Review of Singin' in the Rain (1952) by Ben P — 25 Mar 2012

MGM's 1952 musical Singin' In The Rain is cheesy, candy colored and an absolutely undeniable classic. Musicals have never been my preferred genre of film, but Singin' In The Rain is a quintessential piece of American pop culture that every cineaste should experience at least once. Despite its 50+ years of being released, he film has not lost its purely magical touch.

The setting is 1927 Hollywood and Don Lockwood (Kelly) and Lena Lemont (Hagen) are high on the silent film star totem pole. The premiere of their latest film, as always, is a great success and nothing seems like it could go wrong. That is until "The Jazz Singer", the world's first 'talkie' is released. At first dismissed by the studios as a passing trend, the talkie eventually moves into replace the silent picture. Along the way Lockwood and Lemont must adapt to the change in climate and learn how to use their new found cinematic voices with the help of musical director Cosmo Brown (O' Connor) and up and coming actress Kathy Selden (Reynolds).

Singin' In The Rain is a truly iconic and influential picture. It not only showcases the incredible dancing skills of Gene Kelly but also the ambiance of a golden time where musicals were actually bankable projects in Hollywood. The look of the film is vibrant and unforgettable. The set pieces, colorful costumes and legendary shots are impressive even by today's standards. In most music videos these days it feels like there's at least a hundred cuts per minute, Singin' In The Rain's cinematography actually allows the camera to show the stage and choreography for a lot more than two seconds. Nothing captures the spirit of the musical like well shot musical number. Although the only weak spot of Singin' in the Rain lies within its excessive and unnecessary Broadway Rhythm musical number that is too long with nothing to do with the otherwise stellar story.

Singin' In The Rain is very light entertainment, but entertainment none the less. Compared to the modern comedy's sarcastic deadpan humor the sense of humor in Singin' In The Rain may seem to be trying a little too hard to "make us laugh" but the performances of the primary cast are so delightfully hokey the viewer can't help but have a good time watching. Some of the performing highlights include Jean Hagen's fatefully squeaky voiced Lena Lemont and Gene Kelly's famous scene with the titular song at its center.

No matter how you feel about musicals, whether or not you see them as too gay or too lame, Singin' In The Rain is still a fantastic piece of work. It's an immortal cinematic pick me up for the ages. If for nothing else Singin' In The Rain should be remembered for its real star, Gene Kelly's feet.

Grade: A.

Reviewed by Ben Pieper on June 27th 2011.