28 Days Of Black Film History - KPBS

Daily posts tracking the evolution of Black cinema from silent films to superheroes

Criteria for inclusion

Must be directed by a Black filmmaker
Must feature Black cast
Must be a U.S. film (so nothing from African filmmakers because that’s a whole other rich list)
Must have some significance in the history of Black film – being a first, being overlooked or under appreciated, challenging status quo, tackling provocative issues, impact on pop culture
Must be available in some form to watch (emphasis on narrative features but some documentaries and some of the early films are not full length features)

Today, I kick-off 28 Days of Black Film History with not one, but two films from one director, Oscar Micheaux. Each day I’ll highlight a film or films in chronological order so you can get a sense of how Black Cinema evolved over the decades. Go to my Cinema Junkie Blog at kpbs.org/cinemajunkie for more information and to find out where to watch these films.

Day 1: “Within Our Gates” (1920) and “Body and Soul” (1925)

Director: Oscar Micheaux

Why "Within Our Gates” is important

“Within Our Gates” arrived five years after D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation” and only months after the deadly Chicago Race Riot of 1919. It was Oscar Micheaux’s second of more than 40 films and revealed his desire to challenge the racial stereotypes of Hollywood with more realistic images of Black characters and Black communities. In addition, he asked audiences to view whites — who are shown lynching an innocent family and sexually assaulting the Black protagonist — as the barbaric savage — not the Blacks. Although Micheaux was new to the medium and the medium itself was still in its infancy, he was trying to use it to tackle complex ideas and themes.

The Library of Congress states, “Oscar Micheaux wrote, produced and directed this groundbreaking motion picture considered one of the first of a genre that would become known as ‘race films.’ Many critics have seen ‘Within Our Gates’ as Micheaux's response to D.W. Griffith’s ‘Birth of a Nation,’ in which African Americans were depicted as generally negative stereotypes, as they were in almost all films of the day. Despite Micheaux’s limited budget and limited production values, it still effectively confronted racism head-on with its story of a teacher (Evelyn Preer) determined to start a school for poor black children. Contemporary viewers may find it difficult to defend Micheaux’s balancing act between authenticity and acceptability to white audiences, but that’s what he believed was necessary simply to get the film made. Named to the National Film Registry in 1992.”

In addition, Micheaux is noteworthy for forming his own movie production company (the first Black-owned and controlled movie company) and in 1919 becoming the first African-American to make a film. He was known for making “race movies,” films aimed at a Black audience and featuring a Black cast. He was also the first African-American to produce a film shown in “white” movie theaters.

Why “Body and Soul” is important

It boasts the film debut of the 27-year-old singer and stage actor Paul Robeson in the dual role of a malevolent minister and conscientious inventor. The film faced severe censorship with Micheaux having to cut the film almost in half in order to obtain an exhibition license in the state of New York, which denied him one on the grounds his film would be “immoral,” “sacrilegious” and “tend to incite crime.” But the real reason it offended those in power was that it was a film made outside the Hollywood system by a Black man and it asked people to think.

Watch “Within Our Gates."

Watch “Body and Soul."

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Beth Accomando
Arts & Culture Reporter

opening quote marks closing quote marks I cover arts and culture, from Comic-Con to opera, from pop entertainment to fine art, from zombies to Shakespeare. I am interested in going behind the scenes to explore the creative process; seeing how pop culture reflects social issues; and providing a context for art and entertainment.