Singin' In The Rain

 

What a great musical. The sound, the characters, the narrative, and cinematography. As discussed; lots of things in this film were 'done right'. The music, the colors, the clothes, and the environment, especially, that was utilized during many musical numbers. 

Take Good Morning, for example, a very upbeat number that involved singing and dancing (specifically tap dancing). Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds), Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), and Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) used a great deal of space in their choreographed routine. They tapped their way up and downstairs, used their outerwear and hats from the coat rack, and positioned themselves on different levels by using shelves and other furniture. 

Jane Feuer talks a great deal about bricolage. Which in fact is what is being done in most scene's in Singin' In the Rain. What I describe beforehand includes the aspects of bricolage or 'tinkering' and is used to describe; "A similar makeshift tendency in the cognitive processes of pre-scientific cultures" (Feuer). This film uses many environments that have been 'engineered'. Props, that actors elaborate on, are laid out perfectly in a scene that has much potential for those reinforcements to be used. The audience expects the actors to use them, which encourages less alienation to be felt. 

"Engineering is a prerequisite for the creation of the effects of utter spontaneity in the Hollywood Musical" (Feuer). Another category under the aspect of Folk Art creation for Mass-Art cancellation. Engineering must be used in order to give the effect of bricolage or the tinkering of materials on set. Moses Supposes illustrates this very well. When watching the silly number you don't think about the behind-the-scenes rehearsal bit. You think about how they use the eloquent teacher as an object to be played around with, and the use of the curtains as robes, and the poster. You see the chemistry it creates between Cosmo and Don, and how they riff off of each other and how it may satirize production. Because of this: "The audience loses all sense of calculation and gains an aura of spontaneity" (Feuer). In my opinion; what a wonderful feeling to have.