Revisiting Singin’ In the Rain was a pleasure, and watching the film again inspired in me a newfound curiosity for Lina Lamont. The first time around, I definitely didn’t give her character enough credit for how complex it is.

The start of the film lays out the house of cards that Lina’s fame is built off of. She stands next to Don Lockwood onstage while in a sham of a relationship with him, staying silent so that her fans remain oblivious to the fact that the sound of her voice does not match the look of her face. Though she’s being accepted and revered by Hollywood, the fragility of the scene hints at the very real possibility of everything falling apart. She, however, trusts her fame because she trusts herself. That is a trait I love to see in femme villians, and it’s evidenced by her catchphrase: “I’m not as dumb as I look.” For as much as she obsesses over Don, she doesn’t like or trust him nearly as much as she does herself. This is why she makes so many continuous, self-interested decisions in the film, and why she believes that she is more important to Hollywood than even R.F. himself. 

I also wanted to consider the idea that viewing Lina as some kind of a masterminded mercenary is flawed. Yes, she attempts to step on Don, Kathy, and R.F. many times over to put herself in a better position, but why? Maybe the technological advancements that were happening in cinema were utterly terrifying for Lina. Sound film renders her absolutely useless profit-wise, meaning that her career would suddenly turn to moot because of something entirely out of her control. We watched her try, try, and try again throughout the film to better her singing, but to no avail. In the end, the studio truly did drop her like a burning hot potato for a younger, better-pitched Kathy. It’s sorrowful, and though I do see Lina Lamont as a silly villain, I also think that there’s a reason why no one cares how quickly she was tossed aside. Singin’ in the Rain is a great American film that quickly depicted a great American tradition: seeing people as profits.

Honing in on Lina’s discard was really interesting; I liked the chance to briefly analyze her character.