'Within Our Gates' is the oldest known surviving film directed by an African American. Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951), wrote, produced and directed films with black casts for black audiences from the silent era into the Truman administration. Getting financing for these films alone must have been a colossal undertaking. 'Within Our Gates' is probably the directors best known film, despite it's having been believed lost until a nearly complete (missing one scene) copy was discovered in Spain during the 1970's. The film has been restored by the Library of Congress and is free online for all to enjoy.
I really did enjoy this film, while certainly a product of its time I was impressed by how daring the thing is. It's central plot is a redemption story of sorts staring Evelyn Preer, an actress and jazz singer much celebrated in black community at the time. After an ill-fated love triangle in the north Evelyn's character Sylvia returns to her family in the south, before heading up north again to Boston where she convinces a wealthy white woman to provided the funds needed to keep a struggling rural school alive.
Shocking content for it's time the film depicts an attempted rape and multiple lynching's, while the story tackles institutional racism, and presents a pretty jaundiced view of organized religion. The film ends with a monologue about how black people should love their country despite it's many faults, because of all they have scarified for it and brought to the table. The boldness and importance of the film, which Micheaux envisioned as a response to the racist epic 'Birth of a Nation', elevates the film beyond it production restraints and some melodramatic story weaknesses. ***1/2
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