Table of ContentsIntroductionThe Role of Satire in Singing in the RainSinging in the Rain: A Musical MasterpieceTimeless and Enduring FilmConclusionWorks CitedIntroduction“What a glorious feeling…” it is watch romance, comedy and history rolled into one film with the brilliance and ease that is displayed on screen in the film Singing in the Rain (CITE). This film, which ranks fifth on the AFI Top 100, is set in the Roaring Twenties and is an autobiography of the Hollywood film industry during the talkie era and sheds a comedic light on all the problems that accompanied these new developments. movie. With the success of the film Jazz Singer produced by Monumental Studios (a film production within Singing in the Rain), all means are being implemented to move into the era of talking cinema. Don Lockwood and Cozmo Brown, with the help of newcomer Kathy Seldon, put their endless talents to work to capture all the failures of talking movie creation with hilarious results. The result is a top-five film that still captivates viewers sixty-seven years later. There is no film musical more appealing in terms of entertainment than the illustrious Singing in the Rain; Directors Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen hit every note in this smash hit, from learning about film history to hilarious satire to breathtaking dance numbers performed tirelessly under harsh conditions, the audiences want to see more of this timeless. classic. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayThe Role of Satire in Singing in the RainWhen it comes to comedy, one of the easiest ways to make people laugh people is to criticize and exaggerate modernity. -the incidents of the day, or, in more simplistic terms, by the use of satire. The use of satire in filmmaking is particularly popular because it is a spectacular way to generate income. According to Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Lloyd Schwartz, "Hollywood is often at its best when it's making fun of itself, and few films are funnier or more amusing than Singin' in the Rain, the largely satirical musical about the transition from silent cinema. ring” (Schwartz). Notably, Horatian is the type of satire most widely used in Singin' in the Rain because the film is intended to be light and witty, as opposed to the Juvenalian satire commonly heard on late night shows making bitter jokes about politics. In Hollywood, everything is over-the-top, and that's exactly what attracts audiences and how viewers get hooked on all types of movies. The film producers use this to their advantage in Singin' in the Rain by exaggerating all the obstacles that film companies have stumbled over in their attempt to convert to talkies. Robert Ebert, American film critic, sums up the film's tactics by stating: "The film simplifies the transition from silent to talkies, but does not falsify it. » Ebert informed the audience that the film could hide the microphones in plain sight and place the cameras in soundproof booths, which seemed counterproductive to creating sound films. But the movie is portrayed accurately, including the fact that people actually laughed when they first heard some famous actors speak (Ebert). Caricature satire is very prevalent in Singin' in the Rain as the film takes stereotypical personalities and exaggerates them in itsrepresentation. characters. The most obvious example of a caricature personality is Lena Lemont, the fictional protagonist. In the film, she is depicted as a scatterbrained blonde with a high-pitched voice who is unable to see her flaws, which comes across as humorous in the film. Lena Lemont is needed in the fictional movie studio of Singin' in the Rain for her star power, but her star power is only beneficial to the studio when her irritating voice and idiotic remarks are hidden from the audience. Thanks to this role, she delivers some of the funniest lines in the film: “What do they think I am for? » Stupid or what? Well, I make more money than Calvin Coolidge combined! » (Kelly and Donen). Ms. Lemont's advisors are trying to preserve her celebrity by preventing her from speaking to the public, with her horrible voice and by keeping the secret of her voiceover in her later films hidden, but she insists on being allowed to interact with her fans, which leads to the downfall of his career. The audience hears her speak and is stunned, on the verge of hysteria, when they realize who the real voice is behind Lena Lemont's face. Cozmo Brown has the iconic Make 'Em Laugh solo that nails every slapstick gag of the century in one scene. No matter how stupid or random what you do is, if it makes them laugh, that's good. This musical production mocks the full length of violent humor in silent cinema (Basinger). A case similar to this could be made for many of the film's other major characters, as satire permeates every part of the film and has kept this film popular for decades. AFI Top 100 list it must not only be funny, but it must effectively integrate all its musical components. According to Jeanine Basinger, founder and professor of film studies at Wesleyan University and curator of their film archives, to have a truly good musical, it must meet three basic requirements. First, the audience must recognize that it is normal for characters to sing and dance all day in the world they inhabit. In other words, it is essential that the audience understands that this film is a musical comedy where the characters sing and dance throughout their lives. Second, the songs and the story must be linked. Musical numbers should help advance the plot and not interrupt the narrative (Basinger). Singin' in the Rain achieves this in two ways. First of all, it's a musical about making a musical, so the singing and dancing are a natural part of the story. Additionally, the writers integrate the musical numbers into the scenes perfectly. An example of this is when the characters come up with an idea for Lena Lemont's voiceover and the plot segues perfectly into a song. The well-known musical number Good Morning is sung to demonstrate their idea and after a long night of work, they fall on the couch as if after the song and dance number they have returned to the reality of real life. The musical structure of Singin' in the Rain very clearly meets all the requirements for a fantastic musical, and that's exactly what this film is. Critics around the world could barely believe what they were seeing as the film's characters performed one incredible, yet brutal musical number after another. The first song and dance routine to stun his audience was Make Em' Laugh, which was so rigorous that Donald O'Connor was rushed to the hospital after performing it because it was very physically taxing for his body (Ewing). O'Connor was asked to do many dance moves which hehad mastered in his youth, but his now much less youthful body could not handle the pressure of advanced choreography. Robert Ebert went so far as to say that "Kelly and O'Connor had more robust and acrobatic dance styles than those of the great master Fred Astaire (Ebert). » The musical numbers in Singin' in the Rain clearly amazed everyone who watched them, but many film critics were obsessed with them. Lloyd Shwartz, yet another film critic, discussed how the producers created a "...breathtaking acrobatic number just for Donald O'Connor (Shwartz)." It's always eye-catching to see someone really talented at dancing; allowing audiences to see dancer after dancer perform entertaining numbers throughout the film keeps everyone occupied for hours. The musical numbers in Singin' in the Rain are like over-the-top dance tutorials, if only you can follow them, and they've kept this movie alive for decades. Timeless and Enduring Film A film that is topical or current is not the same as a film that is timeless. For a film to be timeless, it must have some sort of unusual wow factor that brings the film together in a unique way. Journalist Reed Johnson writes about "films that endure" saying, "Often the films that end up best summarizing their era...rarely address the issues of the day in a literal way." (Johnson, R) » In Singin' in the Rain, the plot of the film is presented in such a way that it must last for centuries. The history of talking cinema is not only explained, but told with enthusiasm and joy. The story is told through humor and song which helps address all the harsh, silly and downright stupid aspects of that era. Nothing is said literally or directly, because the writers knew that was not the key to a film's success. This film is not only classic, but it is timeless. A classic can be described by influential achievements or themes and while this film may feature some of those factors, being timeless is different. Timeless films resonate particularly well with their audiences because no matter what part of your life you're in, that film will always be a must-see for you. Singin' in the Rain had that effect on a lot of people. “Somehow, when you see them [a timeless film] on cable late at night, they resonate with the adult as much as the teenager...they're rites of passage for a lot of people. people. (Giannetti and Goodykoontz) » This film has had people singing for years and is still as relevant as ever; It may not be relevant to today's politics or current events, but it is important to families and brings back family memories. Singin' in the Rain is timeless simply because sixty-seven years later, people around the world still can't get enough of it. One could argue that the movie Singin in the Rain doesn't deserve a spot on the AFI Top 100, because even with all the musical components, the jokes and ratings it may have outweigh the actors' careers and mannerisms. whose actions should affect their lives. The characters are in difficulty; their fame, self-respect, and livelihood are at stake, but the film rarely acknowledges this, and when it does, it doesn't do enough emotionally to make you feel it. “The movie is so busy making jokes and dancing that it never feels like the characters are in trouble. (Hunter) » Film critics such as Hunter would be wrong, as the film was not created to shine a light on the actors' personal lives or their.