"Here's to the fools who dream."
La La Land - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details
Easter Eggs
Reference to Damien Chazelle's First Film
During a scene where Mia and Sebastian walk through the Warner Bros. studio lot, a movie poster for "Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench" can be seen in the background. This is a nod to Damien Chazelle's debut feature film from 2009, which was also a jazz-centric musical romance.
Nods to "Singin' in the Rain"
The film contains several visual and thematic allusions to the classic 1952 musical. During the "A Lovely Night" sequence, Sebastian swings around a lamppost in a manner reminiscent of Gene Kelly's iconic performance. The banter between Mia and Seb about being a "serious musician" also echoes a similar exchange between Don Lockwood and Kathy Selden.
Homage to Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo"
In the scene where Mia and Sebastian sing "City of Stars" at the piano in their apartment, a distinct green light filters through the window. Director Damien Chazelle has confirmed this was a last-minute homage to Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo," which famously used green to symbolize a haunting, dreamlike obsession.
Reference to "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"
Jacques Demy's 1964 musical was a major influence. "La La Land" borrows its seasonal structure and bittersweet romantic ending from the French classic. Additionally, in the scene on the studio lot, a doorway is marked with the word "Parapluies," the French word for "umbrellas."
The "Casablanca" Window
While walking through the studio lot, Mia points out the window that Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman looked out of in the film "Casablanca." This directly places Mia and Sebastian within the lineage of classic, and ultimately tragic, Hollywood romances.