La La Land

La La Land (Damian Chazelle, 2016) is a musical romance film in which two struggling artists meet each other, fall in love and encourage the other in their pursuit of their dream. Emma Stone plays Mia, a waitress at a cafe on a film studio lot, surrounded by reminders of stars she loves but unable to achieve their success as an actress in her own right, constantly ignored and rejected at auditions, whilst opposite her is Ryan Gosling’s Sebastian, a cynical musician who believes the world has turned against pure jazz and longs to re-educate them by opening his own jazz bar in homage to the legends of the past. Both eventually achieve their dreams, though at the cost of their love.

I have watched quite a few musical films, and am therefore used to the random bursting into song; however, I am not used to prolonged abstract sequences, which I remember confusing me the first time I watched this film a few years ago. When I sat down to re-watch it, I loved the over-the-top opening number and generally the introduction of the characters in the traffic jam was very enjoyable, as was the build-up of Mia and Sebastian’s relationship. When I first watched the film, I felt annoyed, disappointed and maybe even betrayed that I had invested into this relationship as a viewer, watched a prolonged montage of the way their life together could have played out only to have Mia walk out of the bar and them not end up together. Part of my expectation of the ‘happy, end up together’ ending probably stems from my experience of the genre, so it was interesting to see this subverted once I was prepared for the ending on this viewing and on reflection, I feel it suits the film well and shows that success of one kind does not always mean success or fulfilment of another. Then again, I also like to view the character of Mia as fulfilled with her new life and just nostalgic for the past rather than ending up dissatisfied and with the ‘wrong guy’.

Whilst I do like the characters together and the actors have great chemistry, I do see some issues with the character of Sebastian. As a white man, it is perhaps problematic that he is the one trying to educate us as the audience and characters in the film about pure jazz, and looks down on his friend for tainting the genre, or selling out by combining it to form a newer style. I don’t know enough about jazz myself or how other people may respond to the portrayal in this film, but it is worth pointing out as a reason the film has received some criticism.

Overall, I enjoyed the film more watching the second time around and being prepared for the ending, although it still lost me at times, such as the extended sequence in the observatory(?) when Mia and Sebastian are floating around the room. I personally don’t think that adds much to the film, but it is definitely out-weighed with sequences more rooted in reality. I think the film is a nice homage to Hollywood, though I can see why critics think the film is Hollywood being a bit too self-indulgent.

Unconventional Auteur: Casablanca

In the Golden Age of Hollywood, studios had such a strong influence and each had its own signature style that certain films are recognisable as the film of a particular studio. This is true of Casablanca, a film by Warner Bros and which is largely characteristic of the studio’s realism in films. Therefore, Warner Bros’ input on the film could be considered ‘auteur-like’, even though the term is more typically associated with directors.

Warner Bros’ focus on realism is reflected in Casablanca‘s wartime setting, despite the storyline of romance. Jack Warner, joint-head of the studio, pushed for realistic and political films and the power of his influence is evident when looking at the output of the studio at the time. He had a firm political agenda with Casablanca, as he was an advocate for America joining WWII, so produced a film that was sympathetic towards the Resistance, embodied by Victor Laszlo in this film. Laszlo is a fairly uncomplicated character and is presented as a dedicated hero, who is even willing to sacrifice his escape for his wife.

Rick, however, is more complex and reflects Warner Bros’ realism in both action and appearance. The studio was known for having less overtly attractive actors, with a feeling of ‘guy-next door’ about actors such as James Cagney and Edward Robinson. Similarly, Bogart was relatively old and plain-looking with a heavy New York accent that stood out from the common Mid-Atlantic accent of the time. He became known for his roles in Warner Bros gangster films, proving the control that studios had over their stars, as they could market them in particular ways and create typecasts that they could use to their advantage in their next films. For example, Rick’s outfit in the airplane scene pays homage to his gangster roles because he wears a suit, hat and coat with a turned up collar and Warner Bros uses this outfit to show-off Bogart’s film star persona.

Most studios at the time had a stable of stars from which they drew their leading cast members for each film. Whilst Warner Bros did not have a set stable, they still contracted stars for a certain number of films and maximised them in every one. Therefore, in Casablanca, as in other films, the stars are clearly displayed and glamourised throughout, because Warner Bros was utilising their unique ‘assets’. This can be seen in the catch lights on Ingrid Bergman’s character Ilsa throughout the film and the camera favouring her in the scene between Ilsa and Sam at the piano. The focus remains on Bogart in one of his scenes with the Nazi major and Captain Renault, even as he is leaving the table and the other two remain seated, the camera follows him, showing the importance of stars to the studios and their brand, making them distinct from one another.

Although directors were not as artistically important during the Golden Age of Hollywood, certain directors were still associated with different studios and contributed to their house style. In the case of Warner Bros, Mervyn Le Roy and Michael Curtiz were regular directors that they used who carried out their vision, evident in Casablanca directed by Curtiz. Another name associated with Warner Bros was composer Max Steiner, who uses his non-diegetic composed score in Casablanca to manipulate the audience according to who Warner Bros wants them to sympathise with. Whenever the Nazi characters are shown, the score takes a sinister turn, particularly noticeable during the arrival of the Nazi major at the airport towards the end. As Steiner composed over 100 scores for Warner Bros, his music significantly contributed to their style, even composing their signature fanfare that is heard at the start of Casablanca.

A key part of Warner Bros’ house style was short, rapid dialogue and Casablanca also conforms to this aspect of the style. In the scene where Ilsa has gone to Rick to beg for the letters of transit, their exchanges are snappy, creating a sense of heightened emotion. Warner Bros were also known for their urban settings, and Casablanca makes the foreign city its setting, providing exoticism for the audience and an urban setting which matches their house style.

Casablanca is typical of a Warner Bros film in many ways: it features regular contributors in the actors Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, composer Max Steiner and director Michael Curtiz, all of whom became associated with the studio as did their artistic choices, merging them into the house style. Jack Warner himself had a particularly strong influence over the studio as its head and this can be reflected in its films of the time, including the political and realistic Casablanca. Therefore, whilst the term is not typically applied to businesses, the studio Warner Bros could be considered an auteur, due to its distinctive and recognisable style and Casablanca could be considered a product of this auteur.