But director Damien Chazelle has made improvements to this tradition, the most obvious is the "twist" at the end, introducing the concept of "parallel time and space" that has been popular in sci-fi films in the past ten or twenty years, subverting the traditional tradition of flat and straightforward narrative in singing and dancing films ; and in "The Dream of the Stars", the proportion of the singing part is reduced (unlike the previous musicals and dances that sing after a few lines of dialogue, or the form that sings from beginning to end like "Qushuiyiren"), The richness of music types (from jazz to pop with electronic elements) will also make it easier for today's young audience to enter and accept. These improvements by director Damien Chazelle are a bit like the way the Messengers (led by Keith, played by John Legend) in the film make jazz more popular and more popular than the "older generation" might listen to; and The musical film that had already "sunset" and was on the decline in the morning was rejuvenated in the hands of Damien Chazelle, and confirmed in reality the dialogue mentioned by the screenwriter in the film (it seems to be played by the director himself)—— "Me" is very popular right now, and everyone is talking about "me" movies.
Of course, what director Damien Chazelle pursued in "The Dreamer" is different from the way the "Messenger" band "locked" electronic pop music to improvised jazz. He "releases" the more traditional, doesn't mind letting them "run", sometimes colliding with the "modern" (phone ringing interrupts tributes to 1937's "Shall We Dance" and 1953's "Shall We Dance" The tap dance in The Band Wagon), like jazz musicians playing, with a sense of conflict but compromise. In addition, there is another point worth exploring in "The Dream of the Stars", which is its main "value". It does not focus on the "meaning" of dialogue or content like many movies today. The scene scheduling, composition, and use of color try to give us a thought and emotional impact from the lens language, soundtrack or nostalgic "form".
The famous literary critic Susan Sontag wrote in "Against Interpretation and Other Essays": "In some good films, there is often a kind of candor that completely frees us from the desire to interpret. Many old Hollywood films, such as George Cukor, Howard Hawks, and countless others share this liberal, anti-symbolic quality, and their work, while superficial, is no less than the best of European art film directors. ".
Damien Chazelle's "The Dreamer", seems to have the same kind of writing by Susan Sontag, the directness of Hollywood movies in the past, its emphasis on audio-visual, tending to the sufficiency of form rather than the sufficiency of reality; But this does not mean that it is a movie with empty content. On the contrary, the nostalgic form of "The Dreamer of the Stars" has become an emotional "supplement" that can evoke the memories of the audience. And musical films are sometimes dreamlike and detached from reality, which is in line with the connotation of the film's title ("La La Land" refers to the city of dreams - LA), or with the protagonist in pursuit of his dreams, ignoring reality, It fits the plot of "La La Land", which is fully devoted to yourself. Damien Chazelle wisely picked this, a form that perfectly expresses what he wants to say, and that form goes hand in hand with the content of the story, and in fact, form is an important part of what this movie wants to express!
The film "The Dream of the Stars", as mentioned earlier, will use images and music to extend beyond the dramatic plot. The opening song and dance performance on the highway, in addition to explaining that young people from all over the world go to LA to pursue their dreams like the protagonists, or jump out of the reality under their feet, it also brings the vitality of the city, The heat (still so hot in winter), showed. A reviewer who has lived in LA wrote: "(This film) every scene is accessible and intimate... It makes people know at a glance that it is indeed Los Angeles, the film is filmed for you to see, but the tone is different. The beauty is lively and harmonious, without the slightest feeling of clutter.” In this film, director Damien Chazelle captured the dream and reality of LA. He successfully transformed this characteristic of the city into a portrayal of "life is like a dream, a dream is like life"; The "enhancing" effect of the image makes LA no longer an unimportant background in the film, but a pivotal "character" in it.
The singing and dancing "Dream of the Stars" reflects not only the well-choreographed opening scene on the viaduct, but also the sharp editing and excellent photography in the Christmas pool party with reference to "Boogie Nights", from the crowd jumping from the pool to the fireworks. To director Damien Chazelle's virtuosity; the film pays homage to the scenes in Singin' in the Rain, Funny Face, Le ballon rouge, An American in Paris, Broadway Melody of 1940 and more In the ending, Damien Chazelle uses stage scenes, silhouettes, home videos, or Broadway style to present the charm of the combination of video and music (and instead of dialogue to tell the story), which also highlights its brilliant technique. In addition to the relaxed and relaxed "Stars and Dreams", the larger-scale singing and dancing scenes bring us visual stimulation, Emma Stone's "The Fools Who Dream" sang in the last audition in the film, there is no flower Against the background of clever elements (just use the light and shade of the light and the rotation of the lens to create an atmosphere), it has a strong appeal. However, in the Griffith Observatory, which should be used to sublimate the emotions of the hero and heroine in the film, in the scene of the two being weightless (like the famous weightless scene in "Solaris" that represents the "climax" of the hero and heroine), they fly into the starry sky and dance in silhouette , but it is reminiscent of "007"... No, it should be the opening title of "Domestic Lingling Paint" singing the theme song. The effect is slightly rough and unsatisfactory. , out of place.
Even so, this work, which is structurally imitated by "The Yiren in Qiushui" (all films are divided into different seasons), still has the possibility of becoming a new musical classic. The script written by director Damien Chazelle himself, although there is not much new ideas, the portrayal of the characters is still careful, and the echoes before and after the story will be adequate, just like when the heroine Mia appeared on the elevated road, only reading the script, not ignoring it. The scene where she knows she will block traffic and then unapologetically raises her middle finger to the male protagonist shows her self-righteous character in order to achieve her dreams regardless of everything else. Many viewers are stunned by the separation of the male and female protagonists at the end, but in fact, the film has already laid the groundwork at the beginning. Mia is a person who is willing to sacrifice love for her dreams. The man she finally chooses may be a director or a movie The executives of the company will more easily help them achieve their dreams. The male protagonist Sebastian once thought he was a "serious musician", but he was forced into reality, for love, he had to put down his figure, join the "Messenger" band, and even posed for the request of the photographer of "MOJO" magazine. Strange expressions and postures make people laugh; from these plots, the movie highlights Sebastian's character. He is a person who can take care of his lover's feelings and sacrifice his dreams for love, just the opposite of the heroine Mia. So it's hard for the two to get together. They finally looked at each other and nodded in the bar opened by Sebastian, which reminded me of the ending of "Autumn Shui Yiren" - the male and female protagonists who have already married each other, in a gas station (also by a male The scene of the re-encounter (operated by the protagonist) is similar to the end of this film, it is all clicked, but it leaves endless sighs.
The regret left from this love story in the movie "The Dreamer of the Stars" reinforces the feeling of loss that it already had before it. Through this work, director Damien Chazelle expresses the "staleness" of jazz, the passing of Hollywood's golden age, or the old movie theater that even showed "Rebel Without a Cause". The sigh of closing. When the heroine Mia was sitting in the restaurant and listening to her friends at the same table criticize the facilities of the traditional cinema and the behavior of the audience, she soon left and ran to the old cinema where "The True Story of A Fei" was being shown. The arrangement of the plot not only expresses Mia's obsession with the male lead, but also implies Damien Chazelle's choice and preference for "tradition". He made Mia wear a classic dark green costume, and in the subsequent Griffith Observatory scene, he used the castle-colored lights similar to "The Wizard of Oz"; followed by the hero and heroine. In his love nest, he continued to pay tribute to "The Wizard of Oz" with a curtain of green light, and created a mysterious and romantic scene like "Vertigo"... Director Griffith Observatory With the use of these sophisticated colors, he has already revealed his affection for classic movies and "tradition". He even referred to "An American in Paris" and "Singin' in" for the "play within a play" at the end. The approach of "old-fashioned" musicals such as "The Rain" has both the novelty of "twisting" and the essence of tradition. It is a pity that at a time when there are no "masters" and comic hero movies are flooding the screen, it is difficult for "classics" to appear, and everything can't be restored. The farewell of the male and female protagonists in this film is also the director's farewell to the glorious past of Hollywood. With Sebastian's "Epilogue" and the lonely back accompaniment, it makes people feel even more emotional.
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