Review of Singin' in the Rain (1952) by Paul W — 05 Feb 2012
Infectiously enjoyable perfection that mixes brilliant songs and exuberant dancing in gorgeous Technicolor. It is so much more than a musical though - it pulls off something of a movie miracle by making itself utterly timeless with a brilliant film-in-a-film.
Using the device of a silent film that becomes a talkie that becomes a musical, we get a history of cinema and a debate about the relative merits of theatre, silent cinema, talkies and musicals. My favourite moment is when Gene Kelly describes the final dance number in the fictional film by pointing to the screening room screen.
We then fade into his imagination where the epic "gotta dance" plays out, but on a stylised sound-stage. It appears to be a theatre, until the camera zooms out impossibly and Kelly dances through the fourth wall from stage to stage.
It is an assertion of films superiority, and at the same time an affectionate nod to it's theatrical roots. Class.
This review of Singin' in the Rain (1952) was written by Paul W on 05 Feb 2012.
Singin' in the Rain has generally received very positive reviews.
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