The film, "The Jazz Singer" dating back to its release date in 1927 was one of the first films in American popular culture that had portrayed its characters with speaking lines. Aside from the first speaking line in the film, there is beautiful music that accompanies the film. Within the story of the film we see the climax of the film approach upon a religious holiday for the Rabinowitz family. The holiday was the "Day of Atonement" which is the Jewish holiday also known as "Yom Kippur." In Yom Kippur, people of the Jewish faith were to fast for twenty-four hours and then are expected to repent and ask for forgiveness through intensive prayer. The interesting idea about the film is why did the writer decide to make the climax during this particular holiday in the Jewish faith?
I believe the reason for the writer and director to portray the film in this particular light is because as Yom Kippur is the day of repent we see Jackie facing his father for the first time since he was disowned for wanting to become a cantor. Not only is his father on his deathbed on the day of atonement but Jackie's father finally decides to accept his son for becoming a jazz singer. It is plausible that the writer thought that by bringing religion into the discussion of acceptance is the ethical way of dealing with a child doing an occupation that the parent did not wish for. The question that arises from The Jazz Singer makes me wonder about why did the writer in 1927 decide that it was an ethical point in the film to introduce the ideologies of religion to justify the decision of accepting Jackie's decision of becoming a jazz singer.
Overall there is an ethical question relating to the way the film is written compared to our ideologies today for deciding what is right from wrong. The question that The Jazz Singer arises is, "do we rely on religion to make ethical decisions in our everyday lives?" I'll leave you with that idea. What do you think?
I believe the reason for the writer and director to portray the film in this particular light is because as Yom Kippur is the day of repent we see Jackie facing his father for the first time since he was disowned for wanting to become a cantor. Not only is his father on his deathbed on the day of atonement but Jackie's father finally decides to accept his son for becoming a jazz singer. It is plausible that the writer thought that by bringing religion into the discussion of acceptance is the ethical way of dealing with a child doing an occupation that the parent did not wish for. The question that arises from The Jazz Singer makes me wonder about why did the writer in 1927 decide that it was an ethical point in the film to introduce the ideologies of religion to justify the decision of accepting Jackie's decision of becoming a jazz singer.
Overall there is an ethical question relating to the way the film is written compared to our ideologies today for deciding what is right from wrong. The question that The Jazz Singer arises is, "do we rely on religion to make ethical decisions in our everyday lives?" I'll leave you with that idea. What do you think?
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