The Similarities between West, Banham, and La La Land
Over the past few weeks, our class read Day of the Locust by Nathanael West and Reyner Banham's Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies. Through many class dialogues, we discussed themes in each book. For Day of the Locust, we used the text to discuss and discover the dynamics of relationships between the characters in the novel (example: Faye and Tod) as well as the ways in which West viewed Los Angeles. For Los Angeles: the Architecture of Four Ecologies, we discussed Banham's view of Los Angeles and its architecture. While watching La La Land today in class, I saw many that related to each book.
These are my questions. What similarities do you see between La La Land and each book? Do any relationships in La La Land relate to any we discovered in Day of the Locust? How does Damien Chazelle, the director of La La Land, view Los Angeles? Is that view similar to either West or Banham?
These are my questions. What similarities do you see between La La Land and each book? Do any relationships in La La Land relate to any we discovered in Day of the Locust? How does Damien Chazelle, the director of La La Land, view Los Angeles? Is that view similar to either West or Banham?
Both texts and the movie that we watched focused on many similar themes. La La Land and Day of the Locust both focused heavily on the relationships in LA and how they can affect the overall achievement of goals in such a hostile and non-stop environment. Banham focused on the architecture and ecologies in Los Angeles. One of the main locations where the relationship between the two main characters in La La Land were strengthened was the Griffith Observatory, a place dedicated to discovering ideas which may not seem real. Los Angeles is such a vast and dense city, yet three different sources of information were able to pinpoint certain aspects of LA that can tell the city's story on their own.
ReplyDeleteOn the outside, La La Land can look like a classic love story that ends in career happiness for both parties involved, but, like Christian stated in class, there are undertones of superficiality in the movie. Just as Faye uses her suitors to achieve what she wants, it seems as though Mia did the same thing with Sebastian. I'm not denying that they ever loved each other, but I do think that she used their relationship and his drove fro success to giver her an extra step to catapult her career forward. I think that Chazelle was able to pick out the beauty in LA that he wanted to portray in his movie, just as Banham does, but he also shows the superficiality in Los Angeles (especially in the audition scenes) like West did.
I agree with this post in the fact that there are many similarities between La La Land and each of the books we have examined deeply this year (Banham and West). Some of the similarities that I have witnessed between La La Land and Reyner Banham's "Los Angeles The Architecture of Four Ecologies" is the feeling that both parties are extremely focused on displaying the beautiful, artistic best parts of Los Angeles. I feel as Banham loved everything about LA, Chazelle would also contest to the beauty of the city. The reasoning behind my belief of this is because of the fact that he shows very rarely if all any of the bad parts of LA in the movie. We as the viewer are always somewhere nice either whether it be at an extravagant Hills mansion the set of Warner Bro's or at extremely nice Jazz clubs. As for how West would have viewed the movie, I believe that he would have stated that the entire movie was filled with a lot of extra flare! He would have laughed in the scenes that depicted the typic wealthy new LA night goer that was using a bunch of big words to describe minimalistic things. In class today I also tried to share how I saw Faye and the Mia in the same light in the fact the they both used people to enable them to get where they wanted to go in their life.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that most of the similarities exist between La La Land and Day of the Locust; both book and movie portray the superficiality of Los Angeles and the difficult path to success in Hollywood. The movie used scenes such as the extravagant parties and the facade of fame (movie posters, fake palm trees) to show what people expect from the city. In his novel, West depicts Los Angeles as a place where people come to fulfill their dreams but never do, where every part of the city might just be another part of a Hollywood set.
ReplyDeleteI think much of the relationship between Tod and Faye is mirrored in the relationship between Mia and Sebastian: each of them came to Los Angeles for a specific goal, but their paths to success do not include each other. Faye knows that sleeping with Tod will not get her anywhere, and while Tod may think he needs her, his own success as an artist does does not depend on his winning over Faye. Mia and Sebastian were both on the same unsatisfied, lost LA path, but when they found their separate ways, their paths never intersected again, and that is the sad truth of the city: you can never have it all.
Like said in response to the first question, I think the director of La La Land views Los Angeles through a lens similar to that of West.
I saw strong similarities between Lala Land and both Los Angeles The Architecture of Four Ecologies and Day of locust. To some extent, Lala Land felt to be the visual aid to both books. I have now seen the film three times, but trying to viewing from the perspective of these authors, rallied a variety of questions and inconclusive answers. With the eyes of Banham, I saw the dreamy urban views and picture perfect sunsets, lavish parties with huge pools and majestic homes. The architectural diversity and eclectic mix of geographic, paint the dreamy stereotyped people, like Banham, crave and expect. In the beginning, Mia seems to heavily trust this mirage of LA. I analyzed the characters with West in mind. They found it best to chase their "dreams" and go in different directions, but by the end of the movie it seemed as though they were acting the lives they expected to have, not wanting to have. The first two times, I found the film to be cute, fun, but following the classic stereotype of LA-free of meaning. But IS Lala Land depicting the desirable, fame-brushed LA dream? Or is it questioning the dream? Yes, in the end they both do achieve their surface dreams, but they lose each other. I found this to mean that the LA dream will never satisfy all of you because even in LA you can't have it all.
ReplyDeleteLa La Land seems to have many similarities to West. La La Land is an obvious ode to the glitz and glam of Los Angeles. From the cutting to different locations to the (super sad) ending in which the main characters choose their LA dreams over their love, LA is portrayed as the dream. I question whether or not Chazelle really believes that the LA dream exists. Yet, until the disheartening climax (when Sebastian and Mia fight over their dreams), LA is depicted as a glamorous place...like how West sees LA. West thinks that everything, even the traffic, in LA adds to its character and is editing. In La La Land, even as they are struggling, I feel like there as an underlying glorification of each part of LA. The biggest realizations I heard within the movie were found in the song lyrics: "Here's to the fools who dream", "Or one more dream that I cannot make true", and practically every lyric in the opening "Another Day of un". And while most of these scenes did not dwell on the harsh realities that are in the lyrics, if one listens closely the truth is spoken. I also think that La La Land held resemblance to the phony nature of Faye that is captured in Day of the Locust. Even as struggling actresses, Mia and her friends go out to fancy parties only to find someone to boost their careers. I think it would be interesting to dissect whether La La Land is actually portraying LA in a positive light or a negative light.
ReplyDeleteI noticed a lot of similarities between La La Land and Day of the Locust as well as Banham. La La Land and Day of the Locust both had themes of success and relationships and describe paths to achieving goals in a superficial Los Angeles. I think it’s interesting because the two have similar story lines but are still so different because Day of the Locust shows the results and hardships of failure and La La Land shows the disadvantages and struggles of success. The similarity that I see between La La Land and Banham is definitely reflected in the architecture and the images shown in La La Land. Bonham talks a lot about beauty and artistry in the architecture, and ecologies of the land. When watching each scene of La La Land we see visuals of very nice sunsets, the Griffith Observatory, the massive mansions and beautiful Hills and this shares the same opinion as Banham of how great LA is as far as visuals.
ReplyDeleteI saw many similarities between La La Land, Day of the Locust and Los Angeles: the Architecture of Four Ecologies. I think that there are similar underlying themes in each of these pieces of work. Both in La La Land and in Day of the Locust an overwhelmingly stereotypical Los Angeles is depicted. Similarities include the variety of houses, the various character’s attempt to follow/find their dreams in Los Angeles, and the facade that LA puts on. In La La Land the two house parties, Mia’s house, and Seb’s apartment all contrast and give an idea for the different housing styles in Los Angeles. In Day of the Locust, the author also examines the different types of houses that make up Los Angeles. In La La Land the two main characters choose their dreams over their love. In Mia’s song “The Fools Who Dream” she sings "Here's to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem, here's to the hearts that ache, here's to the mess we make”. This really speaks to those who come to LA to achieve their dreams and strive for success even though their dreams may seem “foolish”. I think this song nicely reflects upon the idea of coming to Los Angeles to fulfill a dream. I think that Faye and Tod can be related back to Mia and Sebastian. Both of these couples came to LA in hopes of achieving specific dreams only to either lose each other or not find success.
ReplyDeleteI believe that all of these three relate one another in different aspects. The most obvious is the relation between La La Land and West's ideas represented in all of the characters in Day of the Locust. Clearly, there is a superficial vibe to all of the main characters in DotL and most of them in La La Land. Both the vibes in movie and the vibes in the book represents the superficiality that exists in and the different methods that people use to get to the top of the food chain in Los Angeles. Additionally, both the book and the movie give a strong ideas of the Los Angeles dream and its inability to prove true to many people who move here. Finally, La La Land and Banham portray the beauty of Los Angeles. Both show and talk about the most beautiful and astonishing parts of Los Angeles while failing to address the key issues in Los Angeles specifically surrounding around poverty. I find it acceptable for Banham to leave that out, for his book is solely addressing architecture, while La La Land shows just the beauty of Los Angeles but little to no extreme Los Angeles poverty.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there were many similarities between La La Land and the two books we have read and discussed in class. While watching the movie I noticed similarities between characters in the movie and characters in day of the locust. In both La La Land and Day of the Locust characters are chasing after their dreams and they both show how the city can change or affect the outcome of your dream. Although in La La Land both Sebastian and Mia end up chasing their dreams (successful) it shows how in Los Angeles, success does not always coexist with love, and sometime you have to choose one or the other. In La La Land it shows the superficiality of both Sebastian and Mia, and how both of their dreams come at the expense of losing each other.
ReplyDeleteIf Banham were to watch La La Land I think he would focus on the scenic shots shown throughout the movie and the areas of LA they chose to show. Banhams ideas of the architectural makeup of LA are shown throughout the move. The movie shows the observatory and countless views and sunsets.
I believe that day of the locus, la la land and , Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies are all closely tied, in the sense that they all explore the ideas of expectations vs reality and specifically in day of the locust/ la la land how los angeles falls short in some areas.
I feel as is La La Land really relates to Day of the Locust in many ways. If we are coming from the view of "everyone comes to LA to start a life in the preforming career", we can see that aspect in La La Land as well in Day of the Locust. Both Sebastian and Mia had dreams of their and left their homes to achieve their dreams in Los Angeles. Even the title of the movie plays a part in the dream aspect, La La Land is not only for Los Angeles or Hollywood, but it also means a dreamworld. These two people travel to their dreamworld, and they end up successfully reaching their dream. In Day of the Locust, Tod has dreams, Faye and Homer have dreams. They are all in Los Angeles trying to achieve them. The way Day of the Locust and La La Land correlate is because they all have dreams, but they are different because the characters in La La Land actually reach their dreams.
ReplyDeleteI think it is clear that Chazelle took inspiration from both viewpoints of the story, though in the end siding with Day of the Locust. The format that the story is delivered is a movie, not a book or a play or interpretive dance but a movie. Something fake, manufactured for our own enjoyment. Even worse, its a musical. Musicals are even more phony, forced and unrealistic than just a movie, because how on earth does everybody know when to sing and how to sing? Its just not a thing that happens. And I think that the decision to display the story in the most unrealistic way possible provides commentary on the unrealism of the story.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of Los Angeles Los Angeles Land when they are floating in the life they could've had, a lot of the backdrops are movie sets, not actual places. It is reminding or hinting to the viewer that the life that they imagine is just that, unreal. A product of unnatural forces. And for there I think the movie agrees with the Day of the Locust. But it does have some heart to it too (as every hollywood movie does) and so I think in that way it does have its message shaped by the La Myth. Though all in all. I believe it ties closer to West than anything else.
La La Land shares many similarities with that of Day of the Locust and some with Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies. La La Land is similar to Day of the Locust in terms of looking specifically at how actors live in Los Angeles. La La Land can somewhat be compared to Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies when specifically looking at the absurdity in respect to architecture of some of the houses shown in La La Land. La La Land presents a completely different perspective as both characters end up succeeding while Day of the Locust possibly presents a much more real look at life in Los Angeles. For example, the life of Mia is incredibly different to that of Faye as Mia's only struggles revolve around the career of Sebastian. While Faye's problems revolve around a constant sense of not feeling worthy and satisfied. Oh yeah and also Faye's dad dies. In this example, it is clear that La La Land was created to prove to the world that did not already think Los Angeles was the capital of film that Los Angeles is where dreams are made of thus adding fuel to the fire. The views of the authors are incredibly different making their works almost incomparable. The perspective of Chazzelle seems to neglect the thousands of actors in Los Angeles who have no work and never make although he attempts to represent misery.
ReplyDeleteThere is a scene in La La Land that is very similar to Day of the Locust and that follows the concept of bathos/ anticlimax. Mia and Sebastian are about to kiss and then the movie shuts off and the lights turn on. This is very similar to the scene in Day of the Locust, where the bonne in a movie asks who the last person knocking on her door is, and then the machine sticks.
ReplyDeleteThe scenes chosen in La La Land are typical L.A. venues. The one that relates most to Architecture of the Four Ecologies is freeways. The movie seems to celebrate freeways and driving: the traffic problem turns into an excitement, as the opening number shows people in bright colors dancing and singing and standing on cars on an on-ramp with a sweeping view of L.A.
The central theme throughout la la land and day of the locust is this concept of fantasy and unfulfilled expectations. There is a fantasy, a los angeles dream that exists for Mia and Sebastian that they become successful in los angeles as actors and musicians.
ReplyDeleteThis fantasy is ultimately lived out by both of them, but in the process of fulfilling their respective dreams, they lose each other which is really their dream and which they are unable to fulfill.
There is also imagery in la la land of cars, traffic, and oranges, features which are explored in banham because movement is central to the story of los angeles. the oranges allude to the sunshine paradise that los angeles is supposed to be which is also reflected in the season slidescreens used in La La land despite the fact that los angeles does not really experience seasons.