středa 24. března 2010

Singin' in the rain

Essence of film aesthetics within complex masterpiece.

You know the feeling that you can be aware of movie qualities from the very beginning? You bet you can be with these first frames and it's main artefacts - two men, beautiful Debbie Reynolds, rain and pivotal melody. Simplicity strengthens the experience.

There couldn't be chosen more suitable actor for character of Cosmo Brown than Donald O'Connor. Rascal face including teeth overlap - perfectly matches his personage.

Real stars are actually Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lemont (Jean Hagen). Hollywood couple of 20's in it's finest way. Beau in hat, lady with frizz, jewelry and distinct face components. Who wouldn't want to touch?

Dramatic grimace of Cosmo Bowne in the moment when Don Lockwood first utters his motto: dignity.
Next to him - were social events often moderated by amorphous elderly ladies?


Aesthetic of woman with cigarette holder. Especially Lina's long pink pants suits with long thin cigarette holder. Why the girls don't hold cigarettes this way nowadays? It's so unsavory to hold cigarette imminently in hand or mouth.


Don running away from his fans over a car to the top of a tram. Doesn't this remind you camera style and decent actions of Hitchock's movies?


One of the aesthetic climaxes without any doubt is car ride of Dona and Kathy. Elegancy, beauty, motions, mimics, dialogues; unbeatable moments. The source of Debbie's cuteness is surely her girlish face (she was 19 when she made this movie) and childish proportions, it means visually big head, convex shape of nose and high forehead. As someone mentioned, mount a gum-doll head on her body and find 5 differences.
Mention of the loveliest exclamation must not be missed: Here we are! Sunset and Camden!
And here are the coordinates if you want to visit this pilgrimage place for Singin' in the rain fans: 34,0792 N 118,4156 W
Stolen from princessmonkey.com


Second climax of the movie, All I do is dream of you. Simple, entertainment amusement for the masses, but aestheticaly acceptable.
Notice the other dancers next to Kathy, they have oval and more likely bony face. Coinsidence or intent for highlighting beauty of Debbie Reynolds?


Dance concert of Cosmo Brown. Catching song, notice the neverending optimism. How many more optimistic songs do you know?


Smiling scene where Don and Lina can tackle their personal problems while shooting the silent film. How many similar scenes of silent film shooting do exist?


Beautiful girl is another excelent artwork. Notice again that blonds have more likely oblong thin face and brunets more likely rounder. Debbie Reynolds isn't the only attractive here.

Top work with colors and costumes. Number of frames isn't choosen randomly, makrostructure (12 scenes) is composed of mictostrucutres (4/4 rhytm). Note that each frame containes stationary girl dressed in some style and some artefact in addition.

Single stigma, 12 anthers, 12 petals.


A bit of horror scene, little figures entering huge space.


Hollywood modern-industrial concept of Romeo and Juliete balcony scene. Applicability of cultural unites seems to be universal throughout historic periods.



And here we have the third movie climax. Good morning song. The joy culminates: Kathy's costume, face, movements, her feminine figure excels. Make a comparision with a rectangular figure of Jean Hagen.


Note the stool scene. She drags feet like a cat in good mood pushing the pillow. She doesn't step in moment of downbeat but syncopticly.


Worth of notice is also precious tap-dance sound. Almost unrecognable from live record. Jumping up and down from banister is the incriminating evidence (Gene Kelly has dubbed the sound of both his and her tapping in the studio).
Small insert - what's the purpouse of wearing cloth decoration round the neck? Don't women feel like in a dog collar?

Shoes with tie, Kathy wears them in almost all scenes. The question again, why the girls don't wear shoes like this nowadays? Why nice stuffs go out of feshion beeing replaced at all costs by modern models? Seriously, when did you see a girl in shoes with tie for the last time?



The most famous snapshot from the most famous musical, excellent composition of complex aesthetic.



Charming scene of dubbing where in fact, what a paradox, Debbie Reynolds is dubbed by Jean Hagen.


Too long song, lasts for 15 minutes. Don is improving from simpleton to New York dance star. It's too plain, too long, too red - not only in color - by story too, like red women's books, novel deliberately prolongated for fans saturation.
Songs composition is vulgar narration of lust, Don wants to meet good luck, start the carrier, join high society. He tries miscellaneous show, met femme fatale, danced with her in white vestment on the airport, finally he get formal suit and credit on Broadway. This song doesn't fit into other songs conception, it's simply sort of women's insert, to see it once is enough. It's descrete movie pressed into 15 minutes.



Lina looks with her concentric fancy hat in this shot strongly as retiree; it was probably an intent for scenes where her character and plot fully emerged.



Dubbing Kathy must stare into curtain. Sad view - her voice is stolen, her beauty is hidden.


One of the most genious script scene. View into auditorium, orchestra, stage and coulisse all at once.


Weeping Debbie - aesthetic delicacy at the end. Crying women are lovely due to their glaze on the face made by tears.

Kathy perfectly fits in the plot by her diffusion of secular and fancy attitude towards fine arts.

1 komentář:

  1. It's so unsavory to hold cigarette imminently in mouth.


    I RARELY see women or men holding their cigarettes in their mouths. And that is something that has been around for decades.

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