Since the infamous moment when it was wrongly announced as the Best Picture winner, La La Land has largely faded from discussion–except as an overused punch line at award shows. I haven’t been able to shake off the spell of this beautiful movie, though, especially when I recall the first time I got to see it. It was the last showing at a film festival, several months before the film would reach theaters, and I anxiously stood in line and hoped that tickets would still be available. When we finally reached the ticket counter, a couple beside me graciously bought me a pass so I could rush in to claim a seat–a small moment of shared anticipation and generosity I still treasure. In a hotel ballroom masquerading as a makeshift theater, the screen lit up and the surroundings fell away. Even before the first musical number ended, I was sure that I was witnessing magic. I walked out of the screening with tears in my eyes and spent the next months counting down the days till the film’s official release, when I could see it again. I told everyone who would listen that they should see the movie, that it was special. And that December, I sat in a dark theater and fell in love all over again with Damien Chazelle’s glorious film.
Refusing to hide behind ironic appreciation, La La Land immediately draws us in with genuine, earnest excitement about the art some might consider irrelevant. On a concrete Los Angeles overpass, we are quickly inducted into a world full of passionate creators, people who are willing to sit for hours in crazy traffic for one chance to chase their dreams. When shared enthusiasm spills out the doors of a hundred cars, the resulting dance number overflows with joy–and if the movie ended there, it would leave us smiling. Instead, we get to meet Mia and Sebastian. We root for their success almost instantly because, as Mia says, “People love what other people are passionate about,” and each of our heroes has a deep love for the art they’re trying to create. Mia has been telling stories in different ways since she was little, and clearly adores the way words can bring a world to life. Sebastian is stuck playing piano in the background at restaurants and parties, but he’s obsessed with the beauty and legacy of jazz music. And at its core, La La Land is the story of Mia and Sebastian trying to follow their passions and find their own places in history. They stumble past dozens of dead ends on their way to success, but every wrong turn brings them a little closer to their dreams.
And, over time, Mia and Sebastian start to believe in each other and to merge their individual dreams into one bigger vision. They support each other’s pursuits, encouraging their partner to take big, bold leaps instead of hiding behind the fear of failure. So many moments from the beginning of their relationship make me smile: their witty banter at a pool-side party, their first dance in the Hollywood hills, the panicked honk when they start a summer together by driving the wrong direction down a one-way street. Later, they sing “City of Stars” together and something makes them laugh, and the joy in their voices is so real and infectious that it always reaches past the screen to pull me in. It’s such a simple, small moment, but it encapsulates the joy they find together, the ease of their relationship, the way they delight in making music together. They’re happy, and so are we.
For me, much of this film’s magic lies in this ability to provoke emotion in the audience, to include us in the joys and confusions and laughter and sorrows that the characters on screen experience. With quick pans and spinning cameras and riotous colors at every turn, Chazelle’s cinematography overwhelms our senses. Everything is larger than life: more vibrant, more beautiful, more Hollywood than seems possible. The heightened reality reminds us that this isn’t meant to be a naturalistic depiction of Los Angeles life, so we’re not surprised when characters break out into song or float into space. As it blends the fantastic with the mundane events it depicts, La La Land uses its form to capture emotion perfectly. It lets us experience the magical beginning of a relationship, where pure happiness makes you feel as if you’re dancing among the stars. The music, the color, and the stunning images all combine to create this enthralling emotion that captures us and refuses to let go.
Being under the film’s spell, though, means that we also experience the sadness it presents. I’ll never forget my feelings during the first viewing, when the film cuts to “Five Years Later.” I was so desperately sure that Mia and Sebastian would ride off into the sunset together, and I started weeping during the final “what if?” montage, crying so hard that I could barely see the screen. I clung to that montage, sure it was the real ending and everything else was a dream. But I know I was wrong. The ending isn’t a perfect Hollywood fairy tale, but it’s something more powerful. Though it’s bittersweet and even painful, their final glance reminds us that what Mia and Sebastian had was real and beautiful even though it was temporary. That they loved each other. That they helped each other achieve more than they ever could alone. And that they’ll be a part of each other’s stories forever.