Featured Audience Ratings

• jay n

  
  Hoary old chestnut that should be seen for its historical significance, aside from that its the ripest kind of melodrama. Overwrought acting, clutched bosoms, fevered declamations, the works are on display here. Do keep an eye out for a young Myrna Loy, just starting out, as a chorus… More
  Hoary old chestnut that should be seen for its historical significance, aside from that its the ripest kind of melodrama. Overwrought acting, clutched bosoms, fevered declamations, the works are on display here. Do keep an eye out for a young Myrna Loy, just starting out, as a chorus girl.

• Alexander D

  
  Starring Al Jolson as the title character, THE JAZZ SINGER is much more than just the first full-length feature with sound.

• Sophie B

  
  An amazing film for its time! I feel awestruck that THIS was the first ever feature length film to include synchronised sound. The narrative and themes are universal and still relevant today, 80 years on. I feel that this would have been even better if they were able to implement… More
  An amazing film for its time! I feel awestruck that THIS was the first ever feature length film to include synchronised sound. The narrative and themes are universal and still relevant today, 80 years on. I feel that this would have been even better if they were able to implement sound for the whole film. A beautiful film with beautiful performances. Some people wouldn't be able to look past the fact that it's mostly silent and in black and white, but I'm so glad I was able to do that and experience this film. They didn't just make a random, awful and totally pointless film to add the sound to, they made something worthwhile something where the sound was secondary to the narrative and that's what makes this even more momentous and inspiring. A fantastic chunk of history.

• AJ V

  
  Finally after years of hearing about this movie and seeing clips from it in historical film documentaries, I finally watched it! And I really liked it too! The story is universal and still applies today, Jolson was great as the Jewish cantor's son who wanted to be a jazz singer… More
  Finally after years of hearing about this movie and seeing clips from it in historical film documentaries, I finally watched it! And I really liked it too! The story is universal and still applies today, Jolson was great as the Jewish cantor's son who wanted to be a jazz singer instead of a cantor like his father. Of course this movie is famous for having bits of dialogue spoken, which is spoken during the song sequences. This device is both really cool and makes you wish the whole movie were a talky, but it also is kinda annoying at times too, as the transitions are a bit awkward. Overall, I really liked this movie, though.

• Devon B

  
  There's going to be the inevitable offense of modern sensibilities with the blackface performance of "Mammy", but I'll be damned if that performance which closes the movie isn't both touching and uplifting. Jolson plays Jakie Robin (Rabinowitz), the son of a… More
  There's going to be the inevitable offense of modern sensibilities with the blackface performance of "Mammy", but I'll be damned if that performance which closes the movie isn't both touching and uplifting. Jolson plays Jakie Robin (Rabinowitz), the son of a cantor who wishes to sing jazz instead. A story that's been done many times since (like the cartoon where "Owl Jolson" sings "I wanna sing'a about the moon'a and the june'a and the spring'a", for instance), but the first real "talkie" has got them all beat. Jolson's performance might come off as hokey to modern audiences at first glance, but those are real tears on his cheeks as he sings about his mother (not one but three songs about dear old mom). Calling it the first talkie is a bit of a stretch though, as the majority of the film is still silent, it's just the songs (and a few spoken words during those songs) that have any sound. The sound and picture don't always match up either, but this "vitaphone"-brand of production was brand new and I guess not entirely perfected. Perfected or not, this film, and the wave of popularity that followed, opened the floodgates to the era of talking pictures. Such a revolutionary landmark film didn't necessarily have to be so creative with the story, so it's a pleasant enough surprise that it's not something completely nonsensical. Al Jolson was the consumate entertainer of his day, and this is a fine showcase of his talent. And while it's true those looking to find offense can find it easily enough here, it's well worth it to look at the film through a historical perspective.

• Arash X

  
  Well the first feature-length movie with audible dialogue ...

• Brandon W

  
  Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see Michel Hazanavicius' lovable The Artist, a film about a silent film actor's fall from stardom as Hollywood made the transition from the Silent Era to the Sound Era in 1927. My love for The Artist sparked my interest in The Jazz Singer,… More
  Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see Michel Hazanavicius' lovable The Artist, a film about a silent film actor's fall from stardom as Hollywood made the transition from the Silent Era to the Sound Era in 1927. My love for The Artist sparked my interest in The Jazz Singer, the very first feature-length film to incorporate synchronized sound into its story. Its popularity at the time led to the Talkie Revolution seen in The Artist. I feel that The Jazz Singer's legacy and impact on cinema is much more impressive than the actual quality of the film itself. It is one of the most historically important and influential films of cinema, but by today's standards it is rather dull and has aged very poorly. The acting in particular is somewhat awkwardly portrayed. The storyline of a man running away from home to pursue stardom seems overdone and cliche, but that is not to say that it wasn't original in its time. Perhaps this story was creative or daring in 1927, but it's nothing new for a modern audience. The flow of the film feels clumsy and disjointed as it repeatedly switches back and forth between silent and sound film. The film is even a bit racist at times as well. When The Jazz Singer is viewed through the eyes of a modern audience, it is difficult to comprehend the impact this seemingly insignificant film had on cinema. It spurred what many view as the greatest revolution in the history of film. Despite its many flaws, I cannot bring myself to fail it, as it has influenced films in so many ways. I can also be somewhat generous with my rating because it had the challenge of being the very first film to be done in this manner. After decades of silent films with title cards being tradition, I can imagine that it would have been hard to make the very first film of its kind, not having any other examples to go by. The Jazz Singer is full of holes but its historical significance cannot go unnoticed.

• Matthew Y

  
  Like The Birth of a Nation, The Jazz Singer is a HISTORICALLY important film. That does NOT make it a classic or even a good movie. We've been lucky over the past decades that cinematic firsts have coincided with good films, the first computer animated film was Toy Story, the… More
  Like The Birth of a Nation, The Jazz Singer is a HISTORICALLY important film. That does NOT make it a classic or even a good movie. We've been lucky over the past decades that cinematic firsts have coincided with good films, the first computer animated film was Toy Story, the first animated film was Snow White, the first film in color was Gone With the Wind, etc. Just because The Jazz Singer was the first film to incorporate sound does not make it an all time great. It is a dull watch with few moments of real magic. "You Ain't Heard Nuttin' Yet" is a top 100 line of all time. The film is not.

• Max G

  
  It's not just the first movie in history with sound, it's a gripping experience about losing and regaining family over a career achievement.

• Lord N

  
  Well, I really do appreciate the historical value, I mean come on, it was the first talkie. It got bring and rather melodramatic at many points. I was watching this and since it was half sound and half silent, it got me thinking. I think that it was silent when it was focusing on his… More
  Well, I really do appreciate the historical value, I mean come on, it was the first talkie. It got bring and rather melodramatic at many points. I was watching this and since it was half sound and half silent, it got me thinking. I think that it was silent when it was focusing on his parents, or the old generation and that is represented with silent film. The Jazz Singer's parts are in sound to signify the new generation or era of talking films. it was a decent film that has good historical value. I feel that it has little else to offer other than a few entertaining moments and one comedic moment.

• Lizzy B

  
  Amazing! I was extremely impressed with the blending of silent and sound shots that really made me appreciate sound movies so much more.

• Jared H

  
  I could be ignorant about it, and compare this movie to other films like "Saving Private Ryan", "Titanic", or even new musicals like "Once", and say that this movie isn't nearly as moving, well-made, or good as them...which would be true. But, as… More
  I could be ignorant about it, and compare this movie to other films like "Saving Private Ryan", "Titanic", or even new musicals like "Once", and say that this movie isn't nearly as moving, well-made, or good as them...which would be true. But, as a true fan of movies, I can't deny the significance of "The Jazz Singer". It was the first movie with sound..that is, "synchronous" sound, meaning sound that is actually coming from the actors and not a score added in post-production. And, it wasn't just a gimmick to showcase the new technology...I was actually really entertained, and quite moved by the message of faith and family. Not to mention Al Jolson's delightful and magnetic performance. I'd be stupid not to recognize and acknowledge this film for what it was at the time rather than what it is today. This is a proven classic, and for good reason, and there's really only one rating that would do this revolutionary film justice, a full five stars.

Read all 12 featured audience ratings