Damien Chazelle has said that Jacques Demy — a French director who in 1964 made a film where every single word is sung — showed him that a musical could carry genuine tragedy rather than manufactured joy. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg ends in loss. Chazelle built the ending of La La Land from that lesson. Cherbourg is streaming on Criterion Channel and has the same color palette, the same impossible romance, and a sadder ending.
Films That Influenced La La Land
