singin in the rain

• Singin' in the Rain

  1952 film, directed by Donen & Kelly, USA
• Singin' in the Rain

  • Component 1: Key Developments in US Film
  • Focus Areas: Genre, Narrative, Context
• Cinematography (including Lighting)

  • Knowing, playful use of the conventions of the musical
  • Wide shot dwarfs the couple as they enter the dark, cavernous space
  • Two shot from below suggests the power of the characters to shape the space
  • Lockwood switches on the lights to provide the sunset, garden lights, moonlight and 'stardust'
  • Only a handful of shots during the dance to allow appreciation of the movement
  • Lighting has been 'staged' artificially, characters occasionally move through dark space but are perfectly lit at significant moments
• Mise-en-Scène

  • Self-consciously artificial
  • Typical sequence where the male protagonist makes his 'pitch' to the heroine
  • Costume is deliberately evocative of the 1920s setting but also suggests the actors' off-screen personas
  • Step ladder allows the audience to imagine the romantic setting
• Editing


  • Little editing, characterized by wide shots and long takes
  • Shot/reverse shot pattern briefly as Kathy and the audience anticipate Don being ready to 'say it'
• Sound

  • Naturalistic evocation of the cavernous space through echo and mechanical sounds
  • Non-diegetic musical motifs accompany each effect added by Lockwood
  • Music provides context for movement and spectacle, lyrics articulate Lockwood's feelings
• Social context

  • Silent film era quickly overshadowed by talkies but had enormous influence
  • 1950s was an era of reflection for the film industry as Hollywood studios' pre-eminence was threatened
  • Singin' in the Rain accurately depicts the innovative, anarchic beginnings of the film industry
• Historical context

  • Singin' in the Rain is the product of the Hollywood Studio System at the height of its power and dominance
  • MGM was one of the original 'big 5' Hollywood studios who consolidated their dominance over the domestic film market
  • Singin' in the Rain was produced by a specific production unit at MGM under the leadership of producer Arthur Freed
  • Freed had developed his reputation with the musical genre, including producing The Wizard of Oz and An American in Paris
• Genre comparison

  • Singin' in the Rain was written as a vehicle for a selection of songs co-written by Nacio Herb Brown in the late 1920s
  • It draws on the 'revue' or 'backstage musical' tradition but also exemplifies the 'integrated musical' where musical numbers are integrated to character and plot
  • MGM musicals can be seen as a point of contrast with other genres of the studio era in terms of the male 'athletic' body being the primary object of the spectator's gaze