Saturday, April 21, 2007

Moments of Distinction

The Film – Singin’ in the Rain – dir. Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen

The Set-Up – I think you know the set-up.

Let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place.

Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face.

The centerpiece of Singin’ in the Rain would be among the favorite movie moments of many, many people. In my case, I distill it down to this fabulous shot where the camera pans upward and looks down on Kelly’s face. What do we see? Simple, unalloyed joy. It’s the joy of a man who is in love, but it’s also the joy of a great artist immersed in the thing he loves.

I’m always interested in watching people when they are involved in that thing that is their passion, whether it’s Arnold Palmer playing golf, or Bruce Springsteen in front of a crowd with a guitar around his neck. It doesn’t matter who or what, it’s just a nice glimpse into that person. I don’t think the movies have a better example than this.

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