Introduction
La La Land (2016) is an original America musical, written and directed by Damien Chazelle. The film tells the story of Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz pianist, who fall in love whilst pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles. The film was critically acclaimed, despite only being Chazelle’s second cinematic outing, with his first being Whiplash (2014). Both films assist in establishing Chazelle’s auteuristic style, as they thematically revolve around music and its influence within western culture. When considering the musical element of La La Land, Chazelle demonstrates an admiration for the cinematic style of classical Hollywood musicals, deploying references to older texts throughout the film.
Classical Hollywood refers to the period of the American film industry in which film production had been standardized, allowing cinema to function as a Fordist model. Bordwell explains this, noting that “Hollywood’s mode of production has been characterized as a factory system akin to that used by a Ford plant” (Bordwell et.al. 1985, p.92). By standardizing its production process Hollywood efficiently mass produced entertainment films. To successfully achieve this method of production, Hollywood ensured the use of continuity editing, set design and lighting to create a set of guidelines for films to adhere to. These manufactured films were proven to be highly successful with their audiences, causing the 1930s to be considered as a “golden age” for Hollywood filmmaking (Thompson 1999, p.1). It was during this era, that the Hollywood musical first emerged, coinciding with the arrival of sound. However, the classical Hollywood musicals no longer exists within contemporary cinema, due to ‘Old Hollywood’ evolving into what is commonly referred to as ‘New Hollywood’.
The term ‘New Hollywood’ is most frequently used when describing the collapse of the “studio system” after World War II, marking the end of Hollywood’s “classical” era (Schatz 2003, p.15). Explaining this further, King notes that “New Hollywood has seen a move away from what is defined as the ‘classical style’” (King 2002, p.3). This departure has caused New Hollywood to be considered as a post-classical industry, with the films produced seemingly going “beyond the confines of conventional studio fare in terms of content and style” (ibid. p.13). In comparison to classical Hollywood cinema, this post-classical period was largely characterized by the emergence of film-school educated auteurs who influenced the industry through the creation of ‘high concept’ films. Their influence within cinema allowed directors of ‘New Hollywood’ to obtain an authorial role, differing from the producer-driven system of the past. Resultantly, these films deviated from traditional narrative norms of classical cinema, as an emphasis was placed on plot over character (Schatz 2003, p.29). However, one of the most significant characteristics of this post-classic era was the emergence of postmodernism.
Postmodernism has been widely discussed amongst academics, with theorists such as Collins, Eco and Jameson arguing that “intertextuality is one of the defining characteristics of contemporary ‘postmodern’ cinema” (Henderson 2014, p.130). This notion of referencing and reproducing past culture for contemporary audiences allows postmodern cinema to further be viewed as a pastiche, “an imitation of a previous work or style” (Petridis 2015, p.733). When considering La La Land and the way in which it reimagines the technicolour style and musical motifs of ‘Old Hollywood’, the film can be considered as a form of postmodern cinema which capitalizes on audience’s nostalgia as it marries elements from classical musicals with a modern narrative. However, to fully articulate this debate, I intend on exploring the evolution of the genre from the classical golden age of cinema up until modern day, allowing me to establish the specific conventions which the film utilizes in order to harken back to an older decade. Having detailed the genre and its tropes, I will then articulate the postmodern debate with regards to La La Land, fully exploring its utilization of intertextual references, connoted meaning within the mise-en-scène, and the extent of its originality. I therefore intend for this dissertation to explore whether La La Land is glorified nostalgia, or an attempt to rejuvenate an older form of cinema which has lost its cultural status due to post-classical and postmodern cultures emergence.
1. Classical Hollywood Musicals: The Toe-Tapping Journey to La La Land
Returning to the golden age of classical Hollywood through its consistent referencing, La La Land takes audiences on a nostalgic journey through the history of the American Hollywood musical by utilizing iconography. It’s love and admiration for the genre and films which have come before it is evident through Damien Chazelle’s consistent visual referencing within a post-classical Hollywood. The film demonstrates the effects of postmodern culture on cinema, as it utilizes audiences “nostalgic desire to return to that older period and to live its strange old aesthetic artefacts again” (Jameson 1998, p.8). These postmodern attitudes allow La La Land to both spark and articulate debates surrounding the originality of the film, whilst further questioning the musical genres social relevance today. However, in order to fully understand La La Land’s context within the genre, its musical origins and influences must first be mapped out and explored.
One of cinema’s most widely loved genres is the musical, a film in which the narrative is predominantly advanced through the use of both song and dance performances. Emerging in American culture during the late 1920s, the genre utilized the arrival of sound to create cinematic musicals which were ‘all talking, all dancing, all singing dramatic sensations’ (see Figure 1), which raised the spirits of audiences during the great depression. The success of the genre caused its audience to grow exponentially, before reaching the peak of its popularity during the 1940s, in which “musicals had become a standard fare for neighbourhood theatres” (Schatz 1981, p.186). Due to its vast national appeal coinciding with Hollywood’s mass distribution system, America was able to create a plethora of musicals during the 1940’s, allowing both this decade along with the 1950’s to become a golden age for the crafting of musicals, otherwise known as the golden age of cinema. Throughout this period, MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) dominated the cinematic musical scene, creating various amounts of content, all of which La La Land attempts to emulate. The MGM musicals of this era, were historically created on a broad canvas, depicting hope for the future and nostalgia for the past, a motif which La La Land ensures to structure its narrative upon. However, the classical musicals produced throughout the 40’s and 50’s can further be divided into sub-categories of the genre.
Like many genres, the musical has been sub-categorized since its emergence in cinema, as “studios realized that the musical worked best within certain emotional categories” (Mordden 1981, p.79). On account of this, the films created were placed within sub-genres, such as the dramatic musical and the romantic musical. Neale further notes these sub-genres, listing “‘operetta’, ‘revue’, ‘musical comedy’, ‘musical drama’, ‘the backstage musical’, ‘the rock musical’, ‘the integrated musical’, and so on” (Neale 2000, p.105). This demonstrates the scale of the genre and, as a result, the amount of sub-categories which it contains. By categorizing the genre in this way, directors were able to create musicals which appealed to different target audiences, enabling the genres popularity to grow throughout the 1950’s. La La Land further replicates this, as it hybridizes the sub-genres which were most prominent during this time period. By embracing the hybridization of the genre, the film is able to represent the general musical craze which encapsulated the 50’s and 60’s through its references to multiple sub-genre productions from this era.
When further researching into the history of the genre, the majority of sources name The Jazz Singer (1927) as the first cinematic musical. Unlike theatrical musicals, this Hollywood film gave audiences more colour and diversity than they had previously seen on screen through its lavish, spectacular and unique presentation. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) explicitly references its success, stating that The Jazz Singer is “a sensation, the public are screaming for more” (Singin in the Rain, 1952). However, despite the film being considered as a classic by many, it was not labelled as a musical when it first appeared. The emergence of sound had a large role to play in this, as the term ‘musical’ was constantly used as an adjective, modifying diverse nouns such as comedy, romance, entertainment, attraction and dialogue (Altman 1996, p.277). Despite this, the film was still considered as revolutionary, pioneering the genre and outlining the aesthetic guidelines for which Hollywood musicals would adhere to. This included the grand spectacle of the films through its numerous song and dance numbers, along with the utilization of a celebrity in the lead role. Through this ‘star theory’, musicals were able to market themselves to wide audiences due to their celebrity’s mass appeal. Therefore, The Jazz Singer can be considered as a revolutionary milestone for cinema, as it not only acted as a catalyst for the musical, but also “the genre’s vital relationship with the star system (Al Jolson played the lead)” (Schatz 1981, p.187). When mapping this theory onto the golden age of cinema, its utilization can clearly be seen, as the stars of this era (Gene Kelly, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra) were cast in order to sell musicals to mass audiences (see Figure 2, 3 and 4). Some examples of the most successful film from this period which demonstrate this theory, include Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), On The Town (1949) and Singin’ in the Rain. The posters for these films also incorporate their stars faces in addition to their names, further demonstrating the visual influence of the star within the musical genre. In regards to Gene Kelly, this can be explained as he was most commonly considered a musical performer, allowing audiences to instantaneously recognise the genre from the advertisement of Kelly himself.
Whilst further analysing Singin’ in the Rain, its overt recognition of the influential power that stars pose is referenced accordingly throughout its closing scenes. The final scene of the film involves the two main characters, Dom Lockwood and Kathy Selden, standing in front of the billboard poster for their finished production of Singin’ in the Rain (see Figure 5). The poster itself contains only the film’s title, along with the stars’ names and accompanying photos. By using such a minimalistic design, audience’s attention is instantly drawn towards the stars. Therefore, the film is able to accurately represent Hollywood’s commodification of its star for advisements, further demonstrating the importance of the star theory in relation to the musical.
Much like the film of Hollywood’s past, La La Land incorporates Dyer’s star theorem which is commonly associated with the genre, casting famous twenty-first century actors such as Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and J.K. Simmons (Dyer 1998). However, the differentiating factor between La La Land’s utilization of its stars in comparison to their utilization within older cinematic musicals, is the stars’ association with the genre itself. This differs from La La Land as unlike Kelly, Ryan Gosling’s cinematic work has consisted of both action and romantic dramas, causing his casting in a musical to be unusual to many. However, by casting him in the film alongside other cinematic stars who are also not associated with the genre (Emma Stone), the film is further able to utilize the power of the star and their mass appeal in order to guarantee a predetermined audience due to both actors respected fan bases. The poster for the film demonstrates this concept, using a similarly minimalistic design as the poster shown during the closing scenes of Singin’ in the Rain (See Figure 6). La La Land is therefore able to adhere to the genres specific codes and conventions, whilst also directly replicating and referencing the films which have come before it. Classical Hollywood musicals further demonstrate their utilization of the star’s power whilst examining the trailers released during this period in cinematic history.
Golden age film trailers are immensely different in comparison to the trailers created for cinema today. Traditionally, the musicals of the 1950’s would heavily advertise the inclusion of specific stars within its motion picture, allowing the trailers for these films to be enhanced as a result of the star’s quality. Whilst analysing the trailer for Royal Wedding (1951), it’s blatant utilization of the star’s power can be noted, as large text is displayed over the visuals which reads, “FIVE STARS… and a cast of thousands” (see Figure 7). Not only does this demonstrate the films use of the star theorem, but also emphasises the scale of the cast itself. By doing so, Royal Wedding successfully articulates the concept of spectacle, yet another trope of classical Hollywood productions. The Hollywood musical has always been viewed as a spectacle by audiences, due to the theatrical nature which surrounds it. This concept can be specifically noted when exploring emerging technologies of the 1950’s, such as the evolution of the widescreen production and roadshow cinema.
The 1950’s saw the biggest technological revolution in motion pictures since the birth of the talking picture. In 1953, Twentieth Century Fox released The Robe (1953), the first motion picture to be presented in CinemaScope. Its success led to the birth of the widescreen era, a period in cinematic history which saw Hollywood studios exhibition films in revolutionary new formats. Following the popularity of Twentieth Century Fox’s CinemaScope, studios began creating alternative methods of widescreen production which were more cost efficient in comparison. Examples of these technological advances include VistaVision, Todd-AO and Panavision. In addition to bigger screens, studios also believed they needed to create bigger sound to match. Therefore, stereophonic sound was introduced to immerse audiences further into the films, aiding the spectacular element which surrounded cinema of this period. However, through the adoption of the widescreen format and stereophonic sound, specific genres became associated with their presentation of these technologies, labelling these films as ‘spectacle’. Lev explains this, stating that “several popular genres stressed the power of the image in the 1950s: the musical […], the western […], the biblical epic […], the exotic adventure film […], even the suspense film” (Lev 2007, p.107). A film which evidently articulates this is Seven brides for Seven Brothers (1954), a western musical which incorporated both 70mm film and stereophonic sound (see Figure 8). Since the film hybridizes both the musical and the western, it demonstrates how these genres utilized the invention of widescreen cinema in order to aid the extravagant spectacle which surrounded them. The musical, in particular, was a genre that benefited from this as it enhanced the theatrical, show-like nature of the genre. Similarly, La La Land understands how this presentation of cinema aids the genre as cinematographer Linus Sandgren demonstrates. He ensures that the film is shot on a modern anamorphic Panavision lens on 35mm Kodak film in an attempt to replicate the widescreen methods of production, allowing the film to both capture the tone and genre of classical cinematic musicals. However, he ensured that the films widescreen production was as accurate to CinemaScope as possible, shooting in the widened aspect ratio of 2:55:1. Contemporary films traditionally use a slightly thinner ratio of 2:40:1, meaning that many of the film’s lenses had to be customized for the format. As a result of this, certain shots can be noted as containing visible imperfections. Figure 9 demonstrates this, depicting how the wider classical lens is able to capture more visuals than standard lenses, whilst also causing strong vignetting (loss of light in the corners of the frame) and barrel distortion. When editing these shots for contemporary cinema, these imperfections would traditionally be digitally removed to avoid drawing attention to the camera. However, by leaving these subtle flaws within the shot, the film further harkens back to the classical widescreen productions, which traditionally had a “lo-fi” look.
Through the 1960s and onward, the adaptation of stage material for the screen became the dominant trend in Hollywood, partly due to musicals success in theatres. Films such as, West Side Story (1961), My Fair Lady (1964), The Sound of Music (1965), and Oliver! (1968) demonstrate this, as they were all adapted from Broadway hits and each won an Academy Award for Best Picture. With the arrival of the early 1990s, one of the more successful modern-day musical movements emerged; Disney’s animated musical blockbusters. Under this movement, Disney films such as The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994) were released in rapid succession of one another, amassing an enormous fan base. Although the animated musical film has become a popular route for the genre in recent years, the success of films like Chicago (2002), Rent (2005), Les Misérables (2012) and La La Land seems to indicate that large scale, live action musical productions are still relevant to film today.
La La Land successfully reinvigorates the genre for contemporary audiences by applying a fresh coat of paint to the cinematic musical. It both honours and references the cinema which has come before it, whilst also updating an older form of film for new audiences. Resultantly it has allowed original musicals to become popular with audiences once more, causing its prominence in mainstream culture to emerge. This can be explicitly seen with the creation of The Greatest Showman (2017), a film which was critically panned but commercially well received, demonstrating both the power and popularity that the musical now plays within cinematic culture as a result of La La Land’s success.
2. Postmodern Cinema: “People love what other people are passionate about”
“In recent years some film academics have made claims for a ‘post-classical,’ ‘post-Hollywood,’ or ‘postmodern’ approach to mainstream popular American filmmaking.” (Thompson 1999, p.2)
Emerging from the standardised classical era of Hollywood filmmaking, post-classical cinema offered audiences a new form of film, utilizing postmodern characteristics of pastiche, hyperreality and intertextuality in order to transport audiences back to an older cinematic decade. Further detailing this, Degli-Esposti explains that “postmodern texts are generally concerned with the very act of telling/showing stories and remembering told/shown stories” (Degli-Esposti 1998, p.4). These past cinematic texts are retold to contemporary audiences through the remaking of ‘classical’ films, or most commonly through intertextual referencing within contemporary cinema. By alluding to the films of the ‘Old Hollywood’ system, modern cinema is able to capitalize on audience’s nostalgia for the decade, as “the popular culture of the past, especially film […], now define the present” (Denzin 1991, p.5). When analysing La La Land, it can be viewed as a critical example of postmodern cultures effect on film, utilizing classical cinematic tropes of the genre in an attempt to rekindle audiences love for the traditional Hollywood musical.
Through its stylistic similarities, La La Land pays homage to the work of Jacques Demy and Stanley Donen, steeping the film in Hollywood nostalgia. This notion of visual referencing to nostalgically enhance cinema has been previously noted by Elsaesser whilst discussing the work of Vincente Minnelli (a central director of golden age cinema). He explains that “as with many Hollywood directors, the basic purpose of Minnelli’s handing of visual elements is to encourage audience identification” (Elsaesser 1970, pp. 20-22). When applying this theory to La La Land, its utilization of intertextual references can be viewed as a method of evoking nostalgia amongst viewers, as it transports them back to a beloved era of cinema. This can explicitly be noted when considering the film contemporary setting. Stylistically, it is comparable to the films which emerged from 1950’s Hollywood, drawing further parallels with its characters retro (or vintage) taste in culture. The scene in which Mia requests a rendition of A Flock of Seagulls hit song, ‘I Ran’, from the band that Sebastian is performing with, explicitly demonstrates this (see Figure 10). This particular scene also contains Aha’s classic ‘Take on Me’, yet again exhibiting the films use of nostalgic intertextual references to transport audience back to an older decade.
Figure 10 – Still from La La Land (2016)
Further explaining the postmodern and it use of self-referentiality, Bordwell states that a contemporary film uses “traditional patterns of narrative and style, but it adds a playful knowingness. The film asks viewers to appreciate its masterful use of traditional ‘codes’” (Bordwell 2006, p.7). La La Land demonstrates postmodern cinemas use of classical codes and conventions, as the film re-presents past culture, incorporating classical choreography, cinematography and production design from old musicals. However, by re-presenting cinema in this way, Hollywood’s methods of postmodern filmmaking have demonstrated a lack of innovation for film, as it recycles cinematic content for consumers resulting in a tarnishing of the industry today. When considering the way in which La La Land reproduces classical cinema, it can be considered as utilizing the twentieth century musical style in an attempt to reinvigorate the genre for contemporary audiences.
The musical genre has always been considered a cyclical one, as it phases in and out of cultural dominance. Since the golden age of cinema, the genre has arguably decreased in terms of its cinematic influence, as unoriginal Broadway adapted musicals such as Mamma Mia (2008) and Les Misérables have commanded the contemporary Hollywood musical scene. Whilst discussing the genres lack of originality, Dargis writes that “the only consistent sources for old-fashioned singing and dancing of the Turner Classic Movies kind has been Disney cartoons, television shows like “Glee (2009-2015)” and TCM itself” (Dargis 2016). La La Land’s path to success can therefore be detailed, as its script and songs were conceived solely for cinematic purposes, dissimilar to the adapted Broadway musicals of the twenty-first century. By conceptually telling both an original story with an original score, the film can be viewed as a return to form for the musical genre, along with a further return to the golden age of cinema. Resultantly, many critics have explained that the films originality derives from its nostalgic link to other musicals such as The Broadway Melody, Sunny Side Up (1929), the Astaire-Rodger films and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), Chazelle’s favourite film. Therefore, the films reliance on intertextual references demonstrates an understanding that the genre itself is no longer mainstream as it relies on post-classical and postmodern filmmaking methods in an attempt to save it. When considering the narrative, parallels can be drawn with this concept as Keith (John Legend) attempts to rekindle jazz music, yet another art form which has lost its relevance within society. Similarly, the film seeks to return the musical genre to mainstream culture, by nostalgically reminding audiences of what made golden age cinema so unique. Rather than denying its origins, the film stylistically highlights the tropes of these films and music of this era, applying these aspects of classical Hollywood to a contemporary setting. As a result, the film can neither be placed within the realms of historic or modern reality, thus demonstrating a sense of hyper-reality throughout.
Hyper-reality is defined by Bordwell, explaining that its emergence occurs “when cultural representations […] no longer have a social or human reality against which to verify themselves” (King 1998, p.48). Within the context of La La Land this theory can be noted as the film exhibits hyper-realistic features, distorting the boundaries between what is real and what is fantasy. This is demonstrated through the parameters of the world within the film, as it’s hyper-realistic elements articulate the constructed nature of La La Lands reality. The text therefore relays the theory of simulacra, “a real without origin” (Baudrillard 1983, p.2), as the postmodern era of cinema is merely reconstructed imagery of past cinematic decades, which no longer relates to contemporary culture. This imagined reality can be seen throughout the film, due to its hyper-realistic Los Angeles setting. Mia and Sebastian visit the historic Rialto cinema, despite it being closed for almost a decade, and both characters ride a funicular railway which stopped working in 2013 (see Figures 11 and 12). Both examples manifest the films hyper-realism, as outdated features of Los Angeles are incorporated within a modern narrative, further demonstrating how the film can be considered as a postmodern musical. Therefore, its utilization of pastiche allows La La Land to fuse elements of different historical periods to create a hyper-real world, further demonstrating the films postmodern qualities. However, due to these references to history within the films narrative, this notion of hyper-realism aids the debate concerning postmodern cinemas unoriginal nature.
Whilst analysing the musical numbers within La La Land, its originality can further be explored, due to the films “132-minute runtime, but only 23 minutes and 23 seconds were devoted to singing, or 18% of the movie” (Zauzmer 2017). Comparatively, “in the finished film of Singin’ in the Rain, sixty minutes consist of dance number or songs” (Hess and Dabholkar 2009, p.138). Therefore, La La Land’s inability to craft a similar amount of musical performances in comparison to the golden age films of the genre, demonstrates how postmodern cinema lacks a sense of innovation within its conceptualization of film. As a result, Chazelle’s film can be considered as incomparable to the films which it attempts to embody, due to its apparent unoriginal nature. Consequently, La La Land fails to replicate the creative flare of classical Hollywood’s musicals, rather presenting a nostalgia-driven look at an older form of cinema. Noting this feature of postmodern filmmaking, Jameson explains that the “producers of culture have nowhere to turn but to the past” (Jameson 1993, p.74). Therefore, La La Land’s utilization of the twentieth century musical style argues that the Broadway-driven musical films of modern day have become standard fare for audiences. Further detailing this concept, Barrios argues that “the film knows and uses its origins, yet has enough self-awareness and guts to stretch past the notion of simply a rehash of a glorious past” (Barrios 2017, p.251-252) Resultantly, the film has an uneasy relationship with nostalgia, as it utilizes classical intertextual references to some of the genres greatest cinematic moments, subverting audience’s expectations during the final act.
Despite paying homage to ‘Old Hollywood’ and the golden age cinema from this era, La La Land successfully manages to capture the soul of the genre, using the idea of dreams and fantasy to relay a social commentary on reality. Through its reimagining of the traditional technicolour Hollywood style and musical motifs, the film marries elements of the classical musical with a grounded reality, bringing contemporaneity to musical storytelling. The narrative of the film most obviously demonstrates a sense of originality, as it does not conform to the classical Hollywood structure. Henderson details this narrative evolution, stating that “the classical/postclassical debate has effectively been reduced to an opposition between narrative coherence and narrative erosion in Hollywood cinema” (Henderson 2014, p.107). Traditionally the Hollywood musical would “end upon a note of harmony – concluding with an actual marriage or some celebratory function” (Sutton 1981, p.194). However, La La Land contains an absence of this ‘fairy-tale’ ending, demonstrating how postmodern cinema is still able to create original content which defies audience’s expectations. The conclusion of the film, thereby juxtaposes the notion of an idyllic old Hollywood with the idea that success comes at a high cost. Further explaining this, Sutton states that “dreams can be realised, but only within the framework of accepted values. In other words, one paradox is dispensed with in favour of another” (Ibid. p.196). Therefore, this concept of realism within postmodern cinema yet again demonstrates its ability to produce original texts, as La La Land articulates.
Discussing the aesthetics of Hollywood musicals, Telotte explains that the “reality of emotions” within musicals are given “metaphoric and symbolic expression through means of music and dance”. He then explains that in order to “craft a successful musical […], this ‘other’ reality must be properly wedded to the normal world from which it derives” (Telotte 2002, p.48). When mapping this concept onto La La Land, it’s realistic approach to musical numbers allow the film to ground a sense of realism into highly stylised sections of narrative. Chazelle specifically opts for his actor’s performances to replicate this theme throughout the fantasy sequences, meaning that “in the musical sequences, Gosling and Stone sing and dance like ‘real people,’ not Kelly or Crosby or Garland or Charisse” (Barrios 2017, p.252). By allowing Mia and Sebastian to connote realism through the musical numbers themselves, the film further demonstrates its adhesion to the characteristics of ‘New Hollywood’ filmmaking and postmodern cinema, despite its apparent original nature.
To conclude this chapter, La La Land understands and weaponises nostalgia, allowing the final moments of the film to effectively impact audiences. It can therefore be seen as displaying postmodern characteristics, drawing on motifs from ‘Old Hollywood’ and classical culture in order to tell a contemporary narrative. By utilizing these codes and conventions to depict a realistic modern story, the film indulges in replicating its cinematic influences. As a result, debates concerning postmodern filmmaking’s unoriginal nature emerge, as La La Land arguably gets lost in its nostalgic features. The films postmodern nature can notably be seen when considering its intertextual references, which are heavily embedded throughout, transporting audiences back to an older decade of both cinema and culture. Therefore, by further analysing the film, its position within a postmodern framework can be fully understood, as its post-classical characteristic of self-referentiality is one of the foundations that has led to its success.
3. Intertextuality: The all Talking, all Singing, all Dancing Musical Spectacular
“Chazelle deploys his references with great care: The Day-Glo-in-song vibe of Umbrellas, as well as the doomed romance of A Star Is Born (1954) and Martin Scorsese’s fascinating New York, New York (1977); ‘Dancing in the Dark’ from The Band Wagon (1953), scenes from other Minnelli films and echoes of Cover Girl (1944), Singin’ in the Rain, Funny Face (1957), and even a dancing-in-the-sky bit copped from the lesser-known Astaire title, The Belle of New York (1952).” (Barrios 2017, p.252)
In recent years, contemporary Hollywood cinema has become well known for its extensive use of referencing in several forms. Whether it’s directors referencing other films they admire, thematic references or most commonly easter eggs which reference other films in a studios collection, the use of intertextual references have dominated mainstream productions (see Figures 13, 14 and 15). By referencing other films and capitalising on audience’s nostalgic emotional connections to past cinema, contemporary Hollywood is able to use semiotics in order to strengthen the emotion pull of its narratives. La La Land notably demonstrates this throughout, with its constant references to a specific period of time within a specific genre. Director Damien Chazelle, weaves his references into the core fabric of the film as he notes the prior achievements of the genre. Whilst explaining this form of referencing within musical productions, Barrios explains that “by noting their prior achievements, they find ways to move into the future, which is partly why Singin’ in the Rain remains so special, Chicago so successful, and La La Land so gratifying.” (Barrios 2017, p.257).
The historical resonance that surrounds La La Land can be seen when considering the cinematic technologies which the film used, as they allowed the film to adhere to the conventions of the golden age cinematic musicals such as the utilization of CinemaScope. The film immediately sets this tone during its opening sequence, in which the summit logo is imagined as if it was released during the 40’s or 50’s, beginning in black-and-white within a smaller screen ratio (see Figure 16). This then expands until the entire widescreen ratio is reached, whilst also dissolving into the classic CinemaScope logo in colour. Discussing this further, Barrios notes “La La Land opens with the logo for CinemaScope, the widescreen process first used in 1953 and discontinued in 1967. It was shot in 35mm in the same ratio, 2.55 to 1, as were such early CinemaScope productions as The Robe, How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), and the first musical shot in the process, Lucky Me (1954)” (Barrios 2017, p.255). Despite this, the film was in fact shot on film with Panavision equipment in a widescreen format, rather than digital (much like early CinemaScope productions). Therefore, the opening of the film which boasts its presentation in the famous format, was used as a tribute to the musicals of the 1950s (see Figure 17 and 18). By doing so, audience are instantly transported back to the cinematic golden ages, and are then expecting more conventional references to films from this era.
La La Land’s resemblance to classical, golden age Hollywood musicals can further be seen throughout its opening sequence. One of the key features of golden age musicals was their use of an opening credits sequence (see Figure 19). These would most commonly consist of the film’s title, stars and production companies involved, all of which would be accompanied by a fanfare of music from the film itself. Most commonly the title of the film was presented in an overtly unique yellow font, allowing the genre to solidify this feature as one of its conventions throughout the cinematic golden age of Hollywood. As Figure 20 demonstrates, La La Land references the infamous title cards of the classic musicals, using a large font in similar colours to recreate the title cards of films such as Singin’ in the Rain. Another convention of the genre which La La Land ensured that it payed homage to, was ‘The End’ card which would traditionally appear during the closing moments of the film (see Figure 21). Much like the title card, Singin’ in the Rain was an example of a classical musical which used this credit, demonstrating the standardisation of both the title and closing cards during the golden age of Hollywood musicals (see Figure 22). La La Land also ensured that it included ‘Made in Hollywood, U.S.A.’, yet another traditional feature of the classical musical. By including this fact in the credits, the films demonstrate the popularity of the American cinematic musical during the 1950’s.
Whilst analysing the film further, Chazelle’s core inspiration can be noted as he displays his love and admiration for international cinema, specifically French film throughout. He uses mimicking techniques in order to replicate imagery from classical films such as Le Balloon Rouge (1956) and Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (1967) (see Figures 23 and 24). The film can be seen as further depicting Chazelles passion for French imagery when considering its visual replication of past Hollywood films which contain scenes specifically shot in France. Funny Face can notably be paralleled with a section of the Epilogue, in which Mia stands on a film set in front of the Arc de Triomphe, holding a bunch of coloured balloons (see Figure 25 and 26). By intertextually referencing other forms of cinema in this way, La La Land is able to adhere to a similar aesthetic, spirit and core sensibility of these films, using similar shot compositions and framing in order to mirror scenes from past cinema. The most evident example of this concept is the films underlying similarities, both visually and thematically, with the French classical musical, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. In addition to being Chazelles favourite film, both are thematically similar as their narratives parallels one another. Both films follow two young people who love each other, but grow apart as they mature and realize that sacrifices have to be made in order to succeed in life. It is therefore through the films negotiation between dreams and reality, along with its combination of fantasy and realism which allows it to thematically resemble classical musical cinema such as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Parallels can further be drawn between La La Land and classical Hollywood productions when considering the connoted meaning behind the song and dance routines, as specifically detailed when analysing “A Lovely Night”.
Whilst also being a technical masterclass in filmmaking, the scene demonstrates the way in which musical numbers are able to advance narratives and further explore characters’ relationships with one another. As the scene begins, both Mia and Sebastian are presented to the audience as a bickering couple whose dialogue suggests a lack of romantic chemistry. However, as they begin to sing and dance with one-another, the audience are given visual cues which suggest an underlying connection between the two characters. This can be directly compared to Top Hat’s (1935) “Isn’t This a Lovely Day (To Be Caught in the Rain)”, which also uses the same concept of an arguing couple whose song and dance details their infatuation with one another. Therefore, La La Land demonstrates its ability to weave references to classical Hollywood cinema into its narrative. In addition to its similar connotative characteristics, “A Lovely Night” can be seen as paying visual homage to golden age musicals, specifically “Dancing in the Dark” from the The Band Wagon. Both musical numbers take place outdoors, with a dazzling view of the city behind the characters (see Figures 27 and 28). La La Land explicit replication of this scene can be noted when considering the inclusion of both the park bench and lamppost, with the lamppost itself being a further replication to the infamous shot from Singin’ in the Rain (see Figures 29 and 30). These constant references to classical cinema allow La La Land to demonstrate its postmodern characteristics as it thrives off its own nostalgic nature. When considering traditional tropes of the musical itself (specifically the ending), this can be detailed.
Discussing tropes of the genre, Hess and Dabholkar state that “every Hollywood musical had a big production number, usually located at the end of the film, to send the viewer home with a bounce” (Hess and Dabholkar 2009, p.154). Films such as Hello Dolly (1969) demonstrate this during the closing moments of the film, as Dolly is greeted with a grand song and dance routine at her wedding (see Figure 31). La La Land ensures the inclusion of this classical trope, ending the film with a seven-and-a-half-minute instrumental epilogue (see Figure 32). This epilogue is, in itself, is yet another trope of golden age filmmaking which is no longer used in contemporary cinema, the inclusion of the dream ballet.