Cinematic Techniques Used In Singin In The Rain

Singin’ In the Rain is a musical comedy film released in 1952 that was directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly (the latter being the film’s main protagonist). It is considered one of the best films of all time as it combined multiple genres into a charismatic musical that was accessible to all age groups, with something to offer for everyone. The film had a romantic element with the love story between Gene Kelly’s character Don Lockwood and Debbie Reynold’s Kathy Seldon. It has great comedic timing from Donald O’Connor and Jean Hagen. As well as surprising sexual undertones from the ever vivacious Cyd Charisse. This was all enveloped in a bright and whimsical musical with some of the most recognized songs of the era including Singin’ in the Rain, Good Morning, and Make ‘em Laugh. However, above its natural charisma, there was clearly major work put into the cinematography, montage, and sound that allows film to be a timeless classic for all

audiences.
Due to the film’s seemingly natural accessibility the cinematography does not receive enough credit. During it’s time, this film had some of the more complex cinematography of its era. Its ability to film sweeping shots from high above the sound stage (as seen in the film’s penultimate scene of Gene Kelly tapping in the rain) that captured every moving part on the screen and added validity to each scene. As well as the silent scenes that were filmed as traditionally as possibly. The use of color on the screen made it both accessible and easy to watch for both children and adults. Lastly Gene Kelly’s Signature use of abstract sets where he had a secondary character within the film, proves that this film, strived to make the forward progress by implementing a multilevel plot development format.
After the great cinematography took the place, another set of true professionals stepped into to create the montage, which required serious set of skill, as this film had multiple elements that needed to marry together seamlessly. For instance, the films starts out with real time and then flashes back into 1920’s silent movies, as well as various flash backs, and multiple sets in order to create a full dimensional film. In this film, it required all of these elements whilst still following a chronological timeline. For the era, this was done quite masterfully, as it was still the time of cutting and pasting film together without computerized help. The editing of this film truly proves the genius of the filmmakers’ as it was ahead of its time as well as created a signature look that has been duplicated by many others since.
While the cinematography and montage are fantastic in Singin’ in the Rain, this film would be nothing without a signature sound.

It has some typical markers of the era that include fairly animated and over the top vocals, a lot of big band music, and varying types of manufactured sound effects. However a very special part of this film is its use of tap dancing as a separate instrument in the film. Gene Kelly’s signature tap dancing leads to extra percussion, as well as often using his own singing voice in the film. Nearly every song in this film is considered a classic, which apparently everyone either knows or can recognize. For instance, everyone knows the lyrics to Singing in The Rain, Gotta Dance, and Good Morning. Sound is truly the essence of this film, for more than it just being a musical but because its sound is truly what makes memorable. These songs or scenes developed the plots drama or accented moment of happiness that would feed into the plot of the movie. They also drew in interest on the details of each

scene.
For all of these things, that have been stated about this films cinematography, montage, and sound I have to say personally, I enjoyed numerous things about this film. Firstly, I enjoyed the use of color in the sets, it truly made it a character of its own, in an abstract sense. The brilliant use of colors drew you into or away from elements the director wanted you to see or notice but not pay attention to. I also thoroughly enjoyed the tap dancing scenes, they were both esthetically appealing, but also audibly enjoyable as they were complex. The craftsmanship that went into these scenes was exceptional and added to the entertainment. Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynold’s chemistry was undeniable and it was incredibly fun to watch their on screen charisma.
There are however, two points of contention that I have with this film, firstly, is the sheer number of songs per ratio to scripted speech in this film, after about the third song in fifteen minutes, I did recognize that the majority of this film was going to be sung, but it had me questioning the quality of dialogue considering most of the plot was either sung or danced. Secondly, I found the apparently famous scene with Cyd Charisse as the dancer to be a bit of a momentum killer in the film. It seems unfitting of a scene in comparison to the others, as it was a slower jazzier song with very strong sexual undertones. Overall though these are the only two complaints I have for the film.
In conclusion this film is well received by most audiences, including myself, and is considered one of the best films of its era. A true American classic. There is very little to call a flaw in this film and it truly embodies the era of the American musical in that it is timeless. I would consider this a great film.