Self Reflexive Aspects of Singing in the Rain Essay

Released in 1951, Singin in the Rain was one of the last films to be produced during the profitable golden age of the studio system. It evokes the typical characteristics of the popular MGM Hollywood musical by relying on superstar names and infectious dance numbers. However, Singin in the Rain incorporates an additional level of parody into its nostalgic plot that focuses on the disruptive shift from silent movies to "talkies." The film showcases classical Hollywood musical numbers supplemented by affectionate satire. The music of the film reflects each inherent level and in doing so becomes an identifiable character. It helps to add irony to the plot as well as comedic support. Singin in the Rain "glorifies American entertainment" while

Singing in the Rain is everything that a Classical Hollywood film is supposed to be from the mise-en-scene, narrative and editing in the film. Throughout the film unobtrusive editing is used for easy viewing for the audience. When Don Lockwood is singing “Singin’ in the Rain” while he is dancing in the rain is a perfect example of mise-en-scene. This specific scene captures all the talent and visualization that went into

This very much represents the physical crossing from the ‘normal’ world into a world which is not seen from the outside, and pushed to the edge of society, and further resembles a glimpse of hope for the patients’ recovery. In the later scenes of the play, during the performance of Mozart’s opera, the entire theatre has been transformed into something completely different, with its white walls, the bright, colourful costumes, and Mozart’s “music of the spheres” echoing within the once dark and dismal place. The new theatre in all its splendour metaphorically resembles the transformations of the characters themselves, and from this, the audience is encouraged to realise the significance and therapeutic nature of art, in this case theatre and music: “the music of this opera will keep the world in harmony”, especially in contrast to hopeless treatments such as shock therapy. Through his play, Nowra also encourages the audience to agree with his personal view that war is unnecessary, and in a way is a kind of madness itself, due to its chaotic and uncontrollable nature.

After this, the shot pans along the road, and turns into a shot of police cars storming down the street. The fact that the street name, which serves as an embodiment of Norma and all associated with her, is so low to the ground emphasizes that the images of grandeur often associated with Hollywood are a facade, and that the true Hollywood is dark and grim, like a dirty street curb. The street pictured is dirty and unkempt, with weeds peeking out the cracks and piles of loose garbage and leaves strewn all over. This image serves as a stark contrast to the typical impressions people have of Hollywood, and reinforces that the true Hollywood is not the one seen so often on the big screen. Rather than opening with a scene showing off Hollywood’s magnificence, Wilder exposes to the audience what the “real” Hollywood is: a degenerate place full of misery and squalor. Moreover, opening scenes tend to set the tone of the movie, and leave lasting impressions the audience that carry through the entirety of watching. By showcasing the dark side of Hollywood before anything else, Wilder asserts that it is this dark, twisted version of the city that truly defines its inhabitants. In addition to pan shots, Wilder also incorporates music in the opening scene, which further adds to the dark image being relayed about Hollywood. The score is borderline cacophony, trademarked by sharp bursts of drums and trumpet that build suspense and

Music plays a critical role in the narrative films as it is important technique that filmmakers use to support the narrative and influence the way that the viewer interacts, responds and interprets the events as they unfold. The godfather, which is one of all time Hollywood movies, represents a good use of music that succeeded in supporting the dramatic events that take place in the movie. Moreover, both diegetic and non-diegetic music in the godfather movie are used to achieve the overall purpose by using the different principles and functions of film music that range from setting the mood of the viewer to providing continuity within the movie. In this essay, we will take part of the godfather movie in which we can observe and analyse the

Through the use of techniques and themes, a composer is able to create distinctively visual images when describing the setting and characters in detail which help us to understand and form meaning of what the composer is trying to convey in their texts. The use of techniques such as body language, symbolism, lighting, music and photographic background slides create distinctively visual images same with themes that are being used within the texts such as truth which is evident in the dramatic text ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonata’ by John Misto, the song ‘Lose Yourself’ sang by Eminem, and the film ‘The Eye’ directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud featuring Jessica Alba. These three texts demonstrate how the responders are impacted and what is

The iconic number “Singin’ in the Rain”, introduces the scene with Don (Gene Kelly) giving Kathy a good night kiss, and then begins to sing about his joy of being in love. Which is why the song is carefree and has an upbeat sound, showcasing the songs vibrant and happy mood. The song is in a 4/4 time signature.The tempo of the song is moderato and allegro. The dynamics in this song first starts out quite soft and then it gradually gets louder and stays at that level. It eventually gets louder, mainly the instruments, at sudden points and goes back to a quieter sound. The dynamics goes through many changes from loud then soft then it ends on a soft point. Since the song is sung only by Don (Gene Kelly), the pitch of the song is at the alto.

with people. In order to find her own "voice" in a society that is not

Newsies, a classic musical based on the late 1800’s is a very entertaining and family friendly musical-- except for the few profane words. On a cloudy, partially rainy saturday morning, I laid out on the couch and watched the movie from the comfort of my own home. I was hesitant to watch this movie because I am not much of a musical person. About midway through I found myself at the edge of my seat hypnotized by the movie. As the movie drew to an end, I was completely sucked in and waited for something more. The movie I so dreadfully did not want to watch became something I did not want to end.  In this movie the director and composer correlated their scenes and music perfectly together to touch the thoughts and emotions of the audience watching.

Before entering the exhibition the viewer is introduced to an energetic video montage of all the works with a sound created by Kevin J. Simon. This fast pace hip-hop sounding song at first seems very out of place from the work, but after listening to it for some time you do hear

Jukebox musicals began in film and later shifted to theatre. They had begun to make theatre more popular with the public, which had begun to gravitate towards film and music. By combining the two, they gain some of the same as well as a whole new audience. I will discuss how this came to be by speaking of the shift that occurred.

This year, Harrisburg High School’s Marching Band put on a spectacular performance of “Rain.” They preformed at six different competitions and at

The paradoxic realism that defines Jacques Demy’s film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is evident even in the title sequence. Pastel umbrellas dance over the cold gray sidewalk, falling in and out of perfect symmetry. People walk to work, to school, no doubt grumbling that they are caught in the rain. Life goes on, but a mundanity of life suddenly becomes worthy of Michael Legrand’s sweeping orchestrations. In contrast, Hollywood musicals made it their job, their purpose to make people forget that the rain was there at all; to provide an idealistic escape from a harsh, weary world. Eventually, these addictive fantasy worlds and conventional narratives about love and the human experience became uninteresting—war, counterculture, and a growing desire for revolutionary art turned audiences away from such fuzzy comforts and towards radical cinema. The genre needed something new to shock it back to life, and this shock came in striking form with The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. By subverting classical Hollywood conventions by way of an unresolved ending, sung-through musical style, and taboo subject matter, Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg provided an escape from the never-ending formulaic cycle of musical films threatening to bulldoze the genre into delirious self-obsession, giving life to the form of musicals and restoring them to what they have always had the capacity to do: reveal the most vulnerable, intimate truths of what it is to be a human being, to fall in love, and to fall out

The Motion picture “The Soloist” is about L.A. Times writer Steve Lopez discovering a musically gifted homeless man named Nathaniel Ayers. Desperately needing to catch a deadline Mr. Lopez considers writing a story about Nathaniel. While researching Mr. Lopez begins to discover interesting things about the talented musician. Nathanial Ayers was accepted to The Julliard’s School of music, the most prestige school for music in North America. After one year at Julliard Nathanial dropped out, it turns out that Nathanial had a case of Paranoid Schizophrenia that forced him into a spiral of madness, which soon caused him to become homeless and lose a chance at becoming on of the greatest musicians of

Lyrical Ballads were written in a time of great change. They were dominated by the French Revolution and both Wordsworth and Coleridge felt great impact from this. There was disruption all over with the American War of Independence and other wars worldwide. Britain itself was changing rapidly due to colonial expansion, which brought new wealth, ideas and fashion, and there was much disturbance to both the people and the land with the act of enclosure, which may have meant more effective farming but less work. The introduction of the Poor Laws meant that landowners paid their remaining staff very little knowing that they would be supplemented by poor relief. However the conditions stated by the Laws before aid would be given were very