Singing In The Rain

“Singing in the Rain, ” is a love song that many have associated with the images of Gene Kelly splashing around in puddles and dancing gleefully in the street after sharing an innocent kiss with his character’s love interest, Kathy. It is one that evokes a happy, cheerful and even warm feeling from the audience. This is an image that is greatly distorted, in the infamous “Singing in the Rain” scene from the Stanley Kubrick film entitled, A Clockwork Orange. Kubrick greatly relies on the song selection and the tension it creates within the audience member in order to elicit the response he desires from this very violent and disturbing scene. In this analytical essay, it is my intention to point out the ways in which Kubrick utilizes an unapologetically
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However, none quite compares to Alex’s eerie rendition of the jubilant tune “Singing in the Rain.” From the moment Alex and his “Droogs” begin their attack on this innocent couple, there are parallels to the “Singing in the Rain” film itself. Alex’s movements, for instance, are very graceful and have the feeling of a well-choreographed musical. While perhaps it may be first interpreted as a “nod” to the classical 1952 film, it even more so adds to the depth of Alex’s sociopathic tendencies. His well-choreographed movements imply that he is well rehearsed in his actions and has most definitely performed this horrific act before. Additionally, Alex carries a cane in the beginning on the attack, this greatly parallels the closed umbrella that Gene Kelly’s character uses as he sings the same song. These parallels act as visual references and when paired with Alex’s singing, bring to mind the innocence of the “Singing in the Rain” musical. This is seems to be Kubrick’s deliberate reminder of the innocence that is being lost in this scene. Though the actual rape is never captured, this scene leaves the audience feeling no less violated and disturbed. Kubrick’s song choice here was a great contributing factor to the evocation of that emotional
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Certain songs trigger certain memories, much like the way that certain smells also trigger memories. Music has the ability to move us, unite us and empower us. It also has the ability to make us uncomfortable, particularly when it is play in the right circumstance. This is very much so the case in this “Singing the Rain” scene of A Clockwork Orange. Kubrick was greatly aware of music’s ability to stimulate our emotions, while also creating the tension between what we see and what we hear. This is one of the many complexities of Kubrick films that I have come to appreciate, whether the movie is one that I enjoy or not. There is no doubt in my mind that the song selection in this scene was no less intentional than his decisions for bright lighting, a white interior of the home, outfit selection, camera angles, lens selection and the use of jump cuts or panning. Like any Kubrick film, or any well made film really, it’s never one aspect of the film that makes it a “good” film, but rather it is the conglomerate of them all that makes the director’s vision a success. Though A Clockwork Orange is far too violent of a film for my personal taste, it is an absolute true representation of Stanley Kubrick’s vision and one that I can