Singin’ in the Rain GCSE Component 1 - Section A: US Film Comparative Study

Mr Warrington - Film Studies

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Singin' in the Rain: Factfile

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Directed byGene Kelly &Stanley DonenProduced byArthur FreedWritten byBetty ComdenAdolph GreenStarringGene KellyDonald O’ConnorDebbie ReynoldsMusic byLennie HaytonSongsNacho Herb BrownArthur FreedCinematographyHarold RossonEdited byAdrienne FazanProduction CoMetro-Goldwyn-MayerDistributed byLoew’s Inc.Release dateMarch 27, 1952(Radio City Music Hall)April 11, 1952(United States)Running time103 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget$2.5 millionBox office$12.4 million

Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood

Debbie Reynolds as Kathy Selden

Donald O’Connor as Cosmo Brown

The Studio System One of the points on our study of film history was the emergence of the ‘Hollywood Studio System’ where eight studios (five major, three mini) came to dominate the global film production landscape from the 1920s until their gradual dissolution in the 1960s/70s.

Who are they?You will probably recognise most of the major studio names:

MGM, 20th Century Fox, Paramout, Warner Bros and RKO.

These five studios were the powerhouse system that made American cinema the dominant global film industry. Each one ran an extensive ‘lot’ of ‘soundstages’ with a large number of technicians, from grips, designers, writers, directors and editors. They signed actors to lengthy contracts (seven years) which they often struggled to escape from/work within. They operated a lot like factories, with people often working on two or three films at a time.

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Each of the studios produced a variety of films but also became known for a specific style. For example Warner Bros. were known for making slightly cheaper crime films with their stars James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson as gangsters and members of the criminal underworld in films like Little Caesar and White Heat.

MGM were known for being among the biggest investors in individual films. They prided themselves on big lavish expenditure on ‘prestige’ films with big stars and, often, big epic stories. From The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind through to Singin’ in the Rain and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

From its inception, at the merger of several smaller studios, in 1924 until 1951, MGM was run by one man - Louis B. Mayer. He was one of a select number of studio heads who essentially ran Hollywood. A man with power to make and break careers, which he frequently did.

What MGM truly specialised in was the grand performance musical. By the 1950s it could well be argued that MGM had perfected their musical films and enjoyed a ‘golden age’. In the 1950s they released Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat, An American in Paris, Singin’ in the Rain, Kiss Me Kate, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and High Society. This is a startling run of successful musicals. However at the end of the 1950s the musical became a much more difficult sell for audiences as its popularity seemed to diminish and competition from television started to eat away at cinema attendances.

MGM is now more of a resort management corporation with limited involvement in the film industry compared to its heyday of the 1950s. It no longer produces or distributes films to the cinema.

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Homework Computer Task: Find five films produced (not just distributed) by MGM that you recognise or know (there’s a list on Wikipedia). Try to see if there are any similarities between the five films. Bring the list of five films to your next lesson to stick into your book.Under the heading MGM Studios write a short summary of the similarities/differences in these films.

The MGM Musical The late 1940s started the golden age of the MGM musical. Here are some of the reasons for this amazing success.

The Post War EraMGM musicals were positive films. Filmed in a garish and glorious technicolour they focused on love stories with happy endings, often reflecting on positive times. Singin’ in the Rain focuses on an important era in film history, High Society looks at the lives and loves of rich American families, Meet Me in St. Louis shows a family returning to their roots to stay together. In a time where the world was recovering from the shock of World War II, audiences were ready for grand escapism.

The StarsIn the 1940s-50s MGM found itself with a clutch of exceptional musical stars. Judy Garland, the child star of The Wizard of Oz (1939) was still with the studio and despite drug addiction issues (partially due to the studio regime) was still a big musical star. Gene Kelly was at the peak of his box office appeal, Fred Astaire worked for the studio. The directors (Stanley Donen, Vicente Minelli etc) and songwriters are now regarded as legends of musical cinema.

Musical TheatreMusical theatre had its golden era in the 1930s and 1940s, providing cinema with a steady stream of adaptable material. It was in this same period that Broadway premiered Oklahoma! (1943), Carousel (1945), Annie Get Your Gun (1946) and South Pacific (1949). Moreover, these shows had a greater faith in story, character and ideas than the revue musicals that had been dominant before 1939. They were also works that shone a light on being American and experiences that extended beyond New York or Broadway.

The Great American SongbookNot an actual songbook but a term that indicates the most popular and enduring songs from the 1920s to the 1950s that were created for Broadway theatre, musical theatre, and Hollywood musical film. They have been recorded and performed by a large number and wide range of singers, instrumental bands, and jazz musicians. The Great American Songbook comprises songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin, and also Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Richard Rodgers, and others.

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Writing Task: Under the heading MGM Musicals, summarise the reasons for MGMs musical success in the 1950s in your exercise book.

the freed unit There was one other major factor in the success of MGMs musicals during this time and he was called Arthur Freed.

The production unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer headed by Arthur Freed made the transition from old-fashioned musical films, whose formula had become repetitive, to something new. (However, they also produced Technicolor remakes of such musicals as Show Boat, which had previously been filmed in the 1930s.) In 1939, Freed was hired as associate producer for the film Babes in Arms. Starting in 1944 with Meet Me in St. Louis, the Freed Unit worked somewhat independently of its own studio to produce some of the most popular and well-known examples of the genre. The products of this unit include Easter Parade (1948), On the Town (1949), An American in Paris (1951), Singin' in the Rain (1952), and The Band Wagon (1953). This era saw musical stars become household names, including Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Ann Miller, Donald O'Connor, Cyd Charisse, Mickey Rooney, Vera-Ellen, Jane Powell, Howard Keel, and Kathryn Grayson. Fred Astaire was also coaxed out of retirement for Easter Parade and made a permanent comeback.

Check the task below before we watch these clips

The Freed Unit: A Love Note

MGM Musicals through the years

Meet Me in St Louis trailer - Big stars, big songs and big colourful drama

An American in Paris Opening - Gene Kelly doing his smooth moving thing in technicolour France

High Society - Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, two of the biggest music stars in the world in a scene written just for them.

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Writing Task: Under the heading ‘The Freed Unit’ write a summary of the main stylistic points that were common in MGM musicals. Think about:• The colours they used.• The wealth of the characters.• The costumes/outfits.• The dance routines.• The stars and how they are shot/framed.• The tone/attitude of the stories.

America in the ‘50s Post WWIIBefore World War 2 America had been a strong economic power internationally but retained a more ‘isolationist’ policy to do with global matters. This meant that they didn’t get involved with issues overseas and instead focused on ‘domestic’ issues. After World War 2 this changed significantly. The US became a ‘global superpower’ and become involved in international issues in order to stop the spread of Russian communism, which it perceived to be a significant threat.

The fear of communism was strongest in the US due to its strong tradition of individualism and a dedicated opposition to any form of collective ownership. In the 1950s a suspected communist would be treated with the same suspicion that a member of Al Qa’ida is today. However, this began transferring to a type of paranoia that many people were in fact communists if they expressed any ideas that seemed radically different or question the status quo in the US.

In your books define the following words:Isolationistglobal superpowerdomesticcommunism

The Shadow of the BombAt the end of World War II another conflict, known as the ‘Cold War’, began between Russia and America. It lasted for over 40 years. Each state saw the other as their ‘arch enemy’ and built more and more nuclear weapons in order to ‘defend’ themselves, reaching a state of ‘mutually assured destruction’. Young people in the 1950s grew up in the shadow of the bomb, the constant and ever-present fear of nuclear destruction.

American President (R) Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-61) was a leading figure in this period. Frequently Eisenhower would authorise covert anti-communist operations by the CIA. On the home front he decided to secretly discredit the rabid anti-communist Senator McCarthy and helped build the Interstate Highway System.

In your books define the following:Cold Wararch enemymutually assured destruction

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Reds Under the BedAmerican paranoia about communism and communist infiltration was fostered in the country by the notion of ‘reds under the bed’. This is the idea that even in your community there might be people who think differently, that might hold different values and they could be all around. This fear was primarily due to the rise in material wealth experienced by many Americans at this time and the notion that this could be ‘snatched’ or taken away by socialist ideals.The leading exploiter of paranoia in this time was Senator Joseph McCarthy who used the fear of communism to root out supposed ‘reds’ in the film industry. He hunted down and interviewed people involved in Hollywood in order to discover who had communist sympathies. One of the methods he used was getting people to ‘name names’ and reveal who attended meetings to do with the Communist Party of America. Eventually he was able to get several writers, actors and directors were blacklisted.

In your books define the following things:Reds under the bedSocialist IdealsName NamesBlacklisted

The Paradox of 1950s AmericaAmerica underwent a form of economic miracle in the 1950s, prosperity was matched with an explosion of the ‘middle class’, the growth of suburban living and the omnipresence of ‘Americana’. Typical images of the time involve suburban detached houses with white picket fences, increasing ownership of televisions and cars as well as a boom in drive-in theatres, ‘teen’ or ‘youth’ culture and the success of rock and roll.

However, despite all this positivity, fear of the bomb, reds under the bed and a near constant fear of Soviet invasion all existed as nebulous negative forces in America in the 1950s. We can see representations of this in films like The Iron Giant and X-Men: First Class. In addition the 1950s saw the rise of the civil rights struggle as African American sought equality in representation and treatment in the public sphere.

In your books define the following things:middle classAmericanateen/youth culturecivil rights.

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Hollywood ‘50s style What was popular in the 1950s? Let’s have a look at the top ten films at the American Box Office.

US Box Office Top Ten: 1950s 1. The Ten Commandments (1956, Cecil B. DeMille)2. Lady and the Tramp (1955, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske)3. Peter Pan (1953, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske)4. Cinderella (1950, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske)5. Ben-Hur (1959, William Wyler)6. Sleeping Beauty (1959, Clyde Geronimi7. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, David Lean)8. Around the World in 80 Days (1956, Michael Anderson)9. This is Cinerama (1952, Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Mike Todd Jr. and

Gunther von Fritsch) (tie)9. Seven Wonders of the World (1956, Tony Garnett, Paul Mantz, Andrew Marton, Ted

Tetzlaff, Walter A. Thompson) (tie)10. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952, Cecil B. DeMille)10. Quo Vadis (1951, Sam Zimbalist)

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We need to get some notes on the most popular films of the 1950s!1. There are two main genres of film that seem to be popular in this chart, what are

they?2. Why do you think that these two genres were popular? What appeal did they have

to audiences?3. This is Cinerama might seem like an unusual entry, what does it have in common

with any of the other films?4. Cinerama, Vistavision, Cinemascope, Panavision and more are the names of

widescreen technologies from the 1950s, what was their appeal?

Hollywood style Singin in the Rain is a product of the Hollywood system and, as a result, is a fine example of traditional Hollywood film style. But the film resists being completely standard 180 degree rule and standard Hollywood filming practice. In the dance scenes especially, the camera seems to be in service of the performers, allowing them space and time to dance and sing. We’re going to analyse a few song and dance scenes to see how the micro elements are used.

Make ‘em Laugh/Singin’ in the Rain/Good Mornin’Cinematography - fluid camera movements, medium shots moving to close ups through character/camera movement, crane shots.

Editing - Minimal editing, all clear continuity edits

Mise-en-Scene - Bright, broad colours, extraordinary fashions

Sound - The switch between singing/speaking voice, the music (diegetic or not?)

Wired for Sound/The Switcheroo

Cinematography - static medium shots, containing all the characters on screen at once

Editing - pure continuity, simple clear and cued to punchlines

Mise-en-Scene - Glamour and style of MGM, backstage of film-making

Sound - Used for comedy, crisp, clear and absence of ambient sound

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You need to have three scenes of analysis written in the usual format in your books.However, Singin’ in the Rain is a very consistently made film so it is possible to get the information you need by condensing your notes into two pages. One set of notes for the song and dance routines and one for the dramatic/comedic scenes.

Representation

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Don Lockwood Lena Lamont

Athletic/Strong - Does stunts.Winner/Successful - Hit film/gets the girl.Protective - Defends Kathy

Clever cunning - Manipulates RFEmotionally Unstable - Quickly angryRomance obsessed - Wants DonCompetitive in Beauty - Jealous of Kathy

Cosmo Kathy Seldon

Let’s explore how traditionally the characters in Singin’ in the rain stick to their gendered roles. Copy this chart into your book and complete it.

Narrative Applying Todorov.Equilibrium - what is the normal life of the characters like? Establishes time, place and characters - and a sense of order.Disruption - something happens that disrupts the normal life of the characters. Normallythis is created by the Other.Recognition - characters realise the order is disrupted; this often leads to a crisis whereaction to repair the disruption (or tackle the problem) must be taken.Repair - characters attempt to resolve the problem or defeat the Other.Restoration - the equilibrium (normal life) is restored; or a new stability is created

State Evidence from the Film

Equilibrium

Disruption

Recognition

Repair

Restoration

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Narrative Questions1. Copy the above table into your book completing it for Singin’ in the Rain.2. “Singin’ in the Rain has a perfect scene of narrative closure.” Explain why you

agree/disagree with this sentence.3. Enigmas are the questions created at the start of a film. Often answered by the end

of the film. Try to find three ‘enigmas’ and explain how they are/aren’t resolved.

Musical Genre Here are the key genre conventions of the Musical, a list of things that are contained within the body of a musical film (mostly). As we go through this list we are going to write in our books how Singin’ in the Rain fits these genre conventions.

Overall style and characteristics○ Songs sung by the characters to advance the plot or develop the film's characters or

themes.○ Singing in a movie isn’t what makes a musical – for it to be a musical, characters must

be uninhibited and outwardly express emotion through song and dance○ Rather than simply adding music to the soundtrack (non-diegetic), the characters within

the film sing and dance to convey their thoughts and feelings (diegetic).○ Characters sing and dance to the camera, for the benefit of the film viewer, rather than

any sort of audience within the film's story.○ Musicals are always set in a fantasy world of some sort where music appears out of

nowhere, where extras spontaneously act as back-up dancers, where everybody has a booming Broadway-style singing voice.

Narrative and Themes○ Overall, musicals tend to be utopian and happy where good rules over evil – or where

the protagonist prevails○ Whether the characters in musicals are feeling up or down, whether they are alone or in

public, they are always able to fulfil their desire or to feel better by dancing or singing.

The Music○ The musical accompaniment comes from "no where"—outside the world of the film—

though the singing comes from within the world of the film, which is a violation of the rules of realism that govern almost all other genres/styles.

○ Songs are usually “Broadway” style requiring big, powerful voices.○ Singing originates from the mind and emotion of the characters – the songs are used to

express inward thoughts and feelings outwardly.

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Setting○ Musicals have been set in many different times and places and are embedded in many

other genres.○ Typically, there are big, lavish, colorful, over-the-top sets -- the scenery can often change

from a realistic picture to something more dreamlike.○ Often musicals look like they are set on a theatre stage – reminiscent of Broadway

theatre musical productions

Characters○ Male Lead: Protagonist, hero○ Female Lead: Protagonist, often the love interest of the male lead○ Villain: Usually an adult male, or often the conflict comes from the protagonist’s

struggle against a life adversity (poverty, finding way home, unsympathetic family, forbidden love, desire for something unobtainable)

○ Sidekicks: Side/ancillary characters that round out the narrative and support/thwart the protagonists

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Genre ConventionsGo through the above conventions making a table or list in your book of how Singin’ in the Rain manages to stick to/deviate from these conventions. Write each title and a clear example of how the film fits or doesn’t fit classic genre conventions.

Themes in Singin’ in the Rain Change and AdaptabilitySingin' in the Rain captures a very specific time in movie history: the transition from silent films to talking pictures. The ‘talkies’ (sound cinema) were a game-changer, and some people in the movie industry adapted better than others.

Lies and DeceitFirst, we've got Lina, whom audiences think is an elegant leading lady, when she's really a screeching annoyance. Then there's Don, who starts lying through his teeth almost immediately, rattling off the details of his dazzling, totally made-up rise to fame.

Not even Kathy emerges unscathed: She tries to deceive Don pretty much from the moment she meets him by suggesting that she's an esteemed stage actress and doesn’t know his films that well.

Throw in the fact that all of this is set in the movie industry, a business not exactly known for its realism or honesty, and you've got yourself a recipe for ruses, shams, and all sorts of star-studded lies and trickery.

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Questions:1. What kind of attitude(s) does the movie show toward the silent movie era?2. Let's look at both sides: What kind of attitude(s) does the movie show toward talkies?3. Which character do you think is most capable of rolling with the changes? Who’s least able to adapt? Are there a few people who struggle to adapt?

Questions:1. How would you describe the movie's attitude toward Hollywood and the movie industry?2. Why does Don lie about his entire backstory?3. What about Cosmo? Is he deceitful? How does he fit into all of this?4. Do you think Hollywood today is more or less deceptive than the 1920s Hollywood depicted in the movie?

Respect and ReputationBlame Hollywood. Almost everybody in Singin' in the Rain is obsessed with his or her reputation. Don wants to be respected as a "real" actor—not some guy who pulls silly faces. He also wants Kathy to respect him. Kathy wants Don to respect her right back, and she wants to stop popping out of cakes for a living.

Lina wants to be straight-up adored, and the studio wants to protect her from looking like a fool. This idea of status, or prestige, being super-important is central to Singin' in the Rain, and it goes hand-in-hand with another of the movie's themes: lies and deceit. All of the main characters are willing to lie their perfect Hollywood faces off if they think it will win them respect and/or boost their reputations.

Language and CommunicationIf it seems like, most of the time, everybody in Singin' in the Rain is lying, it's because they are. Welcome to Hollywood! Here's the thing, though: The characters are also frequently quite honest. We're talking about soul-baring honesty here. That's because anytime somebody sings or dances, they seem to be totally truthful. The movie suggests that, while you should never believe what you hear, or even what you see, song and dance communicate the truth.

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Questions:1. Why is dignity so important to Don?2. It’s pretty clear that Lina doesn't respect R.F. Do Don and Cosmo respect R.F.?3. How do Don and Kathy show their respect for one another?4. What’s more important to have: respect or a good reputation? Do you have to be respected in order to have a good rep?

Questions:1. The musical numbers: Do they move the plot forward, or do they take the story off on a tangent?2. What do you think it means that Lina doesn't get a song and dance routine?3. How do the movie's dance numbers express characters' moods or emotions? Pick two to focus on.

Exam Assessment The question in the exam for Singin’ in the Rain can be on any of the specialist areas we’ve studied for any of the films so far. So Representation, Narrative and Aesthetics are all possible subjects which is why we’ve looked at them all in this booklet. In addition to that, once you have studied the partner film, Grease, there is an additional question on the exam paper that requires you to compare aspects of both films.

For your assessment you are going to attempt the exam question below.

1.(a) Identify one genre convention used in your chosen film. [1](b) Briefly outline why conventions are used in genre films. [4](c) Explore how the convention you have identified is used in one sequence from your chosen film. In your answer, refer to at least one key element of film (e.g. cinematography, mise-en-scène, editing or sound). [10]

❖ Use a PEA structure where you can❖ Use specific film language to illustrate your points❖ Explain how that example of film language affects the audience❖ Always remember to reflect back the question.

There is a second, comparison question in the exam that requires you to compare Singin’ in the Rain to Grease. In this type of question you still need to use elements of film analysis but it will be a longer answer (worth 20 marks) that will more likely focus on something to do with the contexts or themes of the films. Here is an example question, worth 10, for you to have a go at. For this, you can use your notes this time. And use the guidance from the bullet points above. A full assessment will be at the end of the Grease section of the course.

3.How does Singin’ in the Rain reflect the themes and values that were relevant at the time that it was made. [10]

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On the following pages you will find mark schemes and sample answers to these questions. Before you look at those you need to attempt to answer the question yourself.

The Mark Scheme The exam board produce a mark scheme for each one of the exams they set. The mark scheme below is for the first two questions on your assessment. You can either attempt to mark the questions yourself or check your assessors marks against this scheme.

Q1 (a)

Genre conventions candidates may identify in their responses include:• typical characters• typical mise-en-scène, including typical iconography• typical narratives, action or themes• typical music.

Q1 (b)

• conventions, the typical 'ingredients' of a genre film, establish films as being in a particular genre

• audiences are attracted to seeing films they know they will like• audiences expect to see conventions they are familiar with in a genre film• producers want films to be easily identified so that they can attract audiences – genre• conventions establish ease of recognition for audiences• ensuring a genre film uses the familiar conventions minimises commercial risk for• producers and increases the chance of profit• how audience pleasure is based on seeing their expectations fulfilled (of seeing how• genre conventions are used – with some degree of repetition as well as variation)• how the commercial interest of producers is rooted in those audience responses.

Marks AO1 Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of elements of film

1 Identifies one genre convention (no additional description is required)

0 No response attempted or no response worthy of credit

Marks AO1 Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of elements of film

4 Excellent knowledge and understanding of why conventions are used in genre films.

3 Good knowledge and understanding of why conventions are used in genre films.

2 Satisfactory knowledge and understanding of why conventions are used in genre films.

1 Basic knowledge and understanding of why conventions are used in genre films.

0 No response attempted or no relevant response/response worthy of credit.

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The Mark Scheme For longer questions the mark scheme becomes more complicated but each grading follows the same basic pattern. Try using the grid below and the comments on the following page to assess where you think your answer is. Do you agree with your grade?

Q1 (c)

If no sequence is explored, candidates may not be awarded more than Band 3.

Band AO2 - Film Analysis

5

9-10 Marks

• Applies excellent knowledge and understanding of genre conventions, including to analyse films

• Explores one sequence from chosen film highly effectively and highly relevantly in response to the question, using subject-specific terminology in an excellent and highly relevant way.

4

7-8 MarksReplace ‘excellent’ with ‘good’.Replace ‘highly effectively and highly relevantly’ with ‘effectively and relevantly.

3

5-6 MarksReplace ‘excellent’ with ‘satisfactory’.Replace ‘highly effectively and highly relevantly’ with ‘satisfactorily and with reasonable relevance’.

2

3-4 MarksReplace ‘excellent’ with ‘basic’.Replace ‘highly effectively and highly relevantly’ with ‘in an uneven way and with little relevance’.

1

1-2 MarksReplace ‘excellent’ with ‘limited’.Replace ‘highly effectively and highly relevantly’ with ‘in a limited way with little if any relevance’.

0 MarksNo response attempted or no response worthy of credit.

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The Mark Scheme What follows in the box below is what is given to examiners when they are marking questions with more marks available. This one is specifically for question 1(c). It is designed to help the person marking know what they are looking for, but we can use it to see if our answer matched up with what the examiner was looking for.

(the notes don’t refer to a specific film - so this isn’t just for Singin’ in the Rain, it’s for all the films that were options for this question)

If a candidate has not correctly identified a genre convention in 1 (a), examiners must assess 1 (c) to establish whether any incidental, relevant points are made which can be credited.

One convention will be discussed in the context of a sequence and in relation to at least one key element of film (cinematography, mise-en-scène, editing and sound). The following approaches may be taken:

• the sequence may suggest that the convention is used in a standard way, as audiences might expect

• the sequence may also suggest that the convention is being played with, representing a variation from what audiences standardly expect

• key elements of film will be referred to in order to demonstrate how they convey, in film terms, the convention to audiences, which might involve emphasising, focusing on, intensifying or drawing attention to the convention

• a convention identified may itself be a key element (e.g. a typical example of mise-en-scène or sound). In such cases, either of the following is acceptable:

• discussion of the key element which is extended beyond naming it as a convention (for responses above Band 2)

• reference to how other key elements draw attention to, or complement, the convention.

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The Mark Scheme For longer questions the mark scheme becomes more complicated but each grading follows the same basic pattern. Try using the grid below and the comments on the following page to assess where you think your answer is. Do you agree with your grade?

Q3

This question is the comparative question and is usually worth 20 marks. At this stage we’ve only looked at one film so we’re only going to award half of what is on this mark scheme. The following coda is added to this mark scheme to cover answers that only partially fulfil the dual film study:

1: If only one film is considered, allocate the band that qualitatively describes the response (which may be within any of the five bands). The mark must then be divided by two.2: Similarly, if two completely unrelated themes are compared across two films, take the better of the two film discussions and treat as if only one film is considered (as above).

Band AO2 - Apply knowledge and understanding of elements of film, including to compare films

5

17-20 Marks• Applies excellent knowledge and understanding of how the same theme

is explored in both films, illustrated through character and/or narrative • Uses excellent points of comparison to develop a highly coherent point of

view in response to the question • Demonstrates an excellent knowledge and understanding of subject-

specific terminology.

4 13-16 Marks• Replace ‘excellent’ with ‘good’.

3 9-12 MarksReplace ‘excellent’ with ‘satisfactory’.

2 5-8 MarksReplace ‘excellent’ with ‘basic’.

1 1-4 MarksReplace ‘excellent’ with ‘limited’.

0 MarksNo response attempted or no response worthy of credit.

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The mark Scheme What follows in the box below is what is given to examiners when they are marking questions with more marks available. This one is specifically for question 3. It is designed to help the person marking know what they are looking for, but we can use it to see if our answer matched up with what the examiner was looking for.

(the notes don’t refer to a specific film - so this isn’t just for Singin’ in the Rain (and Grease), it’s for all the films that were options for this question)

All valid alternative responses must be credited.

Approaches candidates may take in their responses include:

• themes common to the two films may be expressed in broad terms (e.g. triumph of good over evil, crime and justice, aliens, love, rebellion) or in more precise terms. Both approaches are acceptable. Candidates will need to demonstrate how the theme they have identified is conveyed and explored in their two films and to discuss similarities and differences.

• candidates are likely to illustrate the way the films' themes are illustrated through characters and/or narratives (either characters or narratives or both is acceptable)

• it is likely that both similarities and differences may be discussed but an answer based on more similarities than differences (or vice versa) is acceptable.

• relevant and focused reference to subject-specific terminology, including reference to the way specific sequences underline points of comparison, is likely to characterise responses in Bands 4 and 5.

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Sample Answer We’ve written sample answer paragraphs to the 10 mark exam questions - 1(c)/3 - from page 18. You need to cut out the answers from this page and highlight and label them to show the following things that we listed as tips for the questions.

❖ Use a PEA structure where you can❖ Use specific film language to illustrate your points❖ Explain how that example of film language affects the audience❖ Always remember to reflect back the question.

1(c)One major genre convention that is used to great effect in Singing’ in the Rain are the song and dance numbers/scenes that occur during the film. As a musical it is essential that the film has a series of these spread throughout. A fine example of one such use is the classic scene where Don Lockwood sings Singin’ in the Rain. In this scene a series of flowing long shots are filmed using a crane movement. As Gene Kelly is the star of the film he is shown performing his dance routine in long shot and with very little editing where possible. This allows the viewer to experience the skill and choreography of Kelly’s dancing as that’s what they will expect from the film. It almost replicates the experience of being at a dance show in a theatre by showing his fully body dancing at all times. The sweeping pans and crane movements up only further show his ability and make the musical number stand out from the non-musical sections of the film that are filmed with a much more static camera.

3Two major themes from Singin’ in the Rain are closely linked. The theme of love and the theme of being honest or true to yourself rather than lying. At the start of the film the first thing we hear from Don is a series of lies. By using the contrapuntal sound voice over he talks about his high social upbringing but we see how he grew up in bars and small rough towns across America. At this point he isn’t being honest with himself and his fans/audience. He also lets them believe that him and Lena are in love as he’s created a false character version of himself.

This is central to the end of the film when Don uses his singing and dancing talent to make the film a big success and also admits to the audience in the theatre that he loves Cathy. The close-up as they kiss is the traditional way to end a musical as the couple are finally together. But there is an extra moment here as Don’s honesty and love are combined in the poster for the film he makes with Cathy in the final long shot that establishes them as Hollywood stars.

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