At the end of Stanley Donen and Gene Kelley’s Singin’ in the Rain (1942), the proper match of sound and image confirms the proper match between the characters played by Gene Kelley and Debbie Reynolds.
Discussion Questions
After watching this clip from Singin’ in the Rain, consider the questions below. Then submit your response.
1. A source of the film’s humor, and of its version of Hollywood history, is that Lina’s speaking and singing voices are not in harmony. Discuss how the sequence uses voice, music, and sound effects sometimes to reinforce and sometimes to contrast with each other.
2. How does the scene mark its sound as diegetic? How does this emphasis on the fact that this sound is "real" fit into the film’s themes?