La La Land and Casablanca: Paragons of Romance
Is “La La Land” the “Casablanca” of Our Time?
Movies, captured by the lens, made from the hearts, and brought to life on screens. How phenomenal and delightful these are. Some bring a smile on your face; some roll a tear. Some make the adrenaline rush; some soothe your emotions. Some hit you hard; some take you through the wonders of life. And what a feat if a single movie encompasses all of these.
La La Land (2016) and Casablanca (1942) are two such masterpieces. Divided by time, united by love. These romantic dramas follow two star-crossed lovers who share a passionate relationship for a time. Since their releases, both films have received critical and widespread acclaim, enticing audiences and critics alike across the globe. Considered as benchmark films, and paragons of their genre, La La Land and Casablanca are known for their masterful craftsmanship and storytelling. Not to mention, the numerous accolades and awards that each of these films won.
Here, in this article, we are going to focus on how La La Land incorporates elements of Casablanca in its story and rightfully earned the title ‘Casablanca of Our Time.’ (Spoilers Ahead)
The Leads do not end up together (but are still supposedly happy…)
In La La Land, Mia and Sebastian end their relationship after Mia gets an acting job for a movie that is shooting in Paris, and Sebastian chooses to stay in Los Angeles. She later gets married to David, with whom she has a cute little daughter. In Casablanca, Ilsa is married to Victor for quite some time, even before she meets Rick in Paris during World War II. But the best part about these relationships is that there is no bitterness among any of the characters. They are all just victims of circumstances. No one has ill-feelings for one another in the end. In fact, David is not even aware of Mia and Sebastian being together. For Rick and Ilsa, they fall in love because of Paris. For Mia and Sebastian, they break-up because of Paris.
The Female Lead and her Husband walk into the Male Lead’s famous cafe
In Casablanca, Rick owns a popular cafe named “Rick’s Café Américain” in the very city of Casablanca. Similarly, in La La Land, Sebastian owns a popular Jazz-themed bar (whose logo Mia designed) called “Seb’s” in Los Angeles. Notice how both the cafes are named after their owners, Rick and Sebastian. They are also located in the same city where the entire film takes place, Casablanca and Los Angeles, respectively. In both the movies, Mia and Ilsa come to this cafe with their husband after a long separation from their former lover, having no idea they are the owners of the cafes.
Casablanca focuses on what happens at the cafe, whereas La La Land is all about what happened before. One can say that La La Land is the flashback sequence from Casablanca shown in detail.
Dreams, Dreams, and Dreams
Both of these stories are about dreams. It is the dreams of the characters which drive the story and deliver the drama. Dreams are what create conflicts and raise obstacles for the characters in the plot. It is Mia’s dream to become an actor, and Sebastian’s to revive and popularize Jazz music for a modern audience. They let go of each other to fulfill their self-perceived destiny, which doesn’t allow them to be together. Similarly, in Casablanca, all Rick, Ilsa, and Victor want is the victory of the Allied forces against the German Reich. Even though Rick is against the cause at first, by the end, this becomes the trio’s life purpose. For the world to be at peace, they let go of everything, including love.
But what is noteworthy is that these films teach us how important dreams are. Despite the sacrifices and challenges they present, it is your dreams that define you and give meaning to your life. Just when the journey seems impossible, having someone who truly cares about you, can bridge the gap between you and your dreams. Sadly, sometimes you might have to leave that person behind. The song “The Fools Who Dream” from La La Land encapsulates the importance of dreams in the best way imaginable.
The Tone of the movies reflects the World at the time they were released
When Casablanca came out in 1942, the world was at war (World War II). And Casablanca is indeed the story of love in times of war. The entire backdrop is of war and patriotism, showcasing the situation of the actual world. All decisions are taken, keeping in mind the welfare and victory of the side you support, at any personal cost. The grim realities of war make way into the lives of our characters, as they did with people across the globe.
On the other hand, La La Land is a surreal fantasy journey. Characters dance, party, and play Jazz. There are dreamy, magical dance sequences that bring out Mia and Sebastian’s feelings. Doesn’t this feel exactly like the 21st century? There are no global problems that require a common person’s full-time dedication. It’s not like the war; you can stay back and work in your air-conditioned offices in the day and party hard that very night. These dream sequences, which are powered by visual effects, also point out the modern filmmaking techniques. Although these themes are never directly mentioned in La La Land, one can safely conclude that it is an old-time story bottled in the modern world with its current problems. It is escapism.
One beautiful soulful song that the two lovers enjoy together
The sublime musical score, along with soulful melodies, makes these films memorable. The music, well in sync with the tone of the movie, quickly immerses the audience, and everything blends in together perfectly. In both the movies, the two lovers have something to remember the good old days forever — a song they cherished and enjoyed together. In La La Land, this song is “City of Stars,” an original duet Sebastian plays to Mia when she returns home. In Casablanca, there is “As Time Goes By,” a song that originally appeared in the 1931 Broadway musical, Everybody’s Welcome. Sam, Rick’s pianist, plays this song for the couple in Paris, and then in the cafe. These beautiful songs became a recognition mark for their respective films. This song represents the moments they had together, and the lives they could have had with one another.
And numerous other references and mentions…
There are several direct references and mentions of Casablanca abound in La La Land. Mia has a massive poster of Ingrid Bergman (who played Ilsa Lund) on her wall (as shown in the first image of the article). We find another poster of Bergman, put up on the street towards the end of the movie. Another direct mention comes when Mia and Sebastian are touring the Warner Bros. backlot where Mia works at a coffee shop. Mia shows Sebastian the window of Rick’s office in his cafe, through which Ilsa and Rick look outside in an emotional scene of Casablanca. After this, Sebastian asks Mia about her ‘Bogart,’ i.e., her boyfriend (Humphrey Bogart played Rick Blaine).
All in all, we can say that Damien Chazelle (Director and Writer, La La Land) conjures up a magical and musical reprise of Casablanca for our generation. Although both are quite different films in certain aspects(locations, settings, music, etc.), the discussed similarities in terms of the storyline cannot be missed by anyone watching carefully. There’s a reason why cinephiles, especially the lovers of the romance genre, revere these two films.
