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Updates -------------- April 16th 2006 - SITR

It's been a long time coming, but here is my attempt to write something about Singin' In The Rain.  A film I enjoy.  Thoroughly.  It may not seem (on the surface) like the sort of film that I'd enjoy, but there's a lot more to Singin' In The Rain than you might initially appreciate.  No doubt there are other things out there on the internet that have been written about this film by people with skillz far superior to my own, but I think I can do something here in a non-threatening, welcoming kind of way.  There's probably going to be things here that you already know about the film, but by reiterating them it adds to a grander picture.  So, sit back, relax, and enjoy another Denherder Pseudo-Essay.

ROAR!

To recap the entire plot here would be a little boring, so I'm going to take it that you can find it elsewhere and put in the effort in to read a synopsis/watch the fucking film.  Singin' In The Rain is a postmodern classic.  By setting the film in the past, it makes it far easier to get away with satirising the current film making climate.  Not only that, but the film was comissioned on the basis that they wanted a vehicle to recycle a load of older songs, and make some money.  There was no greater studio purpose of creating a masterpiece that would be relevant decades after its initial release, it was just another MGM, churn 'em out, mass produced musical.  What was expected was another film to make a bit of money out of the gullible "give me more of what we've got already" cinema going public and what they got was...something special.  The beauty of the film is that so much of what it is trying to say is still relevant today.  Lina Lamont could be a direct parody of Anne Heche (the manipulative sleep your way to the top side) or even Colin Farrell (if the rumours are true that is).  The faux-relationship fed to the fan magazines as fact is still going on today.  That desperate struggle for publicity - got to make the papers, even it means lying about your private life.  Just swap Dora Bailey for a copy of Heat magazine and there you are in the year 2006.  You've got stars having more influence on the artistic vision of the movie than the director, the writers are completely ignored, sleazy parties with people trying to break into the movies.  You can do this kind of thing when you're making a film about making a film.  It's the good side of postmodernism.  Unlike trendy drugs films, which could really learn a thing or two from Singin' In The Rain.  It knows what it is too, it's self-referential and not above taking jabs at the mass-produced films of the 20s (and by extension, the 50s and nowadays).  The Scarface skit, the line about turning films into musicals being easy, it all works together to produce something entertaining, smart and...well, postmodern.

How to get a job in Hollywood:  20s, 50s and 00s style.

So, it's postmodern.  Is that enough of a reason to love this film?  No.  There are many postmodern films out there, and that isn't a sign of quality.  To get my love, you have to work a little harder than that.  Whether you like musicals or not (I generally don't BTW) you have to appreciate the fantastic skill that's gone into to the actual routines.  Any time you think that the film is relying on cliche to get through the dances, it knocks it down with a stlye change or a gag.  In fact, the majority of the dances act as a microcosm of the entire film.  Fractal geometry and shit.  The dances either being predominately made up of a combination of different styles of dance (although never straying too far from the core of tap) or making a greater reference to the film world.  Even the shit You Were Meant For Me routine is not only about Don's feelings for Kathy, but also about how films create that right mood - the techniques they use.  It's this ability to communicate something on two levels that shows the real skill that has gone into creating the routines - excellent dancers (despite what Gene Kelly may or may not have said about Debbie Reynolds), impressive choreography and a little something else thrown in to keep them fresh and different.

Mood Setting 101.

OK, we've got two reasons there, but we really need more than that otherwise it wouldn't qualify as a subject for a pseudo-essay.  Hey, remember, this is only pseudo-essay number 4.  It's up there with some important stuff.  Let's keep going with the technical, filmic stuff before we move onto the more...personal reasons.  It's funny.  I don't mean kind of funny, or funny for a musical, or funny for th 50s, I mean actually laugh out loud funny.  Whether you're looking at the top-quality clowning that goes on in this film, classic comedy bits like the slow-burn or double take or even the well crafted punchline - this film is plain funny.  I've always been a fan of what I guess you'd call classic comedy: a good pratfall is funny, and I don't give a shit what people might think.  This film has that classic comedy in bucketloads and it is really done well, but it also has bits that you wouldn't expect to see. The signs of small towns that we see just prior to Fit As A Fiddle are Morris and Iannucci-esque in their use of the English language.  People often class this film as a musical, or a romance story first and a comedy second, but I think it's clearly the other way around.   Regardless of the joke-to-dialogue hit rate, the comic performances are fantastic.  I don't want to get too bogged down in the whole Oscars debacle but if ever someone should have had some official recognition for a performance, it's Jean Hagen.  She's brilliant in every scene, and still manages to bring some real depth and levels to what is essentially a comic relief role.

It may not look like it, but this is about 10 seconds before one of the greatest punchlines ever.

Like I said, I didn't want to get too bogged down in the Oscars of 1952 thing, but when you next watch the film, look at Jean.  She doesn't stop working in any of the scenes.  Honestly.  It's pretty much a perfect performance.  We're talking a Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop or Mike Myers in Wayne's World type performance.  Perfect.  Anyway, with that, we're starting to stray into the personal reasons why I love this film so I'll be moving onto that now.  If it's all a little too much, then here is the perfect place for an intermission.  Whenever you're ready, just click to the right to continue: ---------------------------------->