theatlantic: Singin’ in the Rain: 60 Years Later, an Example of Film Nostalgia Done Right With pop culture apparently suffering from a retro epidemic lately, today’s 60th anniversary of Singin’ in the Rain provides a chance to look back at a film that was ahead of its time in the way that it, too, looked back. Still fresh and charming in present-day viewings, Singin’delivered a sophisticated take on a tremendous transition in moviemaking that had happened decades before its release. But unlike the recent Oscars’ slate of history-fetishizing films—The Artist, Hugo, and Midnight in Paris among them—it didn’t romanticize the past but rather voyaged happily forward. […] Beyond the actual backdrop of an industry in flux, Singin’ in the Rain’s jokes and light parodies of actors and Hollywood culture are still surprisingly insightful and effective. There’s the dopey screen siren thinking that she’s in a relationship with her co-star because she read it in a gossip magazine. There’s Kathy Selden’s (Debbie Reynolds) attempt to insult the cocky movie star with her emphatic declaration that “if you’ve seen one movie, you’ve seen ‘em all.” And there’s the brilliant segment where Don Lockwood recounts his rise to fame, telling his fans that he was trained at Juilliard and brought up on Shaw and Molière, while we in the audience are treated to an amusing simultaneous montage revealing that he actually cut his teeth through thankless beer-hall performances and dangerous stunt work. Read more. [Image: AP]

theatlantic:

Singin’ in the Rain: 60 Years Later, an Example of Film Nostalgia Done Right

With pop culture apparently suffering from a retro epidemic lately, today’s 60th anniversary of Singin’ in the Rain provides a chance to look back at a film that was ahead of its time in the way that it, too, looked back. Still fresh and charming in present-day viewings, Singin’delivered a sophisticated take on a tremendous transition in moviemaking that had happened decades before its release. But unlike the recent Oscars’ slate of history-fetishizing films—The Artist, Hugo, and Midnight in Paris among them—it didn’t romanticize the past but rather voyaged happily forward. […]

Beyond the actual backdrop of an industry in flux, Singin’ in the Rain’s jokes and light parodies of actors and Hollywood culture are still surprisingly insightful and effective. There’s the dopey screen siren thinking that she’s in a relationship with her co-star because she read it in a gossip magazine. There’s Kathy Selden’s (Debbie Reynolds) attempt to insult the cocky movie star with her emphatic declaration that “if you’ve seen one movie, you’ve seen ‘em all.” And there’s the brilliant segment where Don Lockwood recounts his rise to fame, telling his fans that he was trained at Juilliard and brought up on Shaw and Molière, while we in the audience are treated to an amusing simultaneous montage revealing that he actually cut his teeth through thankless beer-hall performances and dangerous stunt work.

Read more. [Image: AP]

239 notes

Show

  1. smothering-heights reblogged this from 2cutetopuke
  2. anindiscriminatecollection reblogged this from theatlantic
  3. thaginester reblogged this from joserisms
  4. lolduh reblogged this from theatlantic
  5. intangentmausoleum reblogged this from theatlantic
  6. hmmmthatsinteresting reblogged this from joserisms
  7. theyoungvagabond reblogged this from maddiesaur
  8. maddiesaur reblogged this from turnbacksarah
  9. kimberlyjennifer reblogged this from marlettemac
  10. marlettemac reblogged this from thatgirl-katyr
  11. thatgirl-katyr reblogged this from let-them-eat-vag
  12. let-them-eat-vag reblogged this from theatlantic
  13. danceandmore reblogged this from jotmatt and added:
    Thoughtful commentary on how this musical has stood the test of time. In part this could be due to the fact that it was...
  14. twesg reblogged this from theatlantic
  15. silvermango5 reblogged this from theatlantic
  16. madonaperra reblogged this from theatlantic
  17. pushpullgo reblogged this from theatlantic
  18. anteco reblogged this from theatlantic and added:
    One of my all time favorite movies.
  19. soyazhe reblogged this from theatlantic
  20. helluin74 reblogged this from babysong
  21. reverend-doctor-professor-farmer reblogged this from theatlantic
  22. turnbacksarah reblogged this from babysong
  23. kathgillen reblogged this from theatlantic
  24. animentalcosplayer reblogged this from bluewejustgotaletter and added:
    This movie is freaking everything to me. Yep
  25. bluewejustgotaletter reblogged this from babysong
  26. myintimatefriend reblogged this from theatlantic
  27. ynitsed08 reblogged this from theatlantic
  28. finnishyourcheese reblogged this from theatlantic

Blog comments powered by Disqus