Song & Dance (Motif)
Singin' in the Rain is first and foremost a musical. As such, it makes sense that song and dance is a prevalent motif in the film. Before the film has even started, we see Cosmo, Kathy, and Lockwood dancing down the street and singing the title number. When Lockwood retells his biography, we see him and Cosmo working their way through the vaudeville circuit, which gives us a glimpse into their enormous talents as song-and-dance men. Singing and dancing is a way for the characters to uplift themselves and others throughout the film. When Lockwood is feeling upset about potentially never seeing Kathy again, Cosmo sings "Make 'Em Laugh," one of the most unbelievably impressive solo song-and-dance routines in movie history. When Lockwood takes a diction lesson in anticipation for his starring in a talkie, he and Cosmo turn one of the tongue twisters into an elaborate song, which culminates in a rousing tap dance on top of the teacher's desk. Having walked Kathy home, Lockwood goes into the charming title song, athletically dancing through the rain-drenched streets. "Broadway Melody"—in its recurring lyrical insistence "Gotta dance!"—encapsulates the importance of musical numbers in the film. At times, it feels as though the characters just cannot help themselves from breaking into song; the feelings bubble up and overwhelm the scene. Finally, the main conflict of the film revolves around Kathy's dubbing of Lina's voice in the recording of The Dancing Cavalier, as Kathy is a much better singer than Lina. Kathy's beautiful singing voice seems to reflect her pureness of spirit and her likability, in contrast with Lina's selfishness and lack of grace.
"Singin' in the Rain" (Symbol)
The most famous solo song and dance in the history of the Hollywood musical is without question Gene Kelly’s rendition of the title song. The lyrical content of the song expresses the notion that even though the weather might be inclement and dreary, Lockwood feels happy and unflappable. His motivation for dancing unprotected in a torrential downpour is his having realized that the woman he loves feels the same way. Lockwood feels so good that nothing can get him down, not even the unpleasantness of a storm. Thus, the storm becomes a symbol of hardship and the less enjoyable parts of life. Lockwood's blissful impulse to sing in the rain serves as an act of rebellion against darkness. His singing represents Lockwood's optimism, which carries him through difficult situations.
Lockwood's umbrella serves as a symbol as well. Just before breaking into song, his umbrella is wide open as a shield against the rain falling on him and Kathy. The umbrella remains open as he starts singing before his rapture moves him to close it. Over the course of the song, the umbrella becomes an essential prop that never leaves his hand. It is used to grapple onto the side of a lamppost, it is twirled by the handle, it is tossed from one hand to the other, used as a dancing partner, embraced like a lover, reopened to be twirled by its point in the sidewalk and then flipped as if floating into Kelly’s hand. The umbrella becomes more like a dancing baton than an umbrella, a theatrical instrument to add flourish and panache to his performance, rather than a useful device for keeping oneself dry. The umbrella represents Lockwood's unshakeable optimism, the feeling that he's "gotta dance." At the end of the song, Lockwood, having transformed from an everyday pedestrian into a bombastic dancer, is stopped in his tracks by the embarrassing arrival of a surly looking cop. The cop's attitude discourages Lockwood from continuing and Lockwood closes his umbrella with an embarrassed shrug. The cop represents society and respectability, a force which tamps down Lockwood's rather unusual and over-the-top influence to dance down the street in a storm.
The Illusions of Cinema (Symbols)
In the scene where Lockwood wants to express his love for Kathy, he brings her into an empty soundstage, and uses the various technologies of a film set to transform the space into a romantic setting. He makes the backdrop a pale purple that evokes an evening sky, he turns on a large industrial fan which he tells Kathy is an evening breeze, and he escorts her a few steps up a ladder, which he describes as a balcony overlooking a bed of roses. Here, Lockwood turns various pieces of cinematic technology into explicit symbols, romantic illusions that set the stage for his declaration of love. The fan, lights, and ladder are all symbolic stand-ins for real objects—the wind, the night sky, a balcony—and Lockwood and Kathy, as well as the audience, must use their imagination to re-signify them.
The Curtain (Symbol)
Much like the end of The Wizard of Oz, the climax of the film features a mysterious character "behind the curtain." The audience at the screening requests that Lina sing for them, and Lockwood, Cosmo and Simpson plan to have Kathy do her vocals for her, to convince her fans that she has a beautiful singing voice that's perfect for talkies. She lips syncs into a microphone on stage with a curtain closed behind her. Behind the curtain is Kathy, who is actually singing live. The image of Kathy behind the curtain is symbolic of her unsung talents and her obscurity. Once Cosmo and Don realize all their problems with Lina can be solved merely by raising that curtain, the truth comes out and Kathy is revealed to be the true talent behind the success of the film. Thus, the curtain symbolizes the exposure of the truth and the dispelling of the illusion of Hollywood. It symbolizes Simpson's commitment to giving Kathy the career she deserves. It also symbolizes Lockwood exposing his romance with Kathy, finally making it known to the public that he is in love with Kathy, not Lina.
The Show Must Go On (Allegory)
When Lockwood is despondent about not seeing Kathy Selden anymore, a few weeks after running into her at the party at Simpson's, Cosmo urges him to cheer up and remember the old show business saying, "the show must go on." Even though Lockwood is sad about Kathy, he has to stay strong and treat his life like a show. The idea that "the show must go on" refers to the fact that even if things go wrong in a play or a show, the performer has to keep going in order to appease an audience. The necessity to keep the show going benefits both the performer and the audience, because no one gets bogged down by the unexpected mishap. This idea serves as an allegory for Lockwood's life itself. Even when things seem bad, it is important to remember that life goes on and that it is important to move forward, not to get mired in pessimism.
