Review of Within Our Gates (1920) by Walter C — 12 Jan 2010
A school in the South that educates African Americans is in need of money so a woman goes to the North in search of money for the school. This movie from 1920 is famous for being the earliest surviving film to be directed by an African American.
The most interesting thing about this film is how it captures what it was like to be an African American during the 1920's. Women were fighting for the right to vote but they didn't want African American women to vote. Lynching was still going on and the attitude amongst some whites was that it was better to give money to an African American church then it was to give money to an African American school. God was considered better then an education.
It has some powerful scenes in it. One showing a lynching and how the mob started firing on a young boy who was trying to escape. Another scene showing an attempted rape of a black woman by a white man.
Worth seeking out.
This review of Within Our Gates (1920) was written by Walter C on 12 Jan 2010.
Within Our Gates has generally received mixed reviews.
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