOW.

MARTHA.

OH, GOOD MORNIN', MR. BILLY.

WHERE IS HORACE?

HE'S GONE FISHIN'.

WHERE IS MR. SOLL?

OH, HE'S AROUND SOMEPLACE.

HE SENT FOR THE SHERIFF.

ONE OF THEM CONVICTS KILLED ANOTHER ONE AND RUN OFF.

THEY GOT ALL THE REST LOCKED UP THERE IN THE QUARTERS

TO KEEP THEM FROM FIGHTIN' AMONGST THEMSELVES.

IS THAT WHY IT'S SO QUIET AROUND HERE?

NO ONE OUT IN THE FIELDS.

I THOUGHT MAYBE HE GAVE THE CONVICTS THE DAY OFF

BECAUSE OF CHRISTMAS EVE.

YOU KNOW MR. SOLL DON'T GIVE NOBODY NO TIME OFF.

HE'LL WORK 'EM CHRISTMAS DAY, TOO. ALWAYS HAS.

THE ONLY REASON THAT THEY AIN'T OUT IN THE FIELDS NOW

IS SO THAT TROUBLE WON'T SPREAD.

OH, MY GOD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HORACE'S PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT,

LETTIN' HIM WORK OUT IN THIS GODFORSAKEN PLACE.

WOULD YOU GO SEE IF YOU COULD FIND HIM?

YES, SIR.

MARTHA, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING?

TRYING TO FIND HORACE.

WHAT?

YOU SEEN HORACE?

NOT FOR A SPELL.

IF YOU SEE HIM, WOULD YOU TELL HIM

MR. BILLY VAUGHN IS LOOKING FOR HIM UP THERE AT THE STORE.

YOU ALL RIGHT?

I CAN'T FIND HIM. BEN HASN'T SEEN HIM EITHER.

GIVE ME SOME MORE WHISKEY.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

WELL, I'M GOIN' UP TO UNCLE SOLL'S

AND GET ME SOME MORE.

HORACE, WHERE YOU BEEN?

I BEEN DOWN TO THE FIELD WHERE THEY FOUND THE DEAD CONVICT.

WELL, MR. BILLY WANTS YOU TO GO INTO HARRISON FOR CHRISTMAS.

WELL, I WON'T LEAVE UNTIL MR. SOLL GETS BACK.

HE TOLD ME YESTERDAY THAT HE'D PAY ME TODAY.

AND HE TOLD YOU THE DAY BEFORE THAT HE'D PAY YOU YESTERDAY.

DID HE DO IT?

NO.

I WOULDN'T BE WASTING MY BREATH

WAITING ON HIM TO PAY YOU TODAY.

I DON'T WANT TO GO UNTIL I GET MY MONEY.

THERE'S STILL NO TOMBSTONE ON MY DADDY'S GRAVE,

AND I WANT TO MAKE A DOWN PAYMENT ON ONE.

IT WORRIES ME TO DEATH

THAT THERE'S STILL NO TOMBSTONE ON MY DADDY'S GRAVE.

HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK ONE WOULD COST ME?

I DON'T KNOW.

AIN'T YOUR FOLKS GONNA BE MAD WITH YOU

IF YOU DON'T GET HOME FOR CHRISTMAS DAY?

MY FOLKS DON'T CARE WHAT I DO.

YES, THEY DO. SURE THEY DO.

NO, THEY DON'T.

MY DADDY CARED, BUT HE'S DEAD.

I SAW THE GRAVE THEY BURIED THE MURDERED CONVICT IN.

THEY GOT NO MARKER ON IT. WHAT WAS HIS NAME?

I DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS NAME IS.

I DON'T BE STUDYIN' THEM CONVICTS.

HORACE! HORACE!

COMIN', BEN.

I'M TIRED OF WAITIN' OUT HERE. TAKE THE GUN AND WATCH HIM FOR A SPELL

WHILE I GO INSIDE. IT WON'T BE LONG.

STAY WAY OVER HERE OUT OF THE REACH OF HIS CHAIN.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LET HIM GET A HOLD OF THAT GUN.

I WON'T.

WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE CONVICT THAT WAS KILLED?

I DON'T KNOW.

THINK HE KNOWS?

I DON'T KNOW.

WAS THERE ANY PRAYERS SAID OVER HIS GRAVE?

NO, NOW YOU KNOW MR. SOLL.

HE AIN'T GONNA HAVE NO PRAYER SAID OVER NO DEAD CONVICT'S GRAVE.

WHO'LL SAY 'EM? MR. SOLL?

AIN'T NO PREACHER OUT HERE.

NOBODY BUT MR. SOLL AND THE OVERSEER AND THE GUARDS

AND YOU AND ME AND THE CONVICTS.

YOU BEEN OUT HERE A LONG TIME, HAVEN'T YOU?

I WAS BORN OUT HERE.

RIGHT AT THE END OF SLAVERY TIME.

MY MAMA AND PAPA ARE BURIED OUT HERE.

OUR CABIN USED TO BE RIGHT OVER YONDER.

MY MAMA AND PAPA STAYED ON TO WORK FOR WAGES

AFTER THE SLAVERY TIME.

A LOT OF THE OLD FOLKS DID.

WHEN THEY COMMENCED TO DIE OFF,

MR. SOLL BROUGHT IN THE CONVICTS TO WORK THE PLACE.

BEN.

CAN I TALK TO THE CONVICT?

I GUESS YOU CAN.

HE MAY NOT WANT TO TALK TO YOU.

GOOD MORNING, CONVICTS.

I SAID GOOD MORNING, GOD DAMN IT.

DID ANY OF YOU SEE NANCY?

I BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER THIS DAMN PLANTATION. I CAN'T FIND HER.

I WONDER WHERE THE HELL SHE'S GONE TO.

I BEEN LOOKIN' ALL MORNING.

HEY, CONVICT,

YOU WANT A CHEW OF TOBACCO?

CONVICT, YOU ASLEEP?

IF YOU'RE ASLEEP, I WON'T BOTHER YOU.

I AIN'T ASLEEP.

IT'S TOO COLD ON THIS GROUND TO GO TO SLEEP.

YOU WANT A CHEW OF TOBACCO?

PASS IT ALONG.

THROW ME A KNIFE.

I AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO CUT IT WITH.

YOU'LL HAVE TO BITE IT OFF. I CAN'T GIVE YOU A KNIFE.

MY NAME'S HORACE. WHAT'S YOURS?

LEROY KENDRICKS.

A LOT OF KENDRICKS DOWN IN KENDLETON.

EVER BEEN TO KENDLETON?

NO,

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE IT'S AT.

EVERYONE THAT LIVES THERE IS COLORED.

I STILL AIN'T NEVER BEEN.

WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?

I COME FROM DOWN ROUND LOUISIANA.

HOW'D YOU GET UP HERE?

I GOT INTO A FIGHT WITH A MAN.

CUT HIM.

ANYWAY, THEY SENTENCED ME TO RETRIEVE PRISON PLANTATION ON THE COAST.

THAT'S THE WORST PLACE I EVER BEEN IN MY LIFE.

I HEARD THAT YOU COULD HIRE OFF

TO WORK ON PLANTATIONS AROUND HERE,

YOU KNOW, TO WORK OUT YOUR FINE.

SO I ASKED THEM IF I COULD WORK OUT MY FINE.

AND THEY SENT ME HERE.

WELL, MR. SOLL PAYS YOU.

HOW MUCH IS YOUR FINE?

ABOUT $500.

THE PAY ME $7 A MONTH

OR THEY PAY THE STATE FOR ME TO PAY OFF MY FINE.

HOW LONG YOU BEEN HERE?

ABOUT A YEAR.

HOW LONG ARE YOU GONNA HAVE TO WORK AT $7 A MONTH

TO PAY OFF YOUR FINE?

I DON'T KNOW. THEY DIDN'T TELL ME.

DIDN'T YOU FIGURE IT OUT?

FIGURE IT OUT?

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIGURE IT OUT?

JUST FIGURE IT OUT.

I DON'T KNOW HOW.

DIDN'T YOU GO TO SCHOOL?