The central historical message of this film is that during this time period, people were just beginning to break away from traditional norms and find their own passion and their own path in life. While this wasn't widely accepted at first, it became the forefront for the way that society works today. This was the beginning of people choosing their own careers and making their own choices in life rather than carrying on the family occupation. The music was mainly very melancholy sounds from the classical era, but also included some upbeat ragtime jazz when Jakie began to sing. I thoroughly enjoyed the contrast between the two types of music and it was clear that they played a pivotal role in the film. The sad, slow traditional music would mark the father and his overbearing ora while the upbeat jazz music would indicate the switch to his more lively, independent, and shame free son, Jakie. It was extremely odd for me to watch a film in black and white since I’ve admittedly most likely never done that. I’ve also never seen a silent movie in general. Apparently, this film was a significant piece of history. According to my research, this film was remarkable because it was the first to synch up sound with a motion picture. …show more content…
The father continues on and goes to the church service as if he never even has a son at all. When questioned, Papa explains, “My son was to come and sing at my side - but now I have no son.” It is alarming that instead of accepting his son for who he is, Papa would rather just disown him and deny his existence completely. Even when Jakie writes his family as a successful jazz singer, Papa scolds Mama for reading his letters, shouting, “I told you never to open his letters - we have no