30% of People Don't Know
La La Land (2016) is the third film by director Damien Chazelle. His previous work was Whiplash (2014). This film made him famous, receiving rave reviews and winning the Best Editing award at the 87th Oscars.
When it comes to the success of Damien's films, his partner, composer Justin Hurwitz, played a crucial role - Justin composed the music for both La La Land and Whiplash. Damien and Justin were classmates at Harvard, and they even had a band together. Their deep and revolutionary friendship allows them to better understand, appreciate, and create together.
Regarding the intention behind making La La Land, Damien said: "I wanted to try to explore how life and art, dreams and reality can come together." He believed that music was the best form of expression, which is why he chose to film this movie through music and dance. This idea resonated with Justin, who spent a long time composing the main melodies for the film's protagonists. And now, this pure, romantic, free, bright film is endlessly captivating.
Ryan Gosling, who played Sebastian, spent three months practicing the piano pieces in the film to portray the role of a pianist well. When talking about the music in the movie, he said, "I spent four hours a day practicing the piano for three consecutive months. In theory, I shouldn't want to hear these songs anymore, but they still move me so much."
It is worth mentioning that the music for some of the key song and dance sequences was recorded in the same studio where Singin' in the Rain was recorded. All the instruments were recorded in the same room, including the vocals. Although it is a very traditional recording method, Damien and Justin both believe that it is the most suitable recording approach for the movie.
40% of people don't know
The original plan for the main cast of La La Land did not include Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The male lead was supposed to be Miles Teller from Whiplash, and the female lead was intended to be Emma Watson. However, Miles dropped out, and Emma turned down La La Land to work on the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast (2018).
Damien Chazelle once said in an interview that he believed Stone and Gosling were the closest actors to the classic Hollywood couple image. The producers of La La Land also admitted that their on-screen chemistry is unrivaled. In fact, this is not Emma and Ryan's first collaboration; they previously worked together on Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and Gangster Squad (2013).
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The supporting roles in La La Land are absolutely amazing. J.K. Simmons, who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as the devilish teacher in Whiplash, plays the role of bar owner Bill in La La Land. Although his screen time is limited, his portrayal of the cynical character is quite remarkable.
John Legend, the R&B singer-songwriter and pianist who has won nine Grammy Awards, plays the role of Keith, the guitarist who is a friend of the male lead and invites him to join the band in the film. Legend himself performs the song Start a Fire, and when that intro starts, he gets ready to scream.
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Director Damien mentioned the influence of Les Parapluies de Cherbourg(1964) in an interview. He said, "In the first five minutes, I was wondering if every line of dialogue would be sung?" But by the end, Damien was deeply moved by the film and said, "It's close to my heart in a special way."
La La Land indeed reminds people of French director Jacques Demy from the 1960s. His classics Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (1964) and Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (1967) are full of French poetry and sweetness. Because of this love for musical films, La La Land has a deep obsession rooted in its essence. So, if you observe carefully, you will discover numerous surprising designs and Easter eggs throughout the entire movie.
The opening scene on the highway in the movie pays tribute to Alan Parker's famous musical film Fame (1980).
The highway dance sequence in the opening of La La Land was filmed over two days and involved over 100 dancers. The choreography and spectacle of the scene are truly remarkable and make it the most unforgettable and captivating opening of the year.
Mia dreams of becoming a Hollywood actress and attending auditions every day but is constantly interrupted for various funny and frustrating reasons. In her room, there is a giant poster of Ingrid Bergman, which reminds us of the movie Casablanca (1942) starring Bergman: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."
After a failed audition, Mia returned home feeling dejected. Her friends who lived with her decided to take her to a party to lift her spirits. At the party, four American Beauties performed a sexy and adorable street dance. This dance reminded people of the brilliant Broadway director Bob Fosse's Sweet Charity (1969). In Sweet Charity, three friends from a dance troupe also performed a passionate and perfect show in an ordinary neighborhood.
There are many scenes depicting the relationship between Mia and Sebastian. The director uses the form of a musical to visually portray unspoken ambiguity, romantic and moving love, and heart-wrenching quarrels. It delicately and dreamily depicts love, conveying those mischievous, adorable, heartwarming, and harmonious feelings very well.
For example, the dance scene where the main characters dance atop the mountain is Lovely Night Dance. Many viewers have already noticed that Sebastian's action of spinning around with a lamppost pays homage to the classic musical Singin' in the Rain (1952).
Compared to the brief homage to Singin' in the Rain, the design of this dance scene is actually more intriguing, reminding people of a classic romantic musical from the 1930s called Shall We Dance (1937). The male protagonist in Shall We Dance is a talented ballet dancer, but he is not one to follow the rules. He secretly attaches tap plates to his ballet shoes and performs tap dancing brilliantly. A section called Let's Call The Whole Thing Off tells the story of the male protagonist taking the female protagonist to go ice skating, and they start chatting and dancing while sitting down when they get tired.
I also noticed that some film critics believe that this scene pays homage to The Band Wagon (1953). If we only consider the setting, La La Land resembles The Band Wagon. However, considering the specific context and emotional expression, I think the ice skating dance in Shall We Dance is more playful and humorous.
In the movie, Sebastian takes Mia to watch the classic film Rebel Without a Cause (1955), directed by Nicholas Ray and starring James Dean. After watching the movie, the two of them go to Griffith Observatory, which is also the actual filming location for the iconic fight scene in Rebel Without a Cause.
As for the romantic waltz they danced inside the observatory, some say it paid homage to Swing Time (1936), while others claim the silhouette dance resembled Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959). Regardless, both interpretations visually captured the joy of budding love, as if soaring in the sky, and resonated deeply.
In the film's final scene, Sebastian played a piano piece that unfolded a whole new assumption. Their story unfolded like frames of a film reel, filled with flowers and smiles. This last musical dance sequence showcased the most extravagant colors and choreography in the entire movie, radiating an exceptionally dazzling brilliance that simultaneously reflected the harsh reality and unspoken words. Because the premise of this final song and dance number was fake, you will notice that this already whimsical movie becomes even more unrestricted in these last ten minutes. Throughout the entire film, the stage-like atmosphere, initially confined to spotlight effects, transformed into a genuine theater performance.
When it comes to this section, we have to mention the musical film An American in Paris (1951), starring Gene Kelly. I This film has a nearly twenty-minute dance sequence on stage, with hand-painted backdrops and a grand live dance performance. It is smooth and moving, and its imagination is truly impressive. Watching it in its entirety is simply exhilarating and breathtaking. Even from today's perspective, it has stayed the same. You have to remember, this is a movie from half a century ago! Later on, this outstanding musical film won Best Picture at the 24th Academy Awards and was adapted into a stage play on Broadway and London's West End.
All in all, La La Land expresses reality, art, love, and dreams with its elegant and romantic style. Its rhythm is its weapon, and its dance steps are the attack, taking the audience on a visual and auditory feast, a vibrant dream. It evokes the glorious era of musical films, filled with joy and boundless splendor captured on celluloid.
Closing Thoughts
Director Damien expressed his happiness that everyone has seen the classic tributes in La La Land. However, he hopes that what he has done is not just create a gallery with those classic works on display. Instead, he wants to integrate the new and the old into a very humanistic, modern, and distinctively personal way of expression.
As for me, I am extremely grateful for the film La La Land because it is so wise and clever in creating a new era of musical films. It allows the audience to be curious, enjoy, and understand.
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