12 Years a Slave

All right now. Y'all fresh niggers.

Y'all gonna be in a cutting gang.

Very simple. I want you to take your knife.

Get in them cane.

Make it sing.

Take the cane out.

Cut my tops.

Clean the shucks off.

Throw it on a pile for the planting gang.

Now, them cane ain't gonna jump up and bite you.

Don't shy back.

Rush here, boys! Rush here!

(SINGING) My Lord

Sunshine

My Lord

Lord, Lord

My ma

She dead

My pa

He dead

My Lord

Sunshine

My Lord

Sunshine

Is late

In high

In high

In high

My Lord

Sunshine

My Lord

Lord, Lord

My ma

She dead

My pa

He dead

My Lord

Sunshine

My Lord

Yes, sir

All right, all right, all right, all right.

Into bed.

Into bed. Thank you for the music.

Come on. Ouch.

Get in there. Come on.

Give me a kiss.

I love you, Margaret.

I love you, too.

Sleep well.

I'll take this.

I don't want to hear any more noise.

Three weeks and two days.

It is the custom.

I wonder what you will do without me.

I won't stay idle.

Darling, it's good money.

If only I didn't have to share your cooking with other people.

You don't.

Be good for your mother. Okay, Alonzo?

Can I get a kiss, please? Thank you.

Travel safely.

Stay safely.

Ready?

Devil call his name, there he is now.

Mr. Northup!

I have two gentlemen whose acquaintance you should make.

Misters Brown and Hamilton.

Sir.

Mr. Northup, these two gentlemen...

were inquiring about distinguished individuals...

and I was just this very moment...

saying Solomon Northup is an expert player on the violin.

He was indeed.

Mr. Moon is being overly gracious.

Well, taking into consideration

his graciousness and your modesty...

may we trouble you for a moment of your time to converse, sir?

Of course.

Good day.

A circus?

That is our usual employee.

The company currently in the city of Washington.

Circus is too constricting a word...

to describe the talented and merry band with which we travel.

It is a spectacle unlike most have ever witnessed.

Creatures from the darkest Africa

as yet unseen by civilized man.

Acrobats from the Orient...

who contort themselves in the most confounding manners.

And I myself in aide of Mr. Brown...

an internationally renowned practitioner

in the art of prestidigitation.

We are on our way thither to rejoin

the company having left for a short time...

to make a small profit from our own exhibitions.

The reason for our inquiry with Mr. Moon--

Yes. We had just a devil of a time

in procuring music for our entertainments.

Men of true talents are seemingly in short supply.

Thank you, sir.

If we could persuade you to accompany us as far as Washington--

We could give you one dollar for each day's services...

and three dollars for every night played at our performances.

In addition, we would provide sufficient pay...

for your return here to Saratoga, two weeks from today.

Welcome to Washington, Solomon.

Hamilton, you know too much.

Some say not enough.

Solomon, 43 dollars. All to you.

That is far more than my wages amount to.

It's been a most profitable week, sir.

Cheers. Cheers.

Cheers.

Another.

Gentlemen, your generosity is extraordinary.

And your talents are undeniable.

Mmm. To Solomon.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Ugh!

It's all right, Solomon.

There's no shame in it.

No shame at all.

Hamilton, we must hurry. (SOLOMON GROANING)

One too many libation.

We're halfway there.

So sorry--

We won't hear it. We won't.

Let him sleep, Hamilton.

Mmm. A good night's rest.

And tomorrow...

tomorrow you will feel as well and refreshed

as if the earth were new again.

Hamilton, there's nothing more we can do for him.

Such is the pity.

Well, boy, how do you feel now?

My name-- My name is Solomon Northup.

I'm a free man. A resident of Saratoga, New York.

The residence of my wife and children who are equally free.

And you have no right whatsoever to detain me.

You're not any free man.

And I promise you...

I promise you upon my liberation

I will have satisfaction for this wrong.

Resolve this.

Produce your papers.

You're no free man.

And you ain't from Saratoga.

You're from Georgia.

You ain't a free man.

You're nothing but a Georgia runaway.

You're just a runaway nigger...

from Georgia.

You're a slave!

You're a Georgia slave!

Are you a slave?

No.

(SOBBING) Help.

Help me.

Help me!

Somebody help me!

Help!

Help!

That old thing of yours is just rags and tatters.

You need something proper to wear.

Go on, put it on.

There.

That's fine.

That's fine.

Got no gratitude?

No. That's from my wife.