Singin’ in the Rain is and always will be a great timeless movie. This was my second time seeing the movie and I would honestly say it was better the second time. A great overall film filled with satire and a landmark in movie production techniques and ideology. The things they were able to do in this movie with the technology available to them in the 50’s were surprising. It seems like a movie that could still be in theaters today and a hit nonetheless.  My favorite scene and perhaps one of the most popular from this movie is Cosmo’s song and dance number: “Make ‘Em Laugh”. Cosmo is the character responsible for most of the comedy within this film and this number is a perfect example. I consider Cosmo a major character within this movie not only because he provides comedic relief throughout the whole film, but he also comes up with many integral ideas that solve the problems of the film. This specific scene is not a major one in the overall plot. It actually has no affect on the plot. While it provides a nice change of pace from the normally occurring scenes and is a great source of comedy, it does not move the plot forward or backwards. If the entire scene were removed the movie would remain essentially the exact same and is only there for the audiences enjoyment and laughter.

This particular scene takes place back stage of a busy movie set with people hard at work. While Don is in a slump after not being able to find his girl of interest, Cosmo makes up this comedy routine to lift his spirits. Don is dressed nicely in a plaid suit and Cosmo is dressed in a more casual fashion that seems to closely resemble the outfits of the workers seen in the background of this scene. This is a symbol of status to distinguish that Don is of higher status and importance than Cosmo. Throughout the movie, Cosmo is constantly working for Don and Don’s interests which is the reason why he is portrayed wearing the same clothes as the other movie set workers. The room is well lit and full of stage props to which Cosmo puts to comedic use, such as beginning by playing the piano, getting hit in the head by a piece of wood not once but twice, jumping through a doorway filled with bricks and dancing with a manikin. The background of this number is constantly changing as Cosmo moves around the room that is full of different movie stages making the mise-en-scene very interesting in this particular scene. One such background is made to look like a Greek palace, another is a set that is still in the process of being created, Cosmo then makes his way to a backdrop made to look like a long hallway. This movie and this scene in particular, while they may be over 60 years old are still funny today. Overall, this is a timeless classic of a movie and this particular scene is one of the most recognized and funny scenes in the movie.

This was my second time viewing the 1952 classic, Singing in the Rain, which manifested a joyful perspective on the booming Hollywood culture during the 1920’s. Even though my attention span and taste is normally incongruent with films like this, I very much enjoyed this pioneering and aesthetic demonstration of a choreographed musical comedy. The third person narrative approach only permitted seldom moments of foreshadowing accompanied by common sense, yet the cast provided a plethora of talent and entertainment while adapting to the numerous innovations including the advantage of colored motion picture. This thorough exploration of conspicuous Hollywood actors helped revolutionize and identify the general public’s fascination with celebrities. As well, this film captures the sentiments and motives within the very most prominent charterers.

The film hastily takes the initiative at exposing the fame and charisma of Gene Kelly’s character, Don Lockwood. In an interview with a zealous socialite, he fraudulently describes his childhood including an affluent upbringing while contrarily releasing his prior career as a youthful entertainer, and the various struggles it took to reach his contemporary fame. As well, the public is mislead by the conniving and villainous Lina Lamont, who’s oblivious to both her annoying voice and the fact that Don has no romantic interest in her throughout the film. Cosmo Brown, in my opinion, was the most dignified character there because his talent wasn’t dependent on the praise of the publicity. In fact, the public virtually ignored his presence in accompanying Don’s path to fame, yet nevertheless, Don humbly thanked him in front of the crowd at the Hollywood theatre. Kathy, the talented yet exploited singer, is skeptical throughout the film about Don’s affection. She continuously questions his sincerity, provoking Don to make incessant efforts in proving his love for Kathy, despite her constant resistance and cynicism due to his status. Overall characterization defines more than just the significance of the film’s most prominent performers, but how their uniquely configured personalities help embellish the aesthetic significance of acting.

As well, the use of comic relief was certainly a catalyst in future film making after the success and admiration of this film. For instance, Cosmo performs the, “Make ‘em laugh” song in an attempt to distract the audience from the highly focused plot and character identification. In fact, this performance provides a temporary taste of slapstick high-jinx and uninhibited, spontaneous humor. Since the film introduces a somewhat serious and dramatic interaction dynamic between the main cast and the supporting cast, this provides a musical “caesurae” from the significant plot points along the film’s metaphorical yet intangible timeline. Overall, the comical sidetracks are an important factor in directing the most compelling sequences, so the audience has a rather stimulated interest in bracing themselves for the upcoming scene. The ideal portrayal of characterization was certainly well blended with the unique acting personas of the main cast. Characterization was heavily responsible in conveying this film’s many aesthetic elements, and the abundance of talent helped accumulate a profound taste of virtual recursion (looking at old Hollywood through the contemporary Hollywood) per se. Overall, this is a brilliant and artistic film, heavily conceived by the unbeatable acting skills of the cast.

As a mainstream Hollywood film produced in 1927 it’s not altogether surprising that “Singing in the Rain” represents women in a stereotypically patriarchal way. However because this film is meant to be a simply entertaining musical, the ways in which the female characters are presented as traditional female tropes is more subtle. Lina Lamont, the Hollywood starlet, is a fame-hungry, vapid actress willing to do anything to climb the ladder to success; Kathy Selden, the aspiring actress, is the witty love interest who challenges the protagonist, but who is ultimately a damsel in distress.

Lina and Kathy could be considered as opposing ideals, both representing a different kind of woman. Lina represents a vulgar, provocatively dressed woman who is loud and strongly opinionated. Kathy is more conservative, quiet, but witty and smart, with a nice voice and agreeable disposition. It is obvious by the portrayals of these female characters who the appealing, well-thought of character is (Kathy). And through this difference we get a very obvious interpretation of the film’s ideals toward women. Because Lina is the antagonist, it is clear that the producers of “Singing in the Rain” believe Kathy’s feminine characteristics are  preferred.

The reason I would argue that the writing for these female characters is patriarchal is because of the agency of these two characters. Lina, the obviously disliked character, really evolves throughout the film and towards the end acts on her own agency and challenges the producer, director, Don and Cozmo. Kathy on the other hand–the desired love interest–never truly acts on her own agency, making her a flat, minor character. Throughout the movie, all of her decisions are made for her or influenced by Don, and she ends up being a damsel in distress who almost falls victim to the “evil” manipulations of Lina. When Lina threatens to ruin Kathy’s career and chances at success, Don steps in and tries to take control of the situation. Here we see Kathy as someone in need of help, and in this instance it is a man, her love interest, who steps in to help her–ergo, a damsel in distress. After upsetting Kathy in the pursuit to expose Lina, Don wins her back with a song towards the end of the film.

The fact that this film’s ideals are primarily patriarchal is, again, not surprising because of the time period, but it is important to note how the narrative is constructed as a representation of Hollywood’s ideals. And since this movie was produced during Hollywood’s Golden Age, it’s a safe bet to assume that it is a broadly held notion of that time period, that a more demure, passive and agreeable woman is to be the most desired and loved. Audiences are therefore socialized to accept with these ideals and see a woman like Lina, who is characterized and focalized as “annoying” and “manipulative” and wears more flashy and sexualized clothing, as the lesser woman. And this is not to say that Lina is not annoying or manipulative, but if a man was playing her role, she would probably be considered funny for her bad voice, or powerful for her manipulation.

Jessica Engle

In the movie Singin’ in the Rain there is a connection established between the characters of Don and Kathy just by the way that they are both introduced into the movie. When Don gives his back-story his narration is different than the reality that the audience is seeing on the screen. He glorifies his young life to make it seem like it was more glamorous than it actually is. Kathy tells Don while they are in her car that she is an actor and currently works in theater. We later realize she is actually working a singing and dancing job that is a lot less glamorous than she described to Don. Both characters feel this need to impress others by making their climb to stardom a lot more glamorous than reality portrays it. Establishing this similar desire for approval and glamour sets the stage for the impending relationship that transpires between Don and Kathy. They have similar character styles, which lead them to connect later on in the movie.

By introducing both characters telling lies to glamorize their lives makes the audience immediately make connections between the two. They both start their careers with struggle. Don’s flashback shows him playing in bars and being ridiculed by many people. This proves that his journey was not easy to get to the place where he is now, the big movie star with lots of success and fame. When we first meet Kathy she tells Don that she is an actress and is in theater, she is trying to impress this hot shot and show him that he is not much better than her. However, it is later revealed that she is just a singer and dancer for parties. Chances are this is the only gig she can find right now that uses her talents. Both our characters are shown to be people looking for fame and fibbing about their path to get there in order to gain approval from someone else. Don wanted to gain approval from his adoring fans and Kathy wanted to gain approval from Don.

Because of these lies, the characters are immediately categorized together by the audience. I immediately realized that both Don and Kathy exhibited this need for approval and admiration from others. They both needed everyone else to look at them as better than they were to feel good about themselves. This insecurity brings the two characters together because now there is a similar characteristic shared between them. They may not realize that they share this common desire for approval, but in a sense it makes them the same.  The fact that Kathy was the party entertainer was the reason that Don went looking for her. When Don realizes that Kathy is just a party entertainer he is immediately taken with her. He cannot stop thinking about her and searches everywhere to find her. He sees that she is a struggling actress, just as he was before he got his big break as a stunt man.

I think that by giving these two characters the common background of struggling actors, and having them both lie about their struggles gave them to basis for their relationship. This allowed them to have a deeper connection rather than just falling in love to add a love story to the movie. They both have a common need for approval as well as their goal for stardom. These lies told by the characters inevitably gave their relationship more depth.