Does Donen's usage of micro and macro elements aid the overall visual effect?
How important is the usage of sound within the film?
Does this elevate the aesthetic effect of the film?
One could say that Singin’ in the Rain is aesthetically successful due to Stanley Donen’s wide range of techniques. Continuously throughout the film, camera and sound are used to demonstrate the powerhouse that America was during the 1950s along with the advanced match cuts that support the editing advancements in technology.
First of all, the film opens on a high angle showing a film premiere. This immediately demonstrates to the audience the ongoing theme of it being a ‘film within a film’ or postmodernism. One could develop this idea to say that it is almost self-reflexive by how it’s reflecting the film process. Furthermore, within this scene there are several skylights, camera flashes and a grand sign. Donen opens with these bright, flashy lights and impressive displays to immediately induce excitement and to provide an interpretation for what life was like at this time. However, you could argue that Donen exaggerates the positive atmosphere as a way to gloat about how successful America was in the 1950s. Along with this, Donen uses non-diegetic amplification on the diegetic sound of the crowd to almost highlight to the audience the great amounts of people that are sucked into the Hollywood illusion. Furthermore, this idea links to the similar idea of escapism and how people are drawn in by the ‘American dream’ to escape their own lives. The camera then moves to a medium shot of a woman presenting the premiere. Due to the way that she is directly addressing the audience, it causes the film to become more immersive, therefore creating the feeling we are also at the premiere. When Cosmo (Donald O’Connor) is presented, the audience go quiet. Donen purposefully does this to highlight the hidden talent behind Hollywood and the lack of recognition that they receive. Additionally, when Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) arrive, the woman turns her back to Cosmo and focuses on them, demonstrating who the people are paying attention to but also signifying the sexual repression that Cosmo is a victim to. To develop this further, both Don and Lina are dressed fully in white yet Cosmo is dressed in a dark blue. This contrast underlines how the stars are always in the lime light yet others are unnoticed in the background.
The camera then focuses on Don Lockwood as he directly addresses the camera. By doing this, Don is breaking the fourth wall and therefore making what he is saying seem more personal to the audience. As he speaks, the camera slowly zooms in on his face. This camera movement reflects the seduction of Hollywood and therefore gives the impression that we are also being pulled in to this illusion. The image then dissolves into a flashback as Don talks about ‘dignity, always dignity’. On the surface, Donen uses this ironic sequence to give a comical show for the audience with dancing and ridiculous stunts, however, one could say that it’s used to demonstrate an underlining theme of truth and illusion as Don enables the audience to be absorbed into the ongoing lie of show business. During the production of ‘The Royal Rascal’, the camera tilts downwards on some girls watching the film, at which one of them says, ‘I think I’ll kill myself’. This phrase is almost shockingly realistic to hear as it is in stark contrast to the happy illusion that was previously shown, this then demonstrates the impression that Hollywood stars imprint on the public.
Particularly in Cosmo’s ‘Make ‘em laugh’ song, Donen uses very minimalistic editing and instead a lot of panning and tracking shots. One could say that he does this in order to not interrupt the sequence and instead let the audience fixate on Cosmo’s movements and surroundings, this could be elevated to say that the camera itself is responding to him. Throughout the song, there is clear, fast music that builds to a crescendo as the scene plays out, this, accompanied with Cosmo’s exaggerated slapstick, increases the electricity of kinetic energy within the scene. Within the sequence, Cosmo proceeds to play with a dummy. As the dummy is gender neutral, it underlines the idea of Cosmo’s sexuality being more feminine yet, it could be said that, Donen specifically keeps the dummy as gender neutral in order to highlight how film makers had to circumvent state censorship (using symbolism, suggestion and innuendos) around the 1930s, which is when the film is set (1927). From the start of this scene the audience watches Don watching Cosmo, this relates to the theme of postmodernism, which brings across the idea of another meta level being created at which Don has been relegated to a spectator. Furthermore, Cosmo dances around the production of sets which stresses this point of postmodernism in the sense that it’s almost giving the audience an insight on the film being made. Continuously through the scene, Donen refers to the theme of truth and illusion. For example, when Cosmo falls through the wall, it’s suggesting that the wall itself was an illusion this whole time and, by breaking through it, Cosmo has literally broken the fourth wall and almost crossed a threshold from film to real life. Moreover, behind Cosmo is a back drop of a corridor. Due to this being behind him at all times it serves the purpose of being a continuous reminder of the illusion in films and make the audience question if whether Cosmo’s emotions are genuine. Additionally, when Cosmo pulls funny expressions it is accompanied by non-diegetic sound effects. This removes the subtlety of post modernism and instead brings across the idea of him manipulating the audience to laugh. Likewise, it could be said that Donen’s ultimate use of this scene is in fact to emphasise the juxtaposition between Don and Cosmo’s philosophies, and how Cosmo believes in the audience’s enjoyment yet Don believes in dignity and in turn makes an effort to hide his comical past.
Similar to this, in ‘You were meant for me’ Donen develops the use of lighting to become more expressionistic. From the low key lighting at the beginning to the then high key and colourful lighting that is created. Donen specifically keeps all the equipment foregrounded in order to give the impression that Don is defined by a movie set and can only express his love for Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds) through recursion. This is supported by the fact that he almost leans on the ladder for support when talking to Kathy. The camera opens on a wide angle where we see the film doors opening. One could say that Donen does this in order to dwarf Kathy and Don in the frame which suggests that they are almost insignificant to the grander perspective of Hollywood. Furthermore, within the studio the lighting remains very dark yet in the door way it is high key and therefore highlighting the movie poster in it. By doing this, it condenses the film into this small poster as if this is all that is defined for the public. The camera then moves to several medium shots of Don adding in ‘mist from the distant mountains’ and ‘coloured lights’. Once again, this supports postmodernism and particularly the idea of the construction of a film right in front of us, yet the mis-en-scene also plays on the idea of love and that, by Don demonstrating all these special effects, he is opening his heart to her. However, you could say that Donen shows this process in order to show the advancements in technology and therefore add to the triumph of America’s contribution to film. Moreover, when the camera moves to a close-up of Kathy, it perfectly encaptures the effects that Don has contributed. This portrays Kathy in an iconic Hollywood image. Situated in the middle of the frame is a step ladder which Kathy stands on, looking down on Don. Due to her elevated level, it results in Kathy being seen in an angelic light which brings across the impression that Don has brought her down from the heavens. The scene then progresses to a choreographed dance between Kathy and Don which in itself emphasises and exaggerates the romantic atmosphere that has been created through the lighting effects. Due to this slower and more romantic dance, it abides by Gene Kelly’s anticipation for the film to be a ‘Broadway melody’ of sorts with a wide range of dances and different styles. The scene then concludes with the camera pulling away as if we are being brought back to reality and away from the expressionistic illusion of affection.
Another significant scene for aesthetic effect is the Singin’ in the Rain song. Through the cameras weightless persona and numerous tracking and panning shots, Donen brought across to the audience the concept that singing in the rain is an appropriate action and therefore not forced into the narrative. Peter Wollen stated Donen uses the ‘pronounced camera movements to match the kinetic energy of his (Don’s) body’ which supports the idea that the camera has almost become subjective to his good mood. Similar to this, there are only 10 edits in the whole scene (majority of which are match cuts), as it is minimalistic editing it highlights Don’s journey and overall heightening the immersion of the scene. To add on to this, In the process of using match cuts to keep the camera angle changes fluid, Donen creates an inversion of elliptical editing as if the scene feels almost overly complete to the point where it feels we are still missing something. Along with this, Donen concentrates on a theme of escalation with the idea of it building to a ‘gloriously saturated ecstasy’ that Roger Ebert portrays. One way that Donen fulfils this is through the gradual non-diegetic amplification of the diegetic sound of rain. To begin with, the diegetic sound of rain is a subtle presence within the scene until it gradually escalates to become more dominant with the assistance of the gutter and Don’s splashes. Don’s choreographed movement’s progress from tap dancing along a pavement to swinging an umbrella in the middle of the road. This clear representation of love-fuelled happiness supports Donen’s intentions to escalate the entirety of the sequence. At one point in the scene, Don dances behind a shop window showing a woman at a sunny beach. One could say that she represents a joyous mood and a happy place therefore, due to Don having his back to it, he is ignoring this stereotypical expectation and instead being happy and joyous in the rain. This could be developed to say that Donen has inverted the use of pathetic fallacy by adding rain into a joyful scene and following it by stating the ‘thesis’ of the dance with the first line ‘I’m singing in the rain’. Additionally, Don balances on the curb and splashes in the puddles. Donen does this as the audience immediately associates this behaviour with a giddy child which he wants reflected in Don. Expanding this idea, Don is also dressed in a suit which contrasts the childish, happy mood that he is in, due to suits representing maturity and adulthood.
Likewise, when he is doing the iconic gesture of swinging on the lamp post, it’s not only a tactile medium that reflects his joy but a way of symbolising the lamp post as being Kathy and therefore dancing with her. Similarly, the high key lighting from the lamp contrasts the low key lighting from his surroundings, giving the impression that Kathy (symbolised by the lamp) is the light of his life. However, when he moves away from the lamp, his umbrella metamorphoses into Kathy, which is suggesting he is dancing with her. At the start of the scene we see Don having to repeatedly gesture to the driver to go without him almost as if the driver is in awe of the love between Kathy and Don (which he witnesses). On the other hand, this is then juxtaposed by the couple that rush past, paying no heed to what Don is doing. This could be evolved to say that Don’s feelings are personal and others won’t be able to share in his happiness. Alternatively, one could say that this busy couple symbolise the majority of people and Don singing in the rain is going against the normal behaviour. To finalize the scene the camera moves to a high angle as Don walks away. This creates an uplifting atmosphere that concludes his childish and happy outburst.
Equivalent to the beginning of the film, at the conclusion, the audience sees another premiere but of ‘The Dancing Cavalier’. By doing this, it enables the audience to feel closure for the journey that they have been on yet privileges them as Donen now takes them inside the theatre itself. Once inside, we witness Lina lip syncing as Kathy sings behind the curtain. The medium shot, in which this part is captured, allows Lina to be framed by the yellow curtain. Donen does this to demonstrate how yellow is a generic convention of musicals and therefore nothing has changed from the beginning. In contrary, the curtain also serves a different purpose as to underline the continuous theme of truth and illusion and how Lina’s singing ability is that illusion. Additionally, the camera then moves to a wider shot of a side-on view of Lina in front of the curtain and Kathy behind. By having the curtain almost splitting the frame in two, Donen visually demonstrates the technical divide between sound and image (Kathy being the sound and Lina the image) and almost announces the ‘fundamental dishonesty’ that musicals possess and that Gene Kelly wanted to correct. The scene then progresses to show Don, Cosmo and R.F. Simpson (Millard Mitchell) pulling up the curtain resulting in the audience seeing Kathy. By framing this in a long shot, it emphasises the idea that they’re exposing Hollywood and revealing all its lies yet this could be developed to say that, due to the audience’s reaction being laughter, this would be our reaction if our eyes were opened to the illusion. Donen purposefully shows Don getting back with Kathy to underline the restored equilibrium that was disrupted when Lina rebelled and to give purpose to the graphic match that leads the scene onto a bill board of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’. This imposing billboard is gradually revealed (through a zoom out) into a wide angle frame at which the audience are able to see both Don and Kathy looking up at it. Donen uses this to conclude as it almost rounds off the films theme of postmodernism by adding in yet another meta level for the audience to become lost in.
In conclusion, throughout ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, Donen synchronises sound, editing and cinematography in order to give an overwhelming aesthetic appeal for the spectator. A clear example of this is his use of match cut edits in several dances. By using these edits, a sort of fluidity is created which audiences will find appealing and reassuring as it creates the sense they are not missing out on anything. Along with this, Donen uses a lot of non-diegetic amplification on diegetic sounds. This was used on the rain in the ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ dance, so that a joyful atmosphere could be created which in turn would reflect his mood on to the audience. Similarly, throughout the film Donen uses high key lighting, sweeping camera movements and comical moments to create an aesthetically pleasing spectacle for the audience to enjoy. Moreover, concerning the undercurrents of themes (post modernism, truth vs illusion and escalation), I think that Donen heightens the aesthetical use of sound, editing and camera in order to draw the audience’s attention to these themes and wider contextual points. For example, in the ‘Make ‘em laugh’ scene, Donen purposefully stages it in the construction of set and the use of mechanical sound effects to illustrate to the audience this idea of post modernism.
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