For starters I would like to begin my viewer analysis with my initial opinions of the film. I typically don’t enjoy musicals and old movies as a matter of fact. However, I thought this film was great. I usually prefer comedies and relating to that topic I was a little surprised to see how old Hollywood humor is still very funny today especially with the character Cosmo. The whole movie was very colorful and upbeat which I really enjoyed and it kept me engaged and overall I had a good experience watching the film.

One thing I noticed right away was the bright colors in the film. I thought the colors had an impact on making the film more joyful and engaging. The colors were very bright especially in the musical scenes. I felt the addition of this color was effective because it added to the dream like feeling that I thought the director was trying to accomplish. I also thought the vibrant colors might symbolize the energy and excitement of the new sound era. It shows us the explosion and optimism surrounding advancements in technology with filmmaking during that time period and the new possibilities with films. I also thought that the color in the film showcased many of the characters personalities. This is shown with Kathy almost always wearing bright colors which reflects on her youth and upbeat personality. On the other hand the manager of the film company is very bland and seems to be strictly business which is reflected with his dull grey outfits.

Tracking shots also play a big role in the film and can be seen when following characters as they move through different settings and throughout the musical scenes. These tracking shots were specially significant in the musical scenes because they effectively showcase interactions between characters. In these scenes the camera movement captures the chemistry and dynamics of their relationships. This can be seen with the close friendship between Don and Cosmo and the romantic tension Don has with Kathy. You can see examples of this with the short clip below.

I also thought that the film used dance as a way of expressing characters’ moods and feelings. Don Lockwood uses dance as a powerful expression of his emotions specifically when he is singing in the rain on his own. Eventually a cop comes because he’s so happy it almost seems as if somethings wrong with him. In the film Lockwood really likes Kelly and she agrees to work on a movie with him. He is overwhelmed with joy and freedom which reflects a significant emotional shift after overcoming challenges in his personal life and with his job because the original film they created was a total disaster. His tap dancing serves as a direct reflection of his feelings with each step conveying his joy.

I also thought the sound effects played a crucial role in enhancing the tap dancing scenes and made them much more engaging. I noticed that the sound of the tap shoes is perfectly synced with the rhythm of the music and there are post-production additions to enhance the effect. The sharp and crisp sounds of the taps are amplified which makes each step resonate with energy and precision. Additionally, the addition of environmental sounds, like rain or street noises, enhances the overall experience, grounding the dance in its setting and making it feel vibrant and alive. Together, these elements create a memorable auditory landscape that complements the visual spectacle of the dancing. This also reminded me of the clip we watched in class from the film Saturday Night Fever where John Travolta walks down the street perfectly synched to the music. Similarly, In Singin in the rain I thought that matching the tap dancing with the rhythm of the music was very musically appealing and engaging. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of musicals but doing this made me stay engaged and entertained. Adding on to the topic of musicals I thought some of the musical scenes were much different there other musical films because of the satire added. This can be seen with Cosmo who in his “make em laugh” scene where he jumped around and did a really good job with his facial expressions which made the whole scene very comical. This performance was very smooth and he was able to change his facial expressions multiple times within seconds. I also thought it was funny when he kept getting hurt, especially when he ran into the wall and had to adjust his “broken nose” multiple times. I thought this was very different from most musicals because of all the comedy added to the scene which made it very engaging for me.

One question I had about the film was of the color choice in the musical scene where Don is singing alone in the rain and is super excited. Throughout the film the color reflected the characters personality’s and happy scenes tended to have bright colors. However, in this scene the setting was very dark and raining which typically is associated with sadness and bad times. So I was curious as to why the director decided to do this instead of a sunny colorful background.