A La La Land Love Letter
March 27, 2023
Writer: Grace Gefsky
Editor: Alex Vena
Whenever my world feels tilted off its axis, I rely on a few things to keep myself steady; my incredible family and friends, frozen dark chocolate, blasting my favorite music in the car, and-of course- Damien Chazelle’s La La Land. I think it’s best not to reveal the number of times I have watched the film, but I do know that I have seen it more than Emma Stone herself.
The intricate two hour and nine minute film takes place in a nostalgic, 1950s-esque Los Angeles: filled with cotton candy skies, worn-in Ford convertibles, and romantic dances along the Hermosa Beach Pier. Mia, an aspiring actress, meets jazz fanatic Sebastian, and, soon enough, the two are inspiring and struggling as one to achieve what would otherwise be “pipe” dreams. The Hollywood dreamers are eventually torn apart when they ultimately succeed, yet their gratitude for one another never dies. They understand that it would have been impossible to have found success without the undying encouragement from the other. Ultimately, this is a film about love and dreams: how they can work together in harmony, or be the resulting poison to success.
I love La La Land because of Chazelle’s ability to blur fantasy with reality. It almost feels like plunging into a hazy daydream, as particular scenes are an obvious exaggeration of actuality. The emergence of a fantastical universe, such as the infamous scene where Gosling and Stone share their first kiss and transcend into the sky, more broadly illustrates what it feels like to fall in love - with a person or with a passion. Watching the characters take relentless chances in spite of love, like Seb naming his Jazz club after Mia or Mia pushing Seb to open his own club, is inspiring. Their raw and all-consuming romance, both with each other and for their artform, is utterly intoxicating from the moment the two lock eyes on screen.
As I mentioned, music dictates my life – particularly when I am seeking an escape. When I first saw La La Land in theaters in 2016, I started listening to the soundtrack on the car ride home. Since that day, the score has been on my annually created Top Album list each year, without fail. Today, Hurowitz’s jazz-inspired soundtrack instantly reminds me of how young I was when I first watched the movie. I, like Mia and Seb, felt captivated by the idea of something bigger, of being a part of something that could last forever. Most of all, I loved that Chazelle ended the movie on a note of realism. Though he contrasts this with a seven minute epilogue on what their lives would have been like together and fameless, it is ultimately revealed that Mia and Seb end up with other people. But, in a way, this makes them appreciate each other all the more; in a past life, they had something special, nearly perfect, but what bound them was their temptation of stardom. I think their appreciation for one another is a gift – it makes their love infinite.
I love La La Land because there is a comfort in Seb’s wit and Mia’s drive; because there is a comfort in hearing Emma Stone bleed her heart out singing “Here’s to the Fools Who Dream;” because there is a comfort in seeing the two tap dance around Los Angeles. It is my comfort movie because I know I can always return to the universe Mia and Seb created for me and, most of all, to younger versions of myself who, like them, dreamed of being a part of something more.
Image: Pin by Jenny W <3 on see you in the movies in 2023 | Color in film, Movie tv, La la land
