The Birth Of A Nation Page #2

(CONTINUED)

14 CONTINUED:

5/8/15 - PINK 6

14

-a slave man across the courtyard. This is ISAAC TURNER. Aleather apron shields his chest and legs as he wields ahammer over a hot scrap of iron. He watches as Nat meanders

away.

15 INT. SLAVE QUARTERS - NANA’S CABIN - NIGHT 15 *

Isaac enters, caked in dirt and sweat. Bridget, Nancy and Natlie asleep. Isaac hovers over a bucket of water in a nearcorner. As he rinses his face a soft MOAN rises from Nat’s

direction.

Isaac studies Nat a beat before grabbing a small wooden boxfrom a shelf. Within, he finds a CRUMPLED SQUARE OF PAPER. He

smooths it against his leg, before slipping out the cabin.

A long beat until- Nat stirs awake, sits up.

16 EXT. WOODS - OLD ROAD - NIGHT 16

Isaac pushes through the woods, staying close to the mainroad. A SOUND in the distances stops him in his tracks. Hegrips a bulky stash under his shirt as he squints into thedark. As his eyes focus on a shadowed figure ahead-

CLICK.

He turns to find three men, THE PATTY-ROLLERS, atop horses.

They’re dressed similarly in worn pea coats, each coat

bearing a dull BRASS STAR. RAYMOND COBB (40’s, the leader)

holds a pistol leveled at Isaac’s head.

*

*

*

COBB:

You so much as bat your eyes I’ll

blow you from here to hell.

Isaac stands frozen as he takes in the group of three men.

COBB (CONT’D)

What you doin’ out here, boy?

ISAAC:

Runnin’ a errand for my massa, suh.

Massa Benjamin Turner.

He opens his shirt to reveal CANNED GOODS and SALT PORK.

COBB:

Where yo’ pass at?

Isaac produces a piece of paper we recognize as the CRUMPLEDSQUARE from the cabin. He hands it to Cobb who studies it. *

*

(CONTINUED)

5/8/15 - PINK 7

CONTINUED:
16 CONTINUED: 16

*

COBB (CONT’D) *

You think you’re smarter than me, *

don’t you boy? *

Cobb calls to one of his men, JESSE (20). *

COBB (CONT’D) *

Jesse, what we call a n*gger, think

he can outsmart a white man?

JESSE:

...a dead n*gger.

COBB:

(to Isaac)

Turn around. Get on your knees.

Isaac turns toward the woods. Cobb dismounts behind him.

Isaac squints toward the shadowed figure. Recognition sets inhis gaze. It’s NAT.

COBB (CONT’D)

On yo’ knees.

WITH ISAAC as he slowly lowers. Just as his knees touch theground, he

-lunges for the gun. BANG! The gun goes off, catching thethird pattyroller in the chest. Isaac and Cobb wrestle forthe pistol as Jesse struggles for a clean shot. Isaac head-*

butts Cobb, sending the gun flying. Before Cobb can recover,

Isaac grabs a nearby branch, CLUBS him across the face. Agash opens, spilling blood. Isaac sprints into the woods. OnCobb and Jesse firing wildly into the treeline.

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