The Jazz Singer (1927)

Sometimes it’s difficult to unravel the legacy and history of a film to find its true merit. Some films have such a strongly-established myth of greatness that viewers feel disappointed if it fails to live up to all the hype surrounding it. Oscar winners fall into this trap all the time and any film listed among the ‘greatest’ examples of the medium do as well. So do films known for being the first of some kind. For the better part of a century, The Jazz Singer has been propped up by the fact that it was the first ‘talkie’ film. While this technical milestone is certainly worth remembering, it’s also a bit misleading.

Growing up in the Jewish ghettos of Manhattan, Jakie Rabinowitz (Al Jolson) is expected to become a synagogue cantor like his father. The boy has different plans, however, when he falls in love with the jazz music played in saloons and cafes. The boy displays a natural singing talent but his father and his Jewish community are shocked by his behavior. After being disciplined by his father for disobedience, Jakie runs away in pursuit of his dream of becoming a jazz singer.

Years later, Jakie (now going by Jack Robin) is a rising star, singing in cabarets and clubs on a nightly basis. Attracting the attention of a few big stars, Jakie earns a shot at the big time vaudeville circuit in his hometown of New York City. He writes home to his mother to share his happiness and success and stops by for a visit between rehearsals. His homecoming is welcomed by his mother, who is glad to see her son is happy, but his father wants nothing to do with him. When the elder Rabinowitz suffers ill health, Jakie’s mother and the Jewish community put him in a difficult position. They ask him to put his heritage ahead of his career by performing the Kol Nidre at synagogue on Yom Kippur- directly conflicting with opening night of his big shot.

Call me crazy but I was expecting more talking out of the first full-length ‘talkie’ film. The Jazz Singer is more like a silent film with a few musical numbers. Most of the ‘dialogue’ still occurs within title cards like a traditional silent film. Every now and then, in and around the songs, there is a bit of dialogue. Usually it is just Al Jolson saying a few words but there is a scene where he talks for a few minutes with his mother. The incorporation of synchronized musical numbers and the synchronized dialogue was groundbreaking because synchronized sound had only been used in short films and to provide soundtracks up until that point.

The story itself isn’t that exciting but it is worth noting that The Jazz Singer is one of the earliest films to depict a child spurning his family to pursue an artistic dream. This has since become a Hollywood cliché, especially the stern, elder father proclaiming “I have no son!” Perhaps this is why I was unable to become fully engrossed in the film- it’s been remade to death! But this, on top of the incorporation of sound in a full-length film definitely gives The Jazz Singer a rightful place in film history.

Firsts are always worth respecting because they are usually the innovators and oftentimes impact whatever comes after it. There is no doubt that this is true for The Jazz Singer. Not only would this bold production launch the sound era but it also gave audiences a new way to appreciate music. Now people wouldn’t have to go to the theater to see musicians and performances. In just a few years time, Hollywood would perfect the art of the early movie-musical and pave the way for popular musicians to break into new mediums. This whole concept and trend owes its existence to this film.

Just because something is the first, however, doesn’t make it one of the best. In fact, this film has plenty of shortcomings. Sound synchronization and Al Jolson’s talents are the main attraction here. The sets and action play out like a stage production for the most part. The camera typically stays static and director Alan Crosland never employs intentional framing to emphasize any moods or action. Granted, at this point the Unchained Camera technique was in its infancy but employing some of the new cinematography techniques could have helped the film be even more special.

The story itself is uncomfortable to a point. Yes, Jakie runs away and becomes a rising star, but the homecoming component just doesn’t fit. The man is guilt-tripped into putting his career in jeopardy. I can understand him wanting to make peace with his father but I felt that his former Jewish brethren were asking too much. Would they rather him be Jewish and miserable or successful? I’m not condoning the selling out of one’s beliefs for personal gain but Jakie never displayed any real passion for his heritage as a boy. I don’t see how his mother and others could use his religion to tug at his heartstrings so much.

Perhaps there is something of a generation gap with the understanding of Jakie’s decision. Young people today aren’t bound to their heritage or intent on pleasing their parents like they used to be. Maybe that’s how it worked in the 1920s but it just screams of unjustified guilt trip to me. There may be a happy ending for all parties but it seems like an unnecessary dilemma for our protagonist to endure.

Did The Jazz Singer change the film industry? Yes. Is it a good film? Yes, for the most part. Would anybody remember it had it not been the first ‘talkie?’ Probably not. There you have it- had the production been delayed or slated to be the second film of the sound era, the aura that hangs around this film would not exist. Perhaps it’s harsh and unfair to suggest that its status as the first ‘talkie’ is the only reason anybody remembers it, but I am fairly confident that that is the truth. An interesting watch for film buffs but probably not very exciting for everyone else.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)**

Despite a simple premise that has been replicated too many times to count, this is a beautiful film. There’s something inherently charming about silent films for me. Perhaps it’s because it seems quaint to look back at films from simpler times. Everyone has a soft spot for nostalgia and, as a film lover, silent films represent an innocent age for the industry, before films became obsessed with special effects, sex and violence. Then again, all one has to do is watch Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans to realize that the all-but-forgotten films of this era did tackle serious and potentially controversial issues.

A nameless couple lives in a small countryside village. The Man is having an affair with a Woman From The City. The Wife is aware of her husband’s indiscretion but says nothing, shedding tears when he isn’t looking. The Woman From The City grows tired of sharing this country boy and asks him to run away with her- kill his wife, sell his farm and move into the exciting City. The Man protests at first but gives in to her persuasiveness. The Man tells The Wife they are going for a trip to The City by rowboat. Thinking her husband is showing affection, she is overjoyed.

Far out into the water, The Man comes close to drowning his wife but cannot go through with it. He realizes deep down that he loves her. When they reach The City, The Wife attempts to run away, terrified of her husband’s plot to kill her. Their journey into The City brings about the rediscovery of their identities and the rediscovery of their love for each other. The two must battle the commotion of The City, nature and more temptation in order to make their love last.

There is a lot going on in this film. On the surface it may seem generic and clichéd but you have to look deeper to appreciate old films like Sunrise. Director F. W. Murnau’s European expressionist style drips from every frame. The use of shadows, camera angles and forced perspective creates a vivid fantasy-like world that our characters inhabit.

Unlike other silent films, Murnau lets the story tell itself, keeping the use of title cards to a bare minimum. This forces the actors to step up their game a notch. Their faces tell the tale fantastically. Janet Gaynor won Best Actress at the first Academy Awards for her role as The Wife and it’s clear why. Silent films are often panned by modern audiences because of the need to over-emote and exaggerate expressions but there is very little of that here. Gaynor’s expressions of sadness, heartbreak and joy feel genuine. George O’Brien should have been considered for Best Actor, because his performance is marvelous. His cold stare as he prepares to drown his wife pierces and terrifies in a way few films have managed to replicate since. Simply put, Murnau delivers silent film acting at its finest.

The dearth of title cards does another unique thing for the film. It allows and invites the audience to process, understand and analyze the film on their own terms. If you want to see just the surface, you will see a redemptive love story. If you want to go deeper, you will discover at least a half-dozen themes: virtue vs. lust, small town values vs. big city vices, isolation, man vs. self, man vs. temptation, and the list goes on. Is it any wonder that this film won the first and only Academy Award for Best Picture of Unique and Artistic Production? The award was merged the Best Picture- Production award the following year to create one definitive Best Picture award, but seeing how the awards were split makes perfect sense when comparing Sunrise to its inaugural Oscar counterpart Wings.

Murnau also delivers the goods with his work behind the camera. He and his cinematographers use some innovative techniques for 1927, including a tracking pan that follows the actors through a swampy set. Putting the camera in motion like this revolutionized filmmaking when Murnau first utilized it in Germany three years before coming to America to make this film. I haven’t seen very many films from the 1920s and earlier yet but even I was able to recognize how radical this technique was for the early days of film. Murnau also employs flawless superimpositions in scenes where The Man is being tempted by thoughts of The Woman From The City. Again, this is mind-blowing stuff for the 1920s.

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans lays it all out and lets you pick up from it whatever you want. It’s a multidimensional film accessible to everyone. That alone is a triumph in storytelling and style. It’s a shame that this film had to come around at the dawn of the ‘talkies’ because Sunrise could have been the prototype for a new era of silent films. The advent of sound took Hollywood a step forward and two steps back artistically but it would rebound in due time. It’s a tragedy that this film is not talked about outside of film scholars and historical circles.

RATING: 4.5 out of 5