Original subtitles

[Annie] Onion!

[Owen] What are you doing here?

[Onion] I got to give your pa the password

for the railman before it's too late.

[railman] Who goes there?

I said, who goes there?!

Don't take another step.

Jesus is walking!

[gunshot]

[John] Onion, did you see our friend the railman?

[Jason]

I shot him.

Ain't nobody coming, is they?

We just took over the nation's largest armory.

We're here to free the Negro people,

and you are my prisoner.

Insurrection!

Cook, Robert,

take Onion, go find Owen.

Reinforcements are coming.

No, say, "I'm here to exchange myself

and my Negroes for all the white prisoners

inside the engine house."

-It's them! -Ah!

Hey, get down!

Hey, put your head down.

Bob, B-B-Bob. Bob!

You're in a pickle now, Brown.

You're surrounded.

All right, we're gonna begin

the exchange of hostages

for the freedom and safe passage

of every Negro in this building.

Why would they do that?! Why would they...?

They shot my son!

Why would they do that?!

They shot my son.

[Douglass] The question is,

did John Brown fail?

He certainly did fail to get out of Harpers Ferry

before being beaten down by United States soldiers,

and to lead a liberating army

into the mountains of Virginia.

So, did John Brown draw his sword against slavery

and thereby lose his life in vain?

And to this I answer 10,000 times no.

No man fails or can ever fail

who so grandly gives himself and all he has

to a righteous cause.

If John Brown did not end the war that ended slavery,

he did at least begin the war that ended slavery.

If we look over the dates, places and men

for which this honor is claimed,

we shall find that not Carolina but Virginia,

not Fort Sumter but Harpers Ferry.

John Brown's zeal in the cause of freedom

was infinitely superior to mine.

I could live for the slave.

John Brown could die for him.

The war being waged in this land

is a war for and against slavery.

And the Brown army fired the first shot.

upbeat gospel music

Hallelujah

Come on, children, let's sing about the goodness

Of the Lord, my Lord

Come on, children, let's shout

All about God's rich reward

Guide our footsteps every day

Keeps us in the narrow way

Come on, children, let's sing

About the goodness of the Lord

Yeah, come on, children, let's sing

About the goodness of the Lord, my Lord

Come on, children, let's shout

All about God's rich reward

Guide our footsteps every day

Keeps us in the narrow way

Come on, children, let's sing

Come on, children, let's shout

How the Lord Almighty has brought us out

There's none like Him, without a doubt

Come on, children, let's sing

About the goodness

Of the Lord

Oh, Lord, we invite You into this room,

and... we invite You into this room, and, uh,

-and what and what and what? -[gunshots]

We invite You into this room and into-into my heart.

Lord, we know that Satan speaks loudest to the wealthy.

-Few can resist his lies. -[glass shatters]

[man] Fuck you, John Brown.

We pray for the good people of Harpers Ferry!

[whispering] We know that Samson defeated his enemies

not with a victory but with death.

Oh, Lord, come to me now.

Please, Lord, come into my heart.

Come into this place, please, right now.

Please, please, please, please.

[Onion] Well, all the Old Man's

hammering on God finally fell on me.

I'd never noticed how beautiful the world was

till I was about to leave it.

And I started thinking about poor Jesus,

wondering why His Father left Him all alone and forsaken.

And then I looked at the Old Man and realized

he looked exactly like the way white folks picture God.

And that's when I knew it.

This shit was gonna work.

[gunshot]

[gunfire stops]

[Emperor] Why'd they stop shooting?

That's a bad sign.

[knocking on door]

Who are you?

It's Lieutenant Jeb Stuart of the United States Cavalry.

-You remember me? -[John] I remember ye.

John Jr., are you in there?

[John Jr.] I'm here.

Jason?

He's dead.

I'm sorry for your loss.

I have orders from my commanding officer Robert E. Lee.

He is approaching the gates and demands your surrender.

Tell him we demand the immediate emancipation

of every Negro in bondage in this land.

What is it that you want in this direct moment?

The freedom of every Negro in this building.

Safe passage for all of my men across the B&O bridge.

And then I will...

surrender myself directly to you.

Mr. Brown, you're in no position to negotiate.

Give me a hundred yards head start.

John Jr., may I look you in the eyes?

John...

Jeb.

John, no amount of your father's

ploys or theatrics are going to get you

or these Negroes out of this, you understand?

You are now surrounded by 1,200 U.S. troops.

You must surrender.

[John Jr.] We will do no such thing.

We will exchange the prisoners we have

for safe passage across the B&O bridge.

That cannot be arranged.

Then our business is done.

John...

Jeb... you heard my father.

Our business is done

if you cannot free the Negro from bondage.

You know the speech.

You have until daybreak. Have a good night.

foreboding music

[John] John, verse 16, chapter eight.

Jesus came to the world to show us how wrong

we are about sin and who's truly right.

[Washington] You'll hang, Brown.

You've committed treason.

You ought to give yourself up.

You'll look good ducking that thick neck

through a hangman's noose.

Huh? Huh?

[John] Emperor.

Captain.

I know what to do.

All right, look, you see the hinges there?

-Yeah. -[coachman] You know...

[John] We're gonna take apart those hinges.

...there was a time I actually thought you were above me.

But watching you wet yourself and

getting a whiff of your nature doings in here with no privy,

I come to understand the human situation.

One stalk of corn don't grow no higher than the other.

[Washington] But you... you really think that

crazy old man is going to save all o' you Black people?

Oh, he ain't gonna save us.

He's trying to save you.

[indistinct chatter]

Hey, Coachman.

Here you go.

[indistinct chatter]

So...

So this the way it is.

If we live through this next fight,

all us is gonna hang.

Now, we done fought hard.

Shit, we-we done fought too hard.

And enjoyed our freedom

a bit too handily.

So, so just before the first light,

the Old Man, he-he gonna start up a good fight up front.

Let all us coloreds sneak out the back vent with the hostages.

Make a run for the river when the shooting starts.

And what if we get caught?

Lie your ass off.

Say you was a hostage.

Else you gonna swing for sure.

Even you, Onion.

So it's best you don't get caught at all.

Look, the Old Man, he giving us a way out.

Take it or not.

You gonna do it?

Y'all ought to get some sleep.

You think there's any chance I won't swing?

[laughs]

They gonna hang every colored in here.

Hell, even if you looked at them white prisoners funny,

you'll hang, and you done a lot more than looking at 'em funny.

You ought to take it standing up.

What if one of us was different from what they know?

Ain't no difference between us when it come to white folks.

[Onion] They don't know me!

They don't know my true nature.

[laughter]

[Emperor] Boy.

His true nature.

[laughter]

Boy... [laughs]

I knewed you was playing the fool from the minute

you brought that sissy show up to Mr. Douglass's.

I bet you ain't got enough fruit there to squeeze.

It'd take you all night to find them peanuts.

[laughter]

I'm just asking.

[Emperor] You want to dress like a man

and act like a man.

Ain't you want to die like one?

[Onion] That's just it.

How can I die like a man if I ain't lived like one yet?

I only kissed one girl.

low, somber music

[coachman] Here.

-[laughter] -Take these.

Here.

Look, if them Federals find you,

they're gonna splatter your brains, but, uh,

it'll cause all us here a...

[chuckles] pretty good frolic

just thinking about you getting out clear.

What you gonna wear?

I ain't going nowhere. Neither are these other fellas.

[Emperor] The white man, he don't care what pants you wear.

You just another shabby nigger to him.

Just play it smart.

[Broadnax] At dawn,

when the captain there, he give the order,

then we're gonna fire them tow balls.

Throw a couple out,

fire a few charges out the window.

That's when you got to get gone to the river, quick.

You hear me?

[Emperor] If you can get clear of the ferry,

them white folks, they won't pay you no more mind

than a hole in the ground.

Tell them you belong to Mr. H. Gourhand.

He lives up near the Kennedy farm. Mr. H. Gourhand.

-You got it? -Yes.

Mr. Gourhand's got a slave boy about your age.

Them U.S. troops ain't from around here.

-They won't know the difference. -[Emperor] Yeah, they can't tell

the difference between us no way. Now...

Onion, look.

You can make it.

And when you do, make your own freedom.

Hey. Pass me that drink.

[sniffles]

To Onion.

[all] To Onion.

And his little peanuts.

[laughter]

So, if we go out the front doors,

blow 'em open, draw enough fire,

and I draw enough of the troops around,

make that south exit work.

That's the plan.

-Uh-huh. -Mm-hmm.

Father, I would like to lead the charge.

Mm. That's not necessary.

It would be my honor.

You don't have to be Owen.

You're enough just as you are.

Isaiah.

"Here I am, send me."

I'm just the poor

Wayfaring stranger

Traveling through this world below

There is no sickness

No toil nor danger

In that bright land

To which I go

I'm going there

To see my father

And all the loved ones

Who've gone on

I'm just going

Over Jordan

I'm just going

Over home

I'm just going

Over home

low, suspenseful music

[breathing deeply]

[gunfire]

-What you doing? Come on. -[man] Around the back.

-Come on. -[horse neighs]

-Move, move. -Let's move!

Around the corner!

[sergeant] Whoa! Whoa!

Where are you from? Who do you belong to?!

Um, w-we's hostages from all over, sir.

The white folk inside, they hurt?

They, uh, uh, shook up some, I reckon.

You've never seen such ignorant Negroes in all your life.

By God, we acted like they was our savior.

We dropped to our knees and thanked Jesus

for them soldiers being born and saving us and so forth.

[Stuart] Boy looks familiar to me.

Who do you belong to?

Mr. H. Gourhand. He lives up next to the Kennedy farm.

I'm not sure if Jeb was fooled by my true nature,

or he just felt bad for me and let me go.

Or maybe we didn't look no different to him after all.

Take this boy home.

[soldier] But, sir,

I want to be in the fight.

This fight is done.

slow, contemplative music

-[horse snorts] -[tongue clicks]

[horse neighs]

[hoofbeats approaching]

What the hell happened to you?

The massa kicked me down the well for fun again.

Know whose nigger this is? Says he lives around here.

He was taken prisoner at the ferry raid.

I heard the news, sir.

I know this child and am glad you brung him back.

I'll go wake my massa.

There's no need.

I'm up. I'm his master.

Now you in a heap of trouble, huh?

You better get your Black ass in that house!

This nigger's had quite the night.

It's a dangerous time to be about,

with what's going on and all.

Uh, you want to, want to come in and have some coffee?

Uh, no, I got to get back to the ferry.

Well, I'll skin her ass alive if she runs off again.

"Her"?

That is a "he," sir.

I mean, can't you tell your niggers apart?

I mean, it's no wonder you got insurrections.

You treat your damn colored so bad,

you can't tell one from another.

Now, we'd never treat our niggers like that in Alabama.

Mm.

[tongue clicks]

-I thought you was a goner. -Me, too.

-How'd you get out? -The Old Man did a diversion.

I run out with some others dressed like this.

Then I made up a story about who I was.

That's about normal for you.

What did the Old Man think of that disguise?

It ain't no disguise, Owen.

This is me. I ain't no girl.

How long you known about this?

Too long.

I never thought he'd string it on this far.

Yeah.

And Pa?

And John Jr. and Jason?

slow, somber music

Jason died a hero.

The others, I don't know.

Last I saw, they was putting steel and lead to the enemy.

All right.

Well, let's ride.

[Onion] Owen led me and Bob north a ways

to George Watson's Barbershop.

They was working the underground gospel train

and were friends of the cause.

So what are your plans, Owen?

Want to stick around for a while.

See if anyone else made it out.

Stick around?

No, you got to get away from here.

[Constance] Mm-hmm.

-Fast. -Son,

haven't you heard?

Everybody's dead.

Everyone except your pa.

John Brown's alive?

[Watson] Yeah, he's cut up pretty good.

They got him down at Charles Town jail.

Trying to make a big deal out of his hanging.

You gonna try to bust the Old Man out of jail?

No, why would I?

No, Pa's not in there grieving.

And he's proud of my brothers and everyone that died.

Now, you see,

most people...

they don't die for anything.

Our men, they died for something.

[Watson] What you need to do right now

is split up so you can stay alive.

-God bless you. -Thank you.

May you be safe.

Thank you.

Give my regards to Salmon and Miss Annie.

And don't be a stranger, Robert.

The Old Man was fond of you.

Oh, and you...

It all makes sense to me now,

your interest in my sister Annie.

You ever come up our way to court her,

bring a book of poems and something for her sweet tooth.

Don't she have a lot of suitors already?

Definitely no one like you.

-[horse neighs] -[Owen clicks tongue]

See you, Owen.

slow, somber music

You know they still ain't killed John Brown yet?

[Watson] Guess the Lord ain't ready for him to die.

And why the hell not?

Mm, maybe He's got some more work for him to do.

[Mark] Well, he don't have long to do it.

I hear it'll be the first of next month.

[Luke] Bah, John Brown's an idiot.

[Mark] And why you say that?

[Luke] Well, he gone and got himself killed for a crazy idea.

[Mark] I reckon you could say the same thing about our Savior.

Yeah, but Jesus didn't know He was gonna get killed.

Now, you saying John Brown is smarter

than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

-Nobody said that, Mark. -Oh, shut your mouth.

-Shut your mouth and... -Play the game.

Play the game.

[indistinct chatter outside]

contemplative music

Excuse me, sir.

Reckon I'll be seeing you.

[Bob] I doubts it.

Storm coming like the Old Man said.

You and me should steer clear of anything to do with Virginia.

Well, Bob...

[chuckles]

Mr. Watson sent Bob off

to Philadelphia for work in a lumberyard

to earn money to buy his family out of bondage.

I don't know if Bob ever saw his family again.

The Old Man was a stirrer-up of things.

Didn't matter if he was in Kansas, Virginia or jail.

He stirred shit up.

"The Bible teaches to 'remember those in bonds

as I am bound with them.'

I believe to have interfered

as I have on behalf of the poor

was not wrong but right.

I believe I must forfeit my life

and mingle my blood

in the blood of my beloved children."

[John] "Had I so interfered on behalf of the rich,

the educated, the so-called great,

or any of their friends, fathers, mothers, brothers,

sisters, wives; if I had fought for them,

what I have done would have been deemed

by any court as an act worthy of reward

rather than of punishment."

[Onion] Folks was listening now that a white man

was gonna hang.

And not just any white man.

The Old Man was a Christian who could write.

He had friends who could write.

Walt Whitman took up the cause.

Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson--

I didn't know who any of these turkeys were,

but we were no longer alone.

He hangs in three days.

It'd do me good to see him.

You think I been hiding you here for my satisfaction?

I got enough risk.

I can't sanction it.

I'm gonna go see the Old Man.

That's not the question.

The question is, are you willing to help me?

I'm not doing this for you.

I'm doing it for him.

This is Clarence. He works in the jail.

Captain Avis is helping us, too.

He's gonna look the other way

while Clarence brings you in the back.

After that, you're riding on thin air and grace.

[Onion] I won't forget you, Mr. Watson.

[Watson] It's best if you do.

[Clarence] I'll take care of you from here.

-What's your name again? -Henry.

Come on, Henry.

slow guitar music

Old Man knows what he's doing.

They should have killed him.

He's raised a lot more hell with letter writing

than he ever did with that gun.

And he raised plenty with the gun.

Is it true you rode with him and his boys?

[Onion] I suppose I did.

Two years, thick and thin.

Best be quick about it.

[door opens]

[door closes]

Who's there?

It's me.

[John] Come closer.

It does my heart good to see you, Onion.

You gonna hang tomorrow?

Mm-hmm.

I'll be fine.

Takes a man six to nine minutes to die from a neck hanging.

I figure I'll do more for the cause

in those precious minutes than I have with my whole life.

I'm the luckiest man in the whole world.

Don't seem that way.

No?

There is an eternity behind us

and there's an eternity ahead.

This little speck

right here at the center...

that's our lives.

I've done what the Lord asked me to do

with the little time I had.

We rung the bell, Onion.

We did.

There's a great war coming.

You keep your head down.

God's mercy's gonna spread all over the world.

I won't live to see the change that's coming,

but I hope that you do.

Having peace takes time.

Still got God in your heart?

Yes, sir.

Mm-hmm. Good. Good.

Come in. Pray with me.

-Sir? -Come on in.

He-he doesn't lock the door.

Open it. Come on in.

[creaking]

[grunting softly]

It's your turn to lead.

[shudders]

Dear Lord,

we give thanks for the time we is together.

Watch over Mr. Brown tomorrow, please?

Give him the strength and the courage to die a man's death.

Help the people that is mad at us right now

to see that we just want to save people.

Wake 'em up

that there's too much unfairness in this world.

We're just...

asking for a little bit of respectfulness.

Do you hear that?

I can hear your heart beating.

Can you hear mine?

[exhales]

That's God.

Reminding us

that we are alive.

Don't forget that.

[sighs]

[sniffles]

Also, dear Lord,

I ask Your forgiveness from You

for not giving the captain the password

for the railman. I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry for changing the date.

[inhales sharply]

Oh, please forgive me, Lord.

Forgive us all our sins, seen...

and unseen.

[whispers]

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. [inhales]

Amen.

[grunts]

[sniffles] Well...

...this is goodbye.

I'm sorry you gonna hang, Captain.

I'm so sorry. I wish I could stop it.

Ah, I deserve to hang.

Not for inciting a slave insurrection.

For tarrying so long

in the engine house, and why, why didn't I take the bridge?

That was so stupid.

For that, I should hang.

Y-You did the best you could.

We'll see if God agrees, hmm?

You still have your Good Lord bird feather?

-It's safe. -Good.

The Good Lord bird doesn't fly in a flock.

You know why?

[whispers] The voice of our spirit is gentle.

Sometimes you have to fly alone to hear it.

But, Captain...

...how come you never asked me why

I went about as I did?

Dressing like a girl?

Whatever you are, Onion...

...be it in full.

You were made by your Maker.

And He loves you.

And I love you, too.

I don't care what clothes you wear.

Any more than I do the size of your shoes.

You check in on my family from time to time.

I plan on it.

[grunts]

[water dripping]

[door creaks open]

[door closes]

[exhales sharply]

[muffled drumming]

[bell tolling]

suspenseful music

Port arms!

[soldier] Hey, boy.

No niggers allowed for three miles.

Now... scat.

[Onion] People called John Brown a lot of things:

killer, saint,

prophet, lunatic.

He prophesized a war was coming, and it came.

But in that jail cell,

I knew for the very first time that him being a person

to lead the coloreds to freedom weren't no lunacy.

It was something he knew was true inside.

When the sun comes back

And the first quail calls

Follow the drinking gourd

For the old man is waiting

Just to carry you to freedom

Follow the drinking gourd

Paper said nobody heard

John Brown's last words.

But I can imagine him looking out, saying...

What a beautiful country.

Yea

- Though I walk -[chorus vocalizing]

Through the valley of the shadow

Shadow of death

I will fear no evil

For thou art with me

Thy rod, thy staff

They comfort me

- Keep me walking - Walking

- Oh, with Jesus - With Jesus

Yeah, walking

Walking with my Jesus every day

- Oh - Yeah, yeah

- Walking - Walking with Jesus

- Every day - Every day

- And I'm talking - Oh, talking with Jesus

- Yes, I am - Every day

- Oh, singing - Singing with Jesus

- Yes, I am - Every day

- And though you're happy - Though you're happy

- Along the way - Along the way

- With every instruction - With every instruction

- Light my way - Light my way

- Turn my midnight - Turn my midnight

- Into day - Into day

- And I'm walking - I'm walking

- With my Jesus - With my Jesus

- And I'm walking - I'm walking

- With my Jesus - With my Jesus

- And I'm walking - I'm walking

- With my Jesus - Ooh, with my Jesus

- And I'm walking - I'm walking

- With my Jesus - With my Jesus

- Walk on - Walk on

- Oh, yeah - Yeah, walk on

- Walk on - Walk on

- Oh, yeah - Yeah, walk on

- Walk on, oh, yeah - Walk on

- Ah - Walk on

- I'm walking - I'm walking with Jesus

- Walking with Jesus - Walking with Jesus

- Walking with Jesus - I'm walking with Jesus

- Every day - Oh, walking with Jesus

- I'm walking with Jesus - I'm walking with Jesus

- I'm walking with Jesus - Walking with Jesus

- Walking with Jesus - I'm walking with Jesus

- Walk on - Walk on

- Oh, yeah - Walk on

- Walk on - Walk on

- Oh, yeah - Walk on

- Walk on - Walk on

- Oh, yeah - Walk on

- Oh, walking - I'm walking with Jesus

- God Almighty - I'm walking with Jesus

- I'm walking with Jesus - I'm walking with Jesus

- I'm walking with Jesus - Walking with Jesus

- Endure the pain - I'm walking with Jesus

- I'm singing, I'm singing - I'm singing with Jesus

- I'm singing - I'm singing for Jesus

- Singing for Jesus - I'm singing for Jesus

- God gave me - I'm singing for Jesus

- A voice to sing - Oh, I'm singing for Jesus

And I'm singing, singing for my Jesus

I'm singing for Jesus

- I'm singing, ooh - I'm singing for Jesus

I'm singing for Jesus

- Sing on - I sing it

- Oh, yeah - For my Jesus

- Sing it - Sing it

- For my - For my Jesus

- Sing it - I sing it

- For my, ah - For my Jesus

I'm singing, good God Almighty

I'm singing for Jesus

- Singing for Jesus - I'm singing for Jesus

- Singing for Jesus - Oh, I'm singing for Jesus

- One more thing - I'm singing for Jesus

- One more thing - Singing for Jesus

- I'm living - I'm living for Jesus

- I'm living - Living for Jesus

- I'm living - I'm living for Jesus

- Living for Jesus - I'm living for Jesus

Ever since one chilly evening

I'm living for Jesus

- One chilly - I'm living for Jesus

- One chilly evening - I'm living for Jesus

- Somebody - I'm living for Jesus

- Somebody, somebody - I'm living for Jesus

- Somebody touched me - I'm living for Jesus

Somebody, somebody touched me

I have a friend in you, walk

I'm living for Jesus

And I have a friend in you, talk

I'm living for Jesus

I started a fire

Burning deep down in my soul

- I'm living for Jesus - The Holy Ghost

- Took control - I'm living for Jesus

- Living - I'm living

- Oh, yeah - For my Jesus

- Living - I'm living

- Oh, yeah - For my Jesus

- Living, oh, Lord - I'm living

- Ah, I'm living - For my Jesus

- I'm living for Jesus - God Almighty

- I'm living for Jesus - Living for Jesus

- Living for Jesus - I'm living for Jesus

Living for Jesus, living for Jesus

- Living for Jesus - Living for Jesus

- Living for Jesus - I'm living for Jesus

- Living for Jesus - Oh, I'm living for Jesus