Within Our Gates (1920)
Grade: 69
"Within Our Gates" is the earliest surviving feature film directed by an African-American (pioneering black director-producer Oscar Micheaux). Thought lost for decades, a single copy was found in Spain back in 1979. The original dialogue cards were lost, as the found copy had the cards replaced with ones in Spanish. New title cards were made, translated back from Spanish into English. One brief scene has inexplicably been lost.
The much-ballyhooed top 100 list released by the American Film Institute was selected from a list of 400 films. "Within Our Gates" was on that list of 400.
"Within Our Gates" has three major storylines, all focusing on Evelyn Preer's character. The first story has Preer refusing disreputable suitor Jack Chenault for fiance James D. Ruffin, but her engagement with him is broken due to intrigues by Flo Clements. Preer then becomes involved in saving a rural school for impoverished black children, by securing a large donation from white philanthropist Mrs. Evelyn.
The third storyline is a flashback. It turns out that Preer has a white father who secretly funded her education, while she was raised by a black family. This family became victims of a an angry lynch mob, who wrongly believe that her adopted father William Stark murdered cruel white landowner Ralph Johnson. A happy ending is suddenly pasted on.
I have seen two Micheaux-directed silents, "Within Our Gates" and "Body and Soul". Both films are good, but have problems with continuity and exaggerated characterizations. Both films feature corrupt preachers. Micheaux can put on a show, though: the viewer may become perplexed but never bored.
One of the black actors (E. G. Tatum) is an outrageous stereotype, gossipy, pandering to whites, apparently with the mind of a child. The other characters aren't portrayed in this manner. Tatum is later lynched by whites. Micheaux's message may be that while conforming to a racist's expectation of behavior can result in short-term gains, sooner or later you will be betrayed (or punished through divine justice). Hey, these are just my opinions. See the film yourself and form your own.
kollers@mpsi.net http://members.tripod.com/~Brian_Koller/movies.html
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