For this module, we are going to be exploring color in film, and a film with a rather historic approach to color, Singin' in the Rain (1952).

The Reading

You will begin by reading chapter 7 (pgs. 191 - 215) in The Art of Watching Films.

The Watching

Then you will watch a film that usea color particularly well, and with historical significance.

Singin’ in the Rain (1952) by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen

Singin’ in the Rain is all about Hollywood’s transition from silent films to the age of the ‘talkies.’ It features a timeless soundtrack, being a classic Hollywood musical and all... But it also perhaps one of the most impressive of films to feature the Technicolor color process, invented in the 1920s and perfected in the 30s and 40s. You must try your best to distance yourself from the incredible music and dancing here, and instead pay special attention to the beautiful use of color to help enrich the story.

Note: as always, the media for this can be found in the LEH 353 - Visual Storytelling library on Plex.

The Questions

When you have completed the above film, answer the following questions.