The Artist, which emerged from the Cannes Film Festival in 2011 and went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, followed the plight of a silent movie actor during the beginnings of talking pictures by imitating the style of the time period's black-and-white, silent movies. Nearly 60 years earlier, Singin' in the Rain tackled the same transition in film history through a notably different genre: musical comedy.
Now a beloved favorite and critical classic, many viewers, like myself, have enjoyed upon repeated viewings the endearing arrival of Debbie Reynolds,the stirring dances from Gene Kelly, and the lovably funny performance of Donald O'Connor. Not to mention the superb Jean Hagen as the shrill, dumb, and conniving Lina Lemont.
Singin' in the Rain delivers the charming characters, memorable sequences, and endearing plot as expected, but in a strikingly modern, metafilm presentation. If the character Don Lockwood is a hammy actor, Gene Kelly plays him with a knowing wink at his own style. If the fictional movie The Dancing Cavalier needs an excuse to divert to a modern dance sequence, then perhaps Singin' in the Rain uses the same excuse to show off a ballet number with Cyd Charisse. And if Debbie Reynolds as Kathy Seldon exclaims about movies that, "if you've seen one, you've seen them all," the emergence of her character as a closeted fan and aspiring actress reassures you that the cynicism is in jest.
In one stunning sequence, Don pulls Kathy into an empty production studio, using the lights, sets, and effects to create his version of the perfect place to first declare his love for her. The scene first acknowldges for the audience the artificiality of film and then reminds you of its power to create real emotional connections. Singin' in the Rain, like Lina Lemont, is "a shimmering, glowing star in the cinema firmament" that reminded me why I love movies as I begin my experiences at the 65th Cannes Film Festival.
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