American Film Workshop (31/8)

Hello all,

Today in film class we watched "Singing in the Rain" (1952) which tells the story of Hollywood's transition from silent films to talkies ( filmes falantes) in the late 1920s. The film stars Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood and Jean Hagen as Lina Larmont. The film explore the tensions in Hollywood at the time of this monumental transition from silent to talking films, exploring the ideas of art, authenticity, and the superficiality of Hollywood. Because "Singing in the Rain" is about a the making of a film, we are also offered an interesting literary device called a "story within a story," in which one at times cannot distinguish whether one is watching the film, or the film within the film. Finally, the film gives us a good look at Hollywood in the 1920s. 

Discussion question:

What is Don Lockwood like when we first meet him?  What goals does he have?  How do he and his goals change in the course of the film?  Why do they change?