The whole purpose of writing and directing short films like this one is to assimilate experiences of life into an art medium so that it can be recreated in a moving picture form. 'The Open Gate' falls far short of this, mainly because the script did not go through development hell. There is no sense of place in the opening scenes of the one-reeler, forcing the viewer to abandon watching this offering. The characters have no universal accessibility, lacking credibility and believability. It is not a recreation of life but a realization of what takes place in the head of the 34 year old D.W. Griffith. You learn absolutely nothing about yourself or the human condition by watching his films because all he wants to do is to project what is on his mind onto the screen.
Review of The Open Gate
