The Problematic Hierarchy of Gender in "Singin’ in the Rain"

To quote director Christopher Nolan, “The term 'genre' eventually becomes pejorative because you're referring to something that's so codified and ritualized that it ceases to have the power and meaning it had when it first started”. He mentions genre as something that causes a film to have certain boundaries and preconceived notions that affect the full experience and story of a particular film; it causes the film to stay true to its typically style which may end up denouncing the true significance and power of that genre. That being said, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donan’s 1952 classic "Singin’ in the Rain" can be referred to as a film that is set in the confines of the standard musical genre. In order to further understand how the categorization of a film into a specific genre perturbs the film, we must define what genre means as a cinematic term. There are many variations as to what genre specifically refers to, however, it can most commonly be defined as, in a cinematic aspect, a type of film, characterized by certain pre-established and easily recognizable conventions. The conventions noted range from specific iconographies, common themes, narrative structures, and stock situations. In the case of "Singin’ in the Rain", the film can be classified as a standard musical genre as it fits many of the, for a lack of a better word, stereotypes typically associated with musicals. While it may not be a musical in the sense of Tom Hooper’s "Les Miserables" (2012), the film does have multiple musical numbers along with larger than life characters, sets, and the spontaneity of some acts that stands true for most musicals. Furthermore, it is critical to understand how genre has an effect on how gender stereotypes are seeped into society.

If seen from a basic viewpoint, "Singin’ in the Rain" can undoubtedly be said to be under the musical genre. Its dance numbers and caricature-like characters give it the essence and cinematic atmosphere of being a musical. This is evident from the film’s first shot where we see Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds wearing bright yellow raincoats and holding umbrellas while singing the film’s theme in unison. This instant display of a musical number is typical of most films that fall under this genre, as can be seen in films such as "La La Land" (Damien Chazelle, 2016) and "West Side Story" (Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, 1961). In addition to this, the consistent dance sequences throughout performed by Gene Kelly and Donald O’Conner and eventually being joined by Debbie Reynolds, are typical of most musicals. The numbers heighten and overdramatize situations and when compared to those performed in typical Broadway musicals, the overall ambience is taken up a few notches in musical films. Another aspect which makes this film adhere to the musical genre is the over-the-top sets, costumes, and characters. Many of Kelly’s and O’Conner’s, with support from Jean Hagen’s, performances are with extreme caricature-like facial expressions and tones. The spontaneity of the musical numbers attests to the film’s musical genre and is present when Don Lockwood (Kelly) presents the studio head R.F. Simpson (Millard Mitchell) with his idea for a modern number for their film “The Dancing Cavalier” and breaks into the song “Broadway Melody”, referencing another musical "The Broadway Melody" (Harry Beaumont, 1929). Jane Feuer mentioned in her work, “The Self-Reflexive Musical and the Myth of Entertainment”, that “perhaps the primary positive quality associated with musical performance is its spontaneous emergence out of a joyous and responsive attitude toward life”. This provides justification for why the musical genre tends to display sudden bursts of dance sequences. Aside from these themes and usual motifs which are present in musicals, the shots and visual styles are also uniform throughout most films in this genre. For example, the long takes for the musical numbers are consistently seen in musicals and is prominent in the sequences “You Were Meant For Me” and “Make ‘Em Laugh”. The long take before a cut gives the dance number continuity and allows for an ease in motion instead of having to cut between steps. While not a single take, these sequences are still comparable to that of the opening number of "La La Land", where the entire song is continuous.

As mentioned, Singin’ in the Rain does fulfill a significant amount of notions and typical structures that are present in the musical genre. However, this leads to gender portrayals throughout the film to be in conjunction with classical Hollywood’s representation of gender. While the couple, Don Lockwood and Kathy Selden (Reynolds) are central throughout the film, it does seem problematic that Kathy takes a backseat and lets Don operate the entire mission to begin her career. It is as if Kathy would never have been exposed at the film’s conclusion nor would her career had taken off if Don had not carried out his plan or come up with the idea of having Kathy sing playback for Lina Lamont (Hagen). In addition to this, Kathy adheres to being the subtle damsel that has the potential to obtain a largely successful career, but is held back until the end by her male counterparts and her “rival”, Lamont. There is also a clear hierarchical structure present throughout the film. The producer is at the head of the hierarchy, making decisions that affect the next tier of individuals who are Don and Cosmo (O’Connor). Their actions, as evident in instances such as changing the film from a regular talkie to a musical, impacts the last tier which comprises of Kathy and Lisa who are both hit with the repercussions of these decisions. That being said, the gender/role differences apparent in the film, do not need each other’s support in order to achieve their final goal which is success. Since the musical genre enhances the gender portrayals of classical Hollywood, it can be stated that "Singin’ in the Rain" can be deemed as having problematic gender hierarchies in regards to attaining one’s goal.