Part of the storyline theme deals with slave owner's missusing their slaves in a sexual manner. It is implied throughout the film.

When August King arrives with the slave girl at his cabin, she has him rub a balm on the scratches on her back. As he does he starts to caress her back, but stops short to resist temptations. There is nothing more throughout the film with physical contact between the two of them, except for a breif (non-sexual) hug when she leaves on the trail.

NOTE: As mentioned before, it is implied that the slave owner has slept with this slave and mistreated her. When the slave owner is drunk, he claims that he went to sleep and woke up with a pillow in his arms and she was gone. Throughout the film, sexual references are mildly implied. Parents concerned with sheltering their children until an older age may wait to show this film until 15 or 16.

One scene in particular is extremely graphic; the scene where they have captured the male slave. In this scene the slave is tied upside down hung by his feet. The slave owner is questioning him as to where the slave girl is and whether or not he has violated her. The slave denys knowing where she has gone; however, this angers the owner and he picks up a axe and cuts the man in half. You see the owner pick up the axe then the picture shows August King's response and then in the next picture you see a far off image of the slave cut into two.

Another bloody scene is after August King has slaughtered his cow. There is a good amount of blood rushing through the water and you see blood on August's hands. (You do not acutally see him kill the cow.)

There is also an intense scene as they have to cross a rushing river...the pig that is tied to the wagon gets loose and drowns in the river when swept away from the current (this may be destressing for younger/immature children).

Periodic use of the word damn. During the scene where the slave owner has captured the runnaway slave, damn is used several times including one g**damn.