Comedic Elements and the Bitter Truth in Singin’ in the Rain

While watching Singin’ in the Rain, I couldn’t help but feel as If I were watching a live-action version of a Looney Tunes cartoon. The film’s vibrant colors and playful energy evoke that same exaggerated, animated feeling. In a lot of scenes movement and facial expression seem exaggerated to a cartoonish degree—whether it’s Don’s happy walk after his “Singin’ in the Rain” performance or Cosmo’s slapstick attempt to “fix” his face after crashing into a brick wall during “Make ’Em Laugh.”

But most importantly, the sound design adds to this cartoon-like feeling. Realistic ambient sounds are rare in the film, and when they do appear, they’re almost muted. The best example of this is when Don and Cosmo walk through the studio set early in the movie. Multiple films are being shot on the same stage while new sets are being built, creating an extremely busy environment—yet we don’t hear a single background noise unless the focus briefly shifts to it. This choice draws all attention to Don and Cosmo’s conversation and pulls the audience out of reality. The scene feels deliberately staged, almost like a performance within a performance. In the end, that’s what Singin’ in the Rain is—a performance within a performance.
During several musical numbers—but most prominently in Cosmo’s “Make ’Em Laugh” performance—sound is used to emphasize movement and add an extra layer of comedy. Each time he falls, a brief drum roll and crash punctuate the action, transforming his stumbles into part of the rhythm.. Even small gestures, like when he sits on the couch and adjusts his legs, are matched with exaggerated cracking noises.

Yet, besides all the fun musical numbers and slapstick comedy, the film also addresses the harsh reality faced by some actors when sound was introduced to cinema. Lina Lamont, once a major silent film star, is unable to adapt to the new technology of sound. In the end—though unwillingly—she is forced to end her career. The most famous real-life parallel is probably John Gilbert, whose career declined for similar reasons.
In this sense, Singin’ in the Rain reminded me a lot of Babylon (Damien Chazelle, 2022), which likewise explores the industry’s transition to sound and the downfall of an actor unable to adjust to it.