An Analysis of Singin' in the Rain

Group Members: Melissa, Michael, Monica and Kelsey

Singin' in the Rain

Singin’ In the Rain is a timeless classic – it has the ability to intrigue and humor an audience with intricate dance numbers and hilarious jokes regardless of social and cultural context.  The satirical nature of the film and innovative cinematography make Singin’ In The Rain an exemplar for films within its own genre as well as films with more somber tones. Although the influence of its innovative cinematography and musical numbers is apparent, a less obvious impact of Singin’ In The Rain is how it seamlessly portrays a motion picture as a technology, business, art form and cultural product.

            The evolution of film as a technology is one of the most prominent motifs in Singin’ in the Rain. The plot is structured to mirror a film’s progression due to the advancement in technology. Moving from silent to sound films altered the production of a picture and changed the way in which an audience could interact with a movie. Aside from the main plot line, the musical number You Were Meant for Me revealed that the “magic” or realness behind a movie is done by using technology to manipulate a setting. The dreamy backdrop for Don’s confession of love was only made possible by utilizing soundstage technology. Without the fan or the lighting, the setting would still look like a movie lot. Singin’ in the Rain shows that a film is only made possible through the use of technology.

            Lina Lamont’s high-pitched, cacophonous voice is less than perfect for her role in the revamped, musical version of The Dueling Cavalier. However, instead of removing her from the film entirely and finding a more suitable actress for the role, the production company goes through the extra effort of doing a voice over. In order to make the movie a success, the production company needed the Lamont and Lockwood combination that the audience loves, which demonstrates how creative purposes are compromised in order to acquire a larger audience. The Dueling Cavalier is seen as a product that needs to attract ticket sales and not an artwork that hopes to be critically celebrated.

            The need for creativity and thinking outside the box is what ultimately saves The Deuling Cavalier. Although R.F. Simpson has the money and a business-oriented mind, he realizes he is unable to save The Dueling Cavalier by simply using business tactics. R.F. relies on the creativity of Don and Cosmo in order to resuscitate the film and make it a success. The musical montage that is intended to give insight into Don Lockwood’s ideas for The Singin’ Cavalier shows how each dance move, lyric and camera shot was carefully crafted to enhance the overall aesthetic of The Singin’ Cavalier and consequently progress the plot of the movie. Even though the Lockwood and Lamont business tactic drew the audience in, the creativity of Don and Cosmo is what led to the audience to actually enjoy the movie.

            Singin’ In the Rain acknowledges the reciprocal relationship between the audience and the The Dueling Cavalier, thus defining film as a cultural product. The real motivation behind the last minute changing of The Deuling Cavalier was the audience’s unfavorable reaction to the test screening. Most of the popular sound pictures that were favored by the audience in the movie were musicals, and seeing a non-musical sound picture wasn’t very appealing to them. Singin’ in The Rain acknowledges how the audience’s perception and expectation of a film with sound changed and was greatly influenced by other popular motion pictures at the time. The feedback between the surrounding culture and film was the foundation for The Singin’ Cavalier’s success. 

In addition to showing the multiple perspectives of a motion picture, the innovativeness of Singin’ in the Rain is also seen when comparing the musical numbers in the film to their original sources.  The tone of the song Lucky Star in Singin’ In The Rain has a stark contrast to that of Lucky Star in Broadway Melody 1936. Lucky Star as performed by Eleanor Powell in Broadway Melody 1936 is a soliloquy and dreamlike, whereas the duet between Don and Kathy in Singin’ In The Rain is a dialogue that takes place in reality. Singin’ In The Rain took the original somber and wishful tone of Lucky Star and reinterpreted it into a romantic and giddy tone. The reinterpretation of the setting of Lucky Star was very grandiose and dynamic, complete with shots of the mountains and a climaxing chorus. This interpretation of the song better lent itself to a cinematic portrayal than the static and dispirited version found in Broadway Melody 1936. Singin’ In The Rain added a twist to a classic song and wove it flawlessly into the plot and aesthetic of the movie.
Lucky Star in Broadway Melody 1936

Written by: Kelsey