I was surprised to see another musical with a plot revolving around life in the entertainment industry, and with each character either striving to maintain a career or establish one in that same industry. After reading Feuer's work, though, it definitely makes sense.
Singin' in the Rain was much more enjoyable for me than Gold Diggers of 1933. Part of that might be a result of the time jump; with the nineteen-year difference we get color and more vivid picture and sound quality. Also, I think that parts of the plot are simply more relatable to our present day. The introductory interview of Gene Kelly's character reminds me of the artifices that celebrities put on in our present day, or the media training that they undergo to display the 'right' sides of themselves to the public. That scene actually got some laughs out of me. So did Jean Hagen's character, particularly her part in the original 'Cavalier' draft.
There's still plenty that feels foreign, though. I'm pulled out of the narrative every time someone starts singing or dancing. That might just be a result of my much greater familiarity with dramatic cinema, and expectation for other movies to follow that same narrative trajectory. The number towards the end involving Broadway seemed particularly guilty of this, feeling like a fifteen minute divergence of self-indulgence. After reading Feuer, the logic behind these decisions makes more sense, but still doesn't work for me. Maybe I've become so accustomed to the conventions of the 21st-century movie industry that I've built up a resistance to the industry's past strategies.
I like your refreshing take on the pros and cons of the Hollywood musical. I agree there's a lot narrative-wise that's stood the test of time. Thinking about it now, the songs don't really add to the narrative, but I think the transitions from spoken word to song were smooth enough that I personally didn't notice the break in the story.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with your point at the end. I felt kinda guilty for not enjoying this more, since arguably the film did everything right (at least everything I read said so).
ReplyDeleteYou dont have to like or enjoy everything we watch but I think that it is interesting to think about why and how something becomes "relatable" to individuals and groups of spectators. I think its more than just technological advances like color film that make that possible. I think that we are most used to the stylistic conventions of filmmaking of New Hollywood so that type of film feels more real to us than the conventions of classic Hollywood.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad someone else got annoyed by the sudden breaks into song. It sort of killed the momentum of the movie a lot of times.
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