This was my first time watching Singing in the Rain and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only exposure I had prior to this class was my mom singing the songs around the house. It has always been one of her favorites, and now I can see why. The entire film was unpredictable, witty, and it did a solid job of demonstrating 1920’s Hollywood. It had a satirical element with its representation of the switch from silent films to “talkies.” Singing in the Rain was able to capture the true essence of the 20’s and the struggles with technological advancements through its narrative and cinematic language. I believe the characters themselves are what gave the film the extra flare although; I think one character in particular is greatly overlooked.

The focalization on Don and the character representations being biased in his favor framed the movie’s entirety. From the beginning, Don was idolized compared to those around him. He was made out to be this heartthrob, talented actor when in reality; he would be nothing without his best mate. It was interesting because I believe there should have been more of an emphasis on Cosmo. Don was depicted as the hero and Cosmo as his sidekick but anyone who watches the film would be able to see that it is actually the opposite. Cosmo was the true “heroic” figure in the production. Everything Don did was guided by one of Cosmo’s genius plans. Don’s career would have gone down the drain and Kathy’s movie career never would have started if it were not for him. Even at the end of the film, when Kathy was singing behind the curtain, Cosmo was the one who ran onto the stage to show who was singing. Don gave the speech entitling Kathy to her stardom, but Cosmo was the one who physically proved Lina was not the true talent.

Satirical elements can be defined throughout the film. One scene in particular that really caught my attention was the “Moses Supposes” dance routine. The detrimental advancement from silent films to “talkies” of the 1920’s is a major theme within the movie. This scene was able to bring humor to the overly dramatized changes. It begins with Don mimicking silly sayings to better his pronunciations with his vocal coach. Once Cosmo enters, he begins mocking the coach and the lesson with funny faces. The dance and singing number was dedicated to satirically demonstrating the emphasis many actors of the 1920’s placed on saving their careers; trying to transform their talents into speaking roles.

I really enjoyed Singing in the Rain. I found the plot line and overall production very entertaining and well made. It has easily become one of my favorite musical films. The satire and character personalities were very well established and helped the movie maintain a sense of humor and direction. I do hope others are able to view Cosmo as the true protagonist of the story. In my opinion, he was the only non-self seeking character and the day was saved by his genius ideas and actions.