As Grace is having a dream, one we can't see, the graphic details are narrated. In her dream, where her unconscious and the sexual urges of her lower body stratum take control, the viewer gets a graphic description of her fantasy. Hurt's narrator tells us that Grace sees herself in "Southern climes" among listless men and women in exotic costumes and turbans and a "flock of Bedouin" who were "satisfying her with their noses". Even when Timothy appears in her dream, he is doubled; he is at once the "slave bearing wine, hands shaking" and the "Sheikh himself, whose authoritative hands tested the size of Grace's most intimate orifices". Language is suggestive that Timothy is using his hands to test the depth of Grace's ginger kitty, bottom and down her throat.

Grace is braless when she is in Manderlay and her small bust is visible slightly, with her bending over and showing slight cleavage. Her nipples poke her thin shirt at various times.

Grace's breasts, pubic hair, and vulva are seen as she is laid down by a man before a sexual encounter.

In one scene, a male character lies on the bed fully naked and his genitals are visible, described as very drunk and having passed out after roughly penetrating Grace in the night.

There is another scene where the main female character masturbates. No nudity is seen, but the scene is rather long and focuses entirely on her masturbation, as she rubs her privates against a described knot in the bed that she made. She moans in sexual release until one of the slaves distracts her with an emergency. She is shown doing this while the others sleep, disregarding the other women hearing her touch herself.

A woman goes down to the bathhouse where a group of men are showering. Buttocks are seen and a quick glimpse of genitals.

Grace shoots an old woman as punishment for her stealing food from a couple's daughter that ended up dying as a result. You hear the bang and Grace cries at having to deliver the execution.

A woman whips a black man with anger while he was bound with belts.

A man is seen hanging from a tree after the lynching was earlier suggested but not seen.

The gangsters all carry guns of varying sizes. They use them to intimidate at times.

An old woman points a gun at intruders.

A woman hits her young son lightly across the buttocks; the scene is not meant to be taken seriously, but is rather comical.

Children hit each other.

A man angrily attacks an old woman, but is restrained from hurting her by others.

A bloodied body is seen lying on the ground.

A villainous character uses the "F-word" to reference sex as part of a racially-charged rhyme.

An offensive term for African Americans is used many times.

Drugs: None

Alcohol: Verbal references

A couple of the adult characters smoke cigarettes, and one a pipe.

An elderly woman expecting to be executed is lulled into a trusting sleep before being shot (outside of the camera's frame).

The most violent, gory and confronting images are the montage shown during the final credits. These depict real life KKK activity, cross-burnings, lynchings, mutilations, riots, beatings, murder victims, racist responses to integration, poverty, etc.