![]() Speaking of La La Land, he said, "These are characters who - and every character in the movie to a certain extent - has to negotiate the balance between dreams and reality." Chazelle discussed this theme in La La Land shortly after the film premiered, using similar language he used to describe The Umbrellas of Cherbourg's combination of fantasy and realism. La La Land is free of dramas like war and unplanned pregnancies, but at its heart, it's about two young people who love each other but grow apart once their naivety wears off and they realize life requires tradeoffs. That description might on the surface sound nothing like La La Land, a film about modern day Los Angeles and two people trying to make it in show business. Guy is happily married and has finally realized his dream of opening up his own gas station, a dream he had discussed with Geneviève.Īt its heart, it's about two young people who love each other but grow apart once their naivety wears off and they realize life requires tradeoffs. Geneviève, no longer a young girl, is dressed in furs and has the trappings of a rich woman. In a flash forward at the end, however, the couple meet again by chance at the gas station Guy now owns. But with the distance, and the baby on the way, Geneviève decides to take a more "responsible" path and marry a wealthy jeweler at her mother's bidding. Before he departs, they promise to love each other forever, and she says she will wait for him. ![]() She falls in love with Guy, a mechanic, and unknowingly becomes pregnant by him the night before he must leave for war in Algeria. (Feel free to come back to this post after.)įor the uninitiated, here is a quick synopsis of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, which was Catherine Deneuve's breakout role and which employs an entirely sung dialogue: 17-year-old Geneviève works at a colorful umbrella shop with her mother. If you have not seen The Umbrellas of Cherbourg but loved La La Land, I suggest you stream the French film ASAP. The films may be of a different time and place, but both The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and La La Land use jazz music, saturated colors, and the eschewing of a neat, happy ending to bring to life a rich and realist presentation of young love. Watching La La Land, I couldn't help but notice references to The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, whether they were intentional Easter eggs, stylistic choices, or plot points that left me with the same overwhelming emotions. You could say the same thing about Chazelle's La La Land. The film is a colorful masterpiece that will leave you heartbroken. The quote resonated with me, as I've seen The Umbrellas of Cherbourg at least a dozen times and can remember the emotional impact of the first time I saw it as a teenager. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and La La Land use jazz music, saturated colors, and the eschewing of a neat, happy ending to bring to life a rich and realist presentation of young love.
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