La La Land: An Instant Classic
Originally published Jan 18, 2017.
Sitting in the dark theatre for the duration of La La Land, I was often filled with the same sense of wonderment I experienced as a child during visits to the cinema. Going to the movies was an avid pastime during my childhood; I already had a vivid and overactive imagination, so films became a visual manifestation for the stories in my head to play out. Allow me to begin by stating that although La La Land falls within the genre of musicals, the songs flow seamlessly within their respective shots and do not totally alienate the narrative. The film focuses on two key themes, the first being the pursuit of the dream of creativity and secondly it is a tribute to LA and the historical monolith that is Hollywood.
Every artist and creative thinker has been in the position of Mia and Sebastian, the film’s central characters. You work tirelessly in the quest for creative fulfilment and hope that perhaps one day someone will offer to pay you for it. Whilst money isn’t the ultimate goal for a livelihood formed from the creative arts, the dream is to be able to make a comfortable living. Mia is pursuing her aspiration of becoming an actress, whilst working as a barista between casting calls. Like so many before her, Mia isn’t the first to chase the legacy of Hollywood and certainly won’t be the last. Sebastian much like Mia, funds his creative endeavours through various menial jobs to sustain his passion for jazz music. He dreams of opening his own club and never strays far from what he believes is pure jazz, a homage to its historical roots. Ironically he later finds himself playing with a modern jazz-rock band, when a friend (played by John Legend) sagely points out that in order to bring jazz to the masses, Sebastian has to evolve much like his musical heroes did in the 1930’s. You don’t need to be a jazz aficionado to appreciate its influences and the manner in which it musically weaves its way throughout the film.
**The next section contains spoilers**
Many critics have massively praised the film and of course La La Land has also received various criticisms from cultural commentators, some of which are perfectly valid and others which are not. Some critics have claimed that Sebastian’s portrayal as a figure of the golden era of Hollywood’s past is a figure, who serves only to sweep Mia off her feet in a gallant manner. This is a valid critique of many films, but in the example of La La Land, it is mostly applied in a particularly caviler manner and this is one criticism that I do not agree with. The film fairly realistically portrays modern relationships, particularly those founded through creative pursuits.
The manner in which Sebastian championed Mia’s dreams was beyond admirable for most of their onscreen time. Mia was just as equal in her encouragement for Sebastian’s ambitions. For the duration of their relationship, they worked harmoniously on their own projects and supported each other. The relationship broke down because of a lack of communication and the realisation that their lives had begun to diverge into different paths. This is a ridiculously common reason for relationship woes and it was commendable that both parties were particularly amicable about walking away as a shared interest.
“The film fairly realistically portrays modern relationships, particularly those founded through creative pursuits.”
This brings me to a second point regarding the film’s design. I loved that it didn’t fall in line with an absurd number of films, which follow the happy ending trope. Mia and Sebastian don’t happily ride off into the LA sunset together, coinciding with the view that the film portrays relationships with a nod to realism (despite the singing and dancing). Life is never simple and more often than not, things don’t work out for the greater good despite our best attempts. With both characters imagining what could have been in the final moment is both bittersweet and harmonious. Proving that after all you don’t always get to have your cake and eat it too.
Aside from the thematic developments of the film, the colour palette is a stunning love letter to LA, full of sunshine set amidst the backdrop of both success and broken dreams. The songs are beautiful and will stay with you for the rest of the day. A moving mixture of joyous elation, most notably that grand opening number and the calming melody of personal themes – City Of Stars is a stand out. With so many lovely moments, it is difficult not to appreciate the talent of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Overall the film is a breath of fresh air with equal parts entertainment and exquisite modern scenery.
For me this film became instantly iconic and will be one which will stand up over the course of time.
