Singin' in the Rain
Singin’ in the Rain
Director: Gene Kelly
Musical, Romance
Recent events in the hip-hop industry have pushed me into reflection on the “progress” of our society. How is it that we can live in a society where we claim a certain level of triumph of feminism, yet have sympathy for the man who’s laid a violent hand upon a woman? It seems the clear line of right and wrong has become blurred.
As this year’s Grammy Awards, Barbadan singer Rihanna was seen being verbally and physically assaulted by her rapper boyfriend, Chris Brown. And to the shock of many, rather than recognizing the offense that Chris Brown has dealt, it seems as though fellow celebrities are speaking up with their sympathy and support.
One of Rhianna’s most reknowned songs is entitled “Umbrella.” In this song, Rhianna sings the lyrics, “Told you I’ll be here forever/Said I’ll always be your friend/ Took an oath I’mma stick it out ’till the end/ Now that it’s raining more than ever/ Know that we’ll still have each other/ You can stand under my umbrella.” These lines evoke a sense of security, protection and comfort under the metaphoric “umbrella”—but is she really safe here? It seems that under her umbrella Rhianna found pain and betrayal. This ironic play of expectation harkens the questions we are left wondering in the wake of post-modernity. As my mom has come to say, “what happened to the days when everything was simple?”
Such days of simplicity are exemplified in a film also featuring umbrellas—the 1951 classic, Singin’ In the Rain. Directed by (and starring) Gene Kelly, Singin in the Rain seems to represent a time where we function under the modern sensibility when things “made sense,” and when life’s complexities could logically be reduced to song and dance. In Singin’ in The Rain, wrongs are righted and the good man wins out. Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Conner) and Lina Lamont ( Debbie Reynolds) find themselves in a bind when their silent film, The Duelling Cavaliers, is a complete failure in the midst of the rising popularity of talkies. In order to salvage their film, they must reinvent it and use sound. Unfortunately, there is one problem: Lina Lamont’s voice is shrieking, squeaking, and scrappy. Thankfully, Kathy Selden—a young and innocent actress who falls for Don Lockwood—comes to the rescue with her soothing, angelic voice. But while Kathy does all of the hard work, Lina tries to take the credit—a notable injustice.
In this classic musical, it seems as though the song and dance offer an umbrella of protection—a safe haven where wrongs are righted and the good wins out. Rain itslf proves to be no harm; in fact, Don Lockwood sings in the midst of it proclaiming the delirious pleasure of love. With the helping hands of eachother, Cosmo, Don and Kathy are able to conquer anything through “talking the whole night through” to a bright and sunny “good morning!” It seems ironic that while Don and Kathy, who fall in love, are safe “singin’ in the rain” without the protection of an umbrella, Rhianna can merely sing of a safe love “under an umbrealla” but instead finds abuse—abuse that, in today’s celebrity culture, it treated with sympathy by fellow elite, rather than due justice.
Gene Kelly – Singin’ in the Rain
Usher – Singin’ in the Rain
Sarah Michelle 