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Singin' in the Rain:
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As they enter from the outside, the spine of light from this huge door partially reveals an interior, but only enough to suggest something immense and as yet unknown. This must be the case, of course, not only for any seduction to be possible, but because this is the future, a realm of possible pathways. It is the future world of film, of what will become the 'singing' cinema. It is yet to be made and in a very literal manner the film claims it has to be 'sung' into being.

Don, leading Kathy by the hand, with an expansive gesture, says "This is the proper setting", prompting the cut to a low angle shot of Don and Kathy as she replies "Why, it's just an empty stage". This dramatic change in shot scale, between the camera dominating the tiny figures of Don and Kathy to Don and Kathy now appearing to dominate the camera, isomorphically repeats the general narrative structure of the sequence, the movement between the silent premiere and the musical conclusion . The rest of this sequence will be an effort to mediate between these oppositions, and will literally, on the film's behalf, perform itself as an event that enables, describes, and produces this mediation.

Don and Kathy now turn away from the camera, Don leading Kathy into the dark with "At first glance, yes. But wait a second . . .".

Created in 1998 by Adrian Miles, details, republished 2006.