The Movie Journal

The Jazz Singer (1927) Let’s say that you strike a conversation with a movie buff and you wanted to know a basic history of film. You ask that person, “Say, would you happen to know the first talkie film?” The movie buff would respond, “Yes, that movie would be 1927’s The Jazz Singer . Indeed, the movie buff would be correct in a sense. It is very important to note that the movie is NOT the first sound film, but the first film to use actual dialogue. Audiences in 1927 were shocked by the revelation of consistent sound/talking/music. In retrospect, this film would kill off silent film and change the course of Hollywood as we know it today. Sound pictures would take the center stage less than a year later. The movie uses sound, but still acts like a silent film. Much of the dialogue is composed using title cards, which was popular during the era of silent film. But when Al Jolson’s voice appeared, that is when the magic begins. Using my eyes of the 21 st century, the sou...

Sunrise: A Song for Two Humans (1927) As a film student, it’s important to understand all aspects of film history. The era I was…and still is most unfamiliar with is the period of silent films. Honestly, they really never appealed to me. After my viewing of 1927’s Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans , I want to see more silent films to truly appreciate this era. I really enjoyed this film very much so. While I do not consider it a masterpiece on my initial viewing, there are many artistic values this film provides. Thanks to fantastic and ground-breaking cinematography, amazing performances (Janet Gaynor comes to mind), and smooth direction from F.W Murnau. This film came out at an era where silent films were near their death because of the advent of sound. In fact, The Jazz Singer, which is the first sound film, was released in theaters around this time. The film does make use of a somewhat ominous score that fits very well with the movie. While not a box office success, Hol...