Within Our Gates (1920)

 Oscar Micheaux's "Within Our Gates"

After D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation debuted in 1915, anti-Black sentiment rose dramatically in the United States. The number of Black lynchings and instances of violence against black individuals reached alarming levels. The sole cause of this racist behavior was not on The Birth of a Nation alone, despite it adding more fuel to the already burning fire. Jim Crow laws, the revival of the Ku Klux Kan, and the political power of the Daughters of the Confederacy influenced the rising numbers of violence against Black Americans. 

One notable Black American, Oscar Micheaux, was a renowned writer and novelist. His 1917 novel The Homesteader was a semi-autobiographical, self-published work that recounted his experiences in a racially segregated America. The novel caught the attention of George Johnson, the manager of the Lincoln Motion Picture Company, who wanted to adapt it into a film. However, the adaptation never came to fruition, as Johnson was displeased with Micheaux's insistence on being directly involved in the production. After the film project fell through, Micheaux founded his own production company, the Micheaux Film and Book Company. Through this new venture, Micheaux adapted his novel into a film himself, taking on the roles of producer, writer, and director. The Homesteader ended up being a mild success, but unfortunately, no copies of the film exist, and it is believed to be lost forever. Using the profits from The Homesteader, Micheaux went on to make his second film, Within Our Gates.

Within Our Gates tells the story of a Black woman who travels north to secure funding for a rural Black school in the Deep South. Along the way, Micheaux introduces a variety of characters, both Black and white. Their behaviors, personalities, and values differ widely, allowing the viewer to witness how each character is either affected by or affects race relations. Some Black characters are portrayed as intelligent, upstanding citizens, while others are shown in a more negative light, as thieves, crooks, or traitors to the Black plight. Similarly, white characters are portrayed in varying ways: some are outright racist and bigoted (sometimes even evil), while others are supportive and generous toward the Black community.

What is significant about Within Our Gates is that it does not depict characters as purely "black and white" (figuratively). Instead, Micheaux presents something far more complex and true to life. The film also explores various contemporary issues of race relations, from the mild racism of stereotyping to the propaganda suppressing the Black vote, and even to the lynching and sexual violence inflicted on Black people. Micheaux does not shy away from these harsh realities, and his portrayal of them remains provocative today.

Many believe that the film is a direct response to The Birth of a Nation, which had debuted only five years earlier. In The Birth of a Nation, Griffith portrays Black Americans as animalistic, unintelligent, and radically violent. In contrast, Micheaux flips these portrayals in Within Our Gates. His Black characters, despite their varied behaviors, are consistently either intelligent or well-intentioned. One scene in Within Our Gates depicts the rape of the protagonist by a white man, while her family is lynched in the yard. The direction and staging of this scene strongly resemble a sequence from The Birth of a Nation, in which Lillian Gish's character is chased around a room and attacked by a Black man. Micheaux boldly demonstrates that it is not Black people who are animalistic, but rather the white characters.

Most film scholars criticize Micheaux’s aesthetic approach as a filmmaker, arguing that he lacks finesse in his direction. However, what I noticed while watching the film was the way Micheaux engages with his audience. He does not spoon-feed them information or treat them as though they are ignorant. In most films made before or around 1920, consistent editing is the norm. Each edit typically demonstrates continuity in time and space, creating a seamless flow that is easy for the viewer to follow. Flashbacks are acceptable, of course, but the overall coherence of the narrative must be clear. Micheaux, however, does not adhere to these conventions.

He often presents a scene in which characters discuss something or allude to an event, then transitions to that very thing, spending considerable time in that new space or situation before returning to the original conversation. For instance, in one scene, two white women debate who should receive a donation: one wants to give the money to a Black southern school, while the other suggests a Black preacher. Micheaux then shifts to the Black preacher, and we spend 5-8 minutes with him, learning about his character, behavior, and values. Afterward, Micheaux returns to the scene with the two white women, picking up right where we left off.

This technique might confuse many filmmakers, who would expect it to disrupt the flow of the narrative. Yet, it does not feel confusing. Instead, we return to the original scene as though we never left, but now with all the additional context needed to understand the preacher they are discussing. Micheaux’s method enriches the film, as he moves between times and spaces to provide deeper context for what is being referenced.

Because Micheaux seamlessly transitions between characters and circumstances—whether in the present or the past—the film becomes less of a linear story and more of a tapestry of images. This structure allows the larger themes Micheaux is exploring to emerge. When reflecting on the film, one doesn’t think of a singular plot, but rather of a broader, more complex idea, filled with a range of characters that paint a fuller picture of America and what it is made of.

Within Our Gates is a tapestry of images that explores race relations in America. It stands as the earliest film written and directed by a Black filmmaker. The film not only demonstrated Micheaux as a capable filmmaker, but also as a humanist and advocate for education and social equity. Over time, Within Our Gates has become one of the most important films ever made, helping to lay the foundation for the genre of "race films"—movies that address contemporary racial issues. Through its humanist portrayal of both Black and white characters, the film revealed to audiences worldwide how bigotry and misinformation can infect the minds of ordinary people.