Singin In The Rain Music Analysis

In 1927, the release of Alan Crosland’s film The Jazz Singer revolutionized the movie industry with the first feature length movie to utilize synchronized sound. Prior to this innovative film the industry was primarily focused on what are now known as “silent films,” which would often be accompanied in the theatre with live music or sometimes even a recorded soundtrack. The accompanying music would set the mood for these dialogue-less films, and in many ways convey more intricate aspects of the story that could not be expressed through the cinematography alone with the technology at the time. With the utilization of synchronized sound in cinema, the industry adapted a new type of film known as “talkies,” which were just as often musical movies

Essentially this shot is a foreshadow of a later, much more famous scene in which the main character, Don Lockwood, gleefully tap-dances and sings to the catchy song. In his book The American Musical and the Performance of Personal Identity, Ramond Knapp describes the title song as a “particularly well-known song that expressed metaphorically the film’s capacity for ‘singin’’ during the ‘rain’ of the Great Depression.” While these characters appear to be genuinely delighted in spite of the weather that most would consider to be dreary, this juxtapose of imagery is satirical. The song itself is a strange contradiction that appears to be an anthem for staying positive in a bleak situation, but I believe that Kelly and Donen used this song to emphasize a greater problem in the entertainment industry. The purpose of using this song to open the film and to continuously use it in different scenes throughout it is to convey the message that Hollywood is fake. The entertainment industry ignores real problems and puts on a façade for the sole purpose of keeping audiences entertained, rather than creating meaningful art that address real problems in the world. Rather than deal with the problem of the rain, the audience is told to just pretend it does not exist and be joyful instead, even if

While they film the movie using Lina as the actress, they dub the footage to use Kathy’s beautiful voice. Not only does this bring about a whole new set of problems when Lina fights to maintain her reputation by preventing Kathy from receiving any credit for the film, but it reveals a lot about the ethical values found in the film industry. Kelly and Donen are trying to make a point that the industry is willing to do anything, even if it is unethical, in order to make a profit and maintain a star’s fabricated reputation. Of course, Don struggles between wanting to keep the reputation of his film while also giving Kathy the credit that she deserves which only heightens his internal conflict between honest artistry and the glitz and glam of