From the Watchtower

Here are my notes on Within our Gates.

Of the first things I noticed was how light skinned the two women were in comparison to the artists in black face that we saw in birth of a nation. I wonder if even in this film if the stereotype of good skim (lighter complexion) is present.

This director takes time and switches camera shots to show expressiveness in the characters. There is greater care taken here then in previous films.

I love early 20's underworld characters. There's something so wholesome about their grimy doings. Plus I like everything they do in saloons, thats where I would have spend my time.

The pianist has a real sense of soul. This scene in the saloon is an awesome combination of ragtime and classic opera.

Ah I love that they show how he was cheating. Movies that don't show the method are soft and bother me. Too bad about Red though. "It's strange but every time I pass this pawnshop I remember red"!!! Awesome! Long live Red!

In the first shot of Dr. Vivian they shoot him sitting at a distance then fade into a closer shot. Did they not have focus? How did they do that fade? I don't recall seeing another one like it. I thought all the transitions were just cuts.

Saved your purse from a burglar! Classic move. He's getting the girl for sure.

Seeing a group of men rush into to pick up a woman who has fallen on the ground is something that you just don't see anymore. Then again the ad in the paper said that allowing black people to vote is unconscionable. What a strange time, on one end people are so polite, on the other, Americans of a darker complexion aren't considered deserving of basic human rights and are occasionally lynched. This movie reminds me that people can and sometimes must ignore critical analyzation of their core beliefs to construct their idea of reality.

I didn't predict that Rev Ned was going to have an introspective side. He knows he's sold his soul and regrets it on some level. These characters are deeper then on the other films. I felt that previous portrayals were of symbolic characters, like virgin daughter or bank robber. These characters seem more like their own individuals as they muse to themselves and dream.

How much was 50,000 dollars worth in 1920!!!! Woah.

All the players still have their hair done to look like white people. It's part of that same "good skin" stereotype I think. It's like they learned from an early age not to value their natural appearance, as if it were ugly compared to whites. I don't think it's just a style of the time considering that it's still very much popular style. That is to have straight hair and a lighter skin tone.

I need to make up an official story of my life so that I can have flashbacks. I also hope that sometime people give me a title like:

"Nick Tasche, scholar, aristocrat and owner of the neighboring lands." I'll wear the title better.

There is another fade cut of Efrim (sp?) when a slide of himself being hanged appears at about half opacity as if he was envisioning his own demise. There's artistry here. Gruesome and tragic scenes are represented indirectly by focused shots on the elements involved in the act. The plot twist at the end of Sylvia's story was well constructed and conveyed. Cutting back to Sylvia's friend Alma after the quick cuts between the struggle and the fire brought the story back to its original setting in an exciting way.