Singin' in the Rain

It's the magic that seldom appears, whose longevity is perpetual, the pleasure of enjoying the perfections that people, music and great storytelling can sometimes offer, with the backdrop a little piece of cinema history itself. All without foul language, extravagant pyrotechnics, mass brawls and bullets ricocheting all over the place, just immensely talented people doing what they do best - keeping you entertained and allowing you to escape for a while and live with the dreams of others. Whether musicals are you thing or not, there can be no doubt that you witness greatness as you welcome the rain and it makes your heart sing.

Everybody knows Gene Kelly singing and dancing in the films title number, but this is just one of the many magical musical numbers in this epic piece of blissful entertainment. Set during the turbulent period when Hollywood was converting from silent films to sound, ‘Singin' in the Rain' is a perfect example of everything that is good and right about movie-making. Gene Kelly in his greatest role is an all singing, all dancing sensation and his acting is pretty damn good too. Donald O'Connor excels as his exuberant sidekick and almost steals the show with the unsurpassed ‘Make ‘em Laugh'. Debbie Reynolds is feisty and sexy as Kelly's love interest, while Jean Hagen gives one of the screen's greatest supporting performances as the horrid Lena Lamont, a silent screen goddess whose voice will just not cut it in talkies.

The musical numbers flow fast and furious as Gene and Donald perform amazing feats of choreography with ‘Fit as a Fiddle' and ‘Moses Supposes' while ‘Good Mornin' will have you dancing in the aisles. If ‘Singin' in the Rain' had no musical numbers it would still be a contender for the funniest film ever made. The problems with experiments with sound films are painfully funny, and Kelly's silent sparring with the demonic Hagen is hilarious. The accolade of sheer perfection can be conferred on few films, and such a title is perhaps even an understatement in this case. And never before did rain look like so much fun.

Last year I was very lucky to catch this on the big screen. This film is meant to be seen on the big screen! It was also the first time I saw it at the theaters and I was very impressed with the visuals.

In this film movies are switching over from being silent to being "talkies". However the film is a spoof of the turmoil that afflicted the movie industry in the late 1920s when movies when the change over went from silent to sound. When two silent movie stars', Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont, latest movie is made into a musical a chorus girl is brought in to dub Lina's speaking and singing. Don is on top of the world until Lina finds out.

This is such a great film that if you ever get the chance to see this at the movies then DO IT.

Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds made an awesome team.

I don't like musicals. They never made any sense to me. Don't get me wrong, I love music; it's an important part of my life. I love movies also, and while the two often compliment each other, sometimes I'm repelled. It's probably the dancing. A person breaking into a complicated dance number, seemingly unaware of their surroundings, or worse yet, in complete synch with a complete stranger is like making fun of the movie, as if to say, "Please don't take us seriously, we like to sing and dance." Or even more ridiculous, "Let's not fight, let's settle this dispute with a song and dance." Forget about suspension of disbelief.

This film however, I manage to enjoy. I once was given the task of my film teacher to watch the film and keep track of all the cuts in the film. Well, sometime after ten minutes I lost track because I was so wrapped up in the story. It really is an interesting period in the history of cinema, told well, and with well placed song and dance numbers that at times drag on, but that seems to be more of an excuse to show off the technicolour than anything else. They build you up to it slowly. The first few numbers don't break out at an inappropriate time. It doesn't last though, but by then they've got you.

With such memorable tunes as these, it's hard to imagine them going wrong. When Gene Kelly sings the title piece, somehow time stands still as you're swept up in one of the most memorable scenes in film history. Just reading the title in print has likely caused you to hum a few bars, or sing a few words. Or maybe, just maybe, walk out without an umbrella when you know it's raining. One thing's for sure, if all Gene Kelly did was choreograph the dance numbers, he more than deserves the co-directing credit he has.

They simply don't make films like this anymore. Which in some ways is a testament to the film's theme and narrative. The business of show is constantly in a state of evolution. The narrative portrays a time period when silent films were being replaced by "talkies" with sound, yet the musical genre itself has almost all but disappeared with the exception of animated films with musical numbers, and rare live-action pieces.

One might speculate that Hollywood overdid the musical. Personally, I can't get into them. Most of the time it seems like a drawn out affair, but this film is something special. Considering my feelings about musicals, it would have to take a film of this one's caliber to make me sit up and take notice.

Can you imagine? Me, a film lover since the age of six, hadn't seen "Singing In The Rain" until last night. I had read and heard so much about it over the years that I knew I was going to be disappointed. As a musical I've never seen anything so perfectly "in tune" I can see how many directors have been influenced by the soul of this gorgeous movie. I've seen even Federico Fellini here. The tap routine with Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor is so energizing that I wanted to see it again and again. The fantasy number with Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse is breathtaking, breathtaking! How extraordinary to see Debiee Reynolds going through the contagious (Good morning!Good morning!) I had seen her a few nights before as Grace's mother in "Will and Grace" She hasn't lost her zest. I'm sure I'll be seeing this movie many times and I intend to show it to very young people from the post MTV generation and I'm betting with myself that they're going to love it. Greatness is timeless.