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Analysis - The Jazz Singer

            The "old world" versus the "new world" is a common theme throughout the movie, "The Jazz Singer." The story is an example of the Jewish dream in conflict with American reality. Early in the film we see the development of a love interest who is non-Jewish, evolve into the melding of the two worlds, as he successfully sings at the synagogue and in his first Broadway play. The young Jack Robin is constantly battling his two worlds, his heritage and his desire to succeed in America. The Jazz Singer portrays Jack as a boy who was never fully satisfied as the typical Jew and in order to find real joy in life he is forced to disappoint his parents or deny himself his dreams of being a performer. This conflict between his two worlds appears in nearly every scene. Aside from the story line of the play, the "Old World" and the "New World" have a revolutionary impact on the film world. It was the first time a musical performance or dialogue had been lip synchronized. .
             When Jack Robins sang in the bar as a young boy, he began a cinematic revolution. The silent films from this moment on would never be the same. It was the death of the silent film and the beginning of the new era of talkies. Al Jolson and The Jazz Singer changed the film industry forever. A common theme in the American songs in The Jazz Singer is that of love between parents and their children. Specifically, "My Mammy" at the end of the film is a song of the endless bond a child has with their mother. The song is about an Alabama mother, but as Jack sings you are able to recognize it is about his own mother. His wearing of a blackface in this song was also a symbol or metaphor for being American. Overtime, blackface overshadowed the immigrant world. A powerful scene occurs when Jack sings to his mother in her home when he first comes back to New York. This proves that time changes nothing when it comes to the bond of a mother and child.


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