Discrimination In Round Midnight

Jazz is a genre of music loved by many, but it holds a deep and judgmental past. Taking a closer look into this relationship, racial and gender discrimination becomes abundantly clear. When looking at jazz films, these relationships are clearly defined and played out. In jazz films, those of color were sidelined and played lackluster and profligate characters; men were emasculated, while women were sexualized and degraded. Jazz musicians are plagued by stereotypes that have been set from its origination in the late nineteenth century in New Orleans. In the United States, African American musicians were never seen as equal to Caucasian musicians, even if their capabilities were better; many African American jazz musicians crossed over the Atlantic simply to play their music
When Dale Turner was played in the Parisian nightclub, the audience immediately focused on Turner’s musical capabilities and let the music notes serenade their souls. This films provided images and scenes that suggest racial dynamics were superior in France, “The ready but well-intentioned Round Midnight operates on the myth that European connoisseurs understand jazz better than do the actual practitioners, and, one again, the fortunes of a self-destructive black artist become episodes in the life of a sensitive white admirer” (Gabbard 94). All of Europe was simply laid back and lacked racial discrimination towards African Americans or any other ethnicity for that matter. In ‘Round Midnight, it was as if everyone was equal; no one was treated differently because of the color of their skin or ethnicity. Europe was a country were jazz musicians could go to escape the racial and gender discrimination that was found in the United States. They could go to a country where the color of their skin was unimportant and let their music talents