Review of Within Our Gates (1920) by Joel A — 12 Jul 2013

This film is the first example of an African American feature filmmaking and this was considered lost & miraculously was found in Spain a few years ago & although its a little disjointed in parts it's a powerful film ahead of its time, technically & racially.

All the African American actors where fantastic not only matching their white actors but in many scenes surpassing them.

Although quite dark in subject matter it's dealing with many relevant issues & most impressively showed African Americans a not only simply human but complex & fascinating on screen. An incredible that truly is the pioneer of Black Silent Cinema...