I've always been captivated by the big screen - I had my first ever theater experience at five years old, when I wanted so badly to see The Lion King in theaters. But the trouble was, I had never ever been inside a movie theater before; for some reason I still can't quite figure out, the concept terrified me at that age. My parents took me multiple times to visit the theater (this was before Sedona even had a Harkins Theaters, so we had to drive an hour to Flagstaff to its theater) to overcome my fear. It didn't really work, but my desire to see "Simba" in theaters outweighed my fear, and I insisted on seeing The Lion King in theaters. And I did. Since then, I've always felt time spent in a theater, whether stage or screen, is sacred and magical.
Needless to say, my week so far has been very fun and exciting. I only purchased tickets for select films I really wanted to see, so I'm not seeing half as many films as most of the film-goers, but the films I have seen up to today were great choices.
Wednesday evening I saw Singin' in the Rain. This year, Robert Osborne is screening three classic films, and I've always wanted to see this one (I'm a sucker for two things - dog movies and musicals). What better way to see a classic film than in a theater, too?
I saw Citizen Kane and Casablanca my senior year in high school, but other than those two the list of classic films I've seen is, sadly, a very short one. But despite that, I have to say, based on what I have seen of classic movies...they kick the butt out of most contemporary Hollywood films. And it's not just because they're, well, classic.
One thing I adore about classic films that I think is somewhat lost in today's movies is the inclusion of the visual element. Some films today still have great visuals, but a lot of the time, dialogue takes center stage. Dialogue is a great communication tool when necessary; being a quote fanatic, I love dialogue. But it's not always necessary. This is especially true of many of today's "cartoons", and animation is a highly visual medium. Now I'm not saying there isn't any visual element at all in movies today...I'm just saying I believe filmmakers paid a lot more attention to it back then. They took advantage of the opportunity to communicate visually as well as verbally.
During the number, Make 'Em Laugh, when Cosmo (Donald O'Connor) plops down on the couch next to the dummy, all of his emotions are communicated through body language alone - no dialogue. And it's still as hilarious as when he speaks and sings, which not only strengthens Cosmo as a character (even if it is the "funny guy"), but strengthens the scene. I'm not saying a movie today would necessarily do this, but imagine if Cosmo were given lines of dialogue (or verse) in place of those comedic movements...it would not be nearly as effective. At the same time, Cosmo is not exactly a silent character either - he has plenty of quippy lines of dialogue throughout the film.
In the scene with You Were Meant For Me (before the musical number, I believe) there's a short instance where Don (Gene Kelly) and Kathy (Debbie Reynolds) are silhouetted against the sunset backdrop. Silhouettes convey clear action and image and are a great tool for dramatization. You just don't see silhouettes done that often anymore, and to me, it played a great part in selling that scene. (Never mind that the example above's not in English...it's the only one I could find that included the silhouette).
And nothing says love like dancing ridiculously in the rain in a suit...watch the umbrella throughout the number, Singin' in the Rain. It's no longer just a simple prop, it's a part of Don's (Gene Kelly) choreography. It's almost never still. The end of the scene is great too, when he gives his umbrella to a total stranger, despite the rain and his soaked condition; that instance alone really says a lot about Don's character, even if only referring to the romantic side of him. Words could never communicate something so clear and poignant.
There are even more examples, but for the purpose of this blog, I'll keep it at three. I could say a lot of great things about other aspects of Singin' in the Rain, too...the dialogue is extremely quick and clever, and to the point. I'll definitely be studying older films if my creative flow ever gets stuck.
Stay tuned for the next post about the film festival, where I'll share a great animation-related workshop I attended as well as a wonderful independent animated feature film by Bill Plympton.
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