Skip to content 
by Juan Carlos Ojano
Ten years later and the opening sequence of LA LA LAND is still amazing.LA LA LANDDamien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning techno ode to cinema, jazz and dreamers returns to theaters this year to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Many Oscar fans will remember this movie as the movie that nearly won Best Picture. moonlightAs a result, the Oscars snafu ended all awards snafus. However, his legacy goes beyond talking awards. Because of how the cinematic landscape and audiences have changed since its release, the film is a powerful reminder that the best movie experiences are still in theaters…
While my response to the film has changed since this viewing—from insatiable passion to sublime adoration—one thing that remains to this day is my awe at its world-building. Although set in modern times, the film is two steps away from grounded realism and towards the glitz of old Hollywood. The result is not just a hollow pastiche, but a moving echo of the emotional undercurrents contained in its protagonists, aspiring actress Mia and disillusioned musician Sebastian.
Both dreamers are based in Los Angeles, the land where the classics were born A rebel without a cause and murderersFighting for their dreams in a city crowded with like-minded people. You can pinpoint the movie references that complement the movie where Chazelle mentions similar movies. Umbrellas of Cherbourg and A song in the rain as an inspiration. However, the film also highlights the rosy nostalgia these two seem to have for how these two characters relate to the past.
Sebastian’s relationship with the past is more clearly stated. He’s an oral purist, reminiscing about classic jazz musicians, reveling in the authenticity of jazz music, and lamenting what has happened since. Then he gets sidetracked when a former colleague offers him stable employment in exchange for the modern sound of his favorite genre. As this fellow says to his face, “You’re holding on to the past, and jazz is about the future.” His final deal with this deal puts him with Mia, getting to know her and seeing it as a betrayal of who he is and his dreams.
Mia’s connection to her past is more formalized than Sebastian’s, but still plays a crucial role in shaping her into the dreamer she has become. He recalls watching old movies in a library near his home, which led to his desire to act in Los Angeles as a young man. And during his crucial audition, which marks his breakthrough, he talks about his aunt who lived in Paris and how she inspired him to become a fool who dreams. In turn, accepting this project ended her relationship with Sebastian.
The parallel pasts of these characters converge, resulting in conflicts that paved the way for their futures. In this respect, the world building of the film makes sense. With Oscar-winning cinematography by Oscar-winning Linus Sandgren and David Vasco and Sandy Reynolds-Vasco, and production design by David Vasco and Sandy Reynolds-Vasco, the influences of the past that shadow the visual language of the current film come to life. With a sweeping score and cinematography by Justin Hurwitz, it’s a thrilling speculation about how the past haunts the present.
It’s even in the film’s climax, when Mia and Sebastian see an alternate life when they look back. But the film doesn’t settle for imitation. In fact, the film undergoes a subtle deconstruction of this nostalgia. The colors of the film’s explosion become more muted as we approach the end. In fact, compare the first scene (sunny, vibrant colors) to the final scene (blacks and blues) and you’ll see the trajectory of this impressive world building. Just look at these shots:
Such is my love for the world Chazelle has created – with his visuals and music – that I even made this video with a few collaborators in 2017:
how are you feeling La La LandTen years after the original release? Also, which movie world would you like to be in? I don’t expect anyone to answer lard or The Texas Chainsaw MassacreBut please let me know your answers.
