I concur with Pamela Lowe Saldana at All Things Thriller who wrote in my post – A Lovely Night (La La Land), ‘I think the opening sequence, with all the dancers, entertainers, etc., making the best of the horrid traffic jam…Wow! It is one of the best choreographed scenes in cinematic history.‘
The opening number really does encapsulate the originality, vivacity and enthusiasm of the entire film.
According to wikipedia: The ensemble number portrays drivers in a Los Angeles traffic jam on a highway ramp singing and dancing about their aspirations to succeed in Hollywood. The song was filmed on location on a 130-foot-high express ramp of the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange in three shots, edited with hidden cuts to give the illusion of a single six-minute take.
Hurwitz noted the tension in the song between the aspirations of the singers and the uncertain outcome of their efforts, noting “It’s an optimistic song, but it’s also about unfulfilled dreams.”
La La Land’s director Chazelle likened the number to the Yellow Brick Road in The Wizard of Oz. What’s remarkable is it was filmed over just 2 days in temperatures over 101 degrees. I cannot imagine what the organisation on set was like to complete all that choreography in such a small time frame in such conditions. Mandy Moore the choreographer spent between three and four months preparing for the shoot, which involved over 60 cars, 30 dancers, and 100 extras.
The other aspect of Another Day in the Sun I love apart from its choreography and its aesthetic attraction is that it’s just such a damn good tune. You would think something so catchy would lose its appeal over time, but for me the experience has been the contrary. The more I hear it, the more I grow fond of it. And that goes with the whole movie and why I consider I La La Land a masterpiece.
So that’s enough of me harping on about the greatness of La La land; let’s just enjoy for another time shall we this terrific opening track which Pam and I at least consider one of the best choreographed scenes in cinematic history:
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
This is absolutely wonderful.
I love yours and Pam’s enthusiasm for this movie.
Some people’s optimism for La La Land is very charming, confirming that our differences are the spice of life! 🙂
In response to my first music post of La La Land so many people came out of the woodwork to comment on how much they enjoyed it. It’s truly a great spectacle amongst other things.
Yeah, just viewing the scene by itself, the spectacle and scope of it, I love it! In context of the movie, though (I blogged about it a while ago) and the movie itself…….mmm. I don’t know. In my experience, people who have never lived in L.A. love La La Land more than people who have, lol !!!
I’ll have to revisit your blog to find that post of yours about the movie. I can understand the cynicism people from LA would have towards the idealism of the movie. It’s at least a great tourism advert haha. Even the night scene of ‘Lovely Night’ was touched up with digital brushes and what not to present this gorgeous view of the LA skyline. Dreams and reality are two different things.
Yeah, dreams and reality……
It would be hard to deal with reality without our dreams.
So I wouldn’t take anyone’s joy away from enjoying La La Land.
Or anywhere else they can find joy, for that matter! 🙂
Do you have a link to that post? I searched for it, but I couldn’t find it. So you didn’t like the movie?
Pam has a great way of expressing things.
It’s a brilliant idea and scene.
Pam does indeed. She’s a great writer.
Have you seen the movie yet?
No I haven’t yet but Bailey has it lined up in our movies…we will get there. I just thought that was a brilliant scene…and I don’t favor musicals…but that was cool.
That scene didn’t blow me away the first time I saw it, nor the movie itself. I’ve never liked musicals much myself. Like you I had seen snippets of it, so I was kind of expecting it. But as you know I love revisiting it and adore the scene especially how it works with the whole movie.
I hope you have a big screen and surround sound to fully immerse yourselves into the movie. I don’t have the grandiose set-up and that’s why I am glad I saw it at the cinema 5 times lol.
We have a small surround sound…not great but we do have a 52 inch tv… Next time I’m getting 75 lol.
52 inch TV. You’re laughing! You just made me envious. I have a 24 inch monitor which I use for my puter and tele. When I win the lottery one day I’m going to kit my home out with a cinema room and the whole works. I can dream can’t I?
I have a music room but not a media room… TVs here are pretty cheap…almost crazy cheap now. BUT…unlike the old days these last probably 4-5 years. They are disposable.
I didn’t know that modern tvs didn’t last long. TVs are cheap here too, but I have other priorities. The kids at least have a nice big TV.
A music room sounds great buddy. What is your preferred mode of listening to music in there?
Yes we had a small tv until last year and we decided to go big.
I know this is strange but headphones is my preferred way… I have all of my guitars in my music room and I listen to music and record also.
Nice upgrade. I’ll do it also one day.
I didn’t know you were still a muso. If I remember correctly you had mentioned in a post that you were in a band in your youth. What type of music do you record and with whom?
Oh, thanks for looking. Maybe this’ll take you there:
https://staceyebryan.wordpress.com/2017/10/10/lost-angeles/
I liked the idea of the movie, and I liked certain scenes in the movie.
I’ll say that much! 🙂
Holaaa. I read your article earlier this morning. Like I wrote before I can understand anyone’s cynicism towards the movie if they reside in LA. Where we differ in our level of appreciation is I do not think the protagonists will be forgotten in 200 years. I think due to its originality and flamboyance (amongst other things including the chemistry between the leads) I think it will age well and be regarded a musical masterpiece. It’s Damien’s Chazelle’s ‘Citizen Kane’ as it were although I hold Kane in higher regard as a crowning cinema achievement.
Having said that, I don’t think there is any right or wrong way of seeing a movie. I’m sure there are movies you adore, which I think are mediocre and vice versa. What a terrible world it would be if we all thought the same way. Oh by the way I’m glad you enjoyed the ending. I thought it was spectacular and ingenious film making.
It would be a horrible, boring, redundant world if we all thought the same way!
Vive la difference!
🙂