The Jazz Singer

I wacthed The Jazz Singer (1927) in my class. It is the first film with synchronized dialogue, but most part of this movie is silent. The actor's faces expressing their feelings are impressive for me because the film depicts the story without color and voice. The songs used in this movie also play important role. They are used along the character's feeling. For example, I can receive main character's feeling by the rhyme of the word.

I am interested in the relationship of the son, mother, father, and their heritage. They all struggle against their feelings and their duty as Jewish.

The son (Jakie) who has a passion for singing jazz tries to succeed in white culuture. He leaves his home and efface his Jewish heritage by changing name. However Jakie can't abandon his family and identity as a Jewish. The night before his big show which is important for his career of jazz singer, he shows discomposure with saying " in my heart - maybe it's the call of the ages - the cry of my race." "The Day of Atonemnent is the most solemn of our holy days - and the songs of Israel are tearing at my heart." In my opinion, his Jewish heritage sinks into his psyche even if he wants to live a different life from his father. He wears blackface at the rehearsal for the show to assimilate into white culture; however, his Jewish identity comes up in his mind instead being white because observance of the Day of Atonemnent occures at the same time.

His father who is a cantor struggles about his family's heritage as well as Jakie. His father throws his son out of his home because Jakie refuses to be a cantor. To be a cantor is a heritage for his family. When Jakie leaves home, his father says, "We have no son." and he keeps denying Jakie return home. I think that his father may understand Jakie's feeling; however, his father takes his family's, Jewish religion, and heritage rather than loving his son.

Jakie's mother plays a symbolic role in this story. She tunes in to Jakie and tries to explain his feeling to her husband; on the other hand, she wants her son to sing at the Day of Atonemnet. She struggles between her son and husband. Her role represents a conflict between assimilation into whiteness and upholding their Jewish heritage.

At the end of this movie, Jakie sings for the Day of Atonement and his father dies while Jakie is singing. He chooses Jewish heritage; however, Jakie, after the day, goes back to the show. He succeeds in being a jazz singer in white culture. Although the story comes to a happy end, I think that when his father dies, part of the Jewish identity in Jakie's mind also disappears. I believe that in his heart, Jakie will continue facing conflict between being Jewish and white.



American on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. 2nd edition. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009

photo: xroads.virginia.edu/~UG01/hughes/jazz.html