La La Land: Why didn't I watch it sooner?

Rating: Null/10 (26 September 2017)

Musicals aren't for everyone. I certainly thought they weren't for me. However, La La Land struck a chord with me. It was capable of maintaining an unoriginal story with stereotypical characters, while still being memorable and, dare I say, phenomenal. It did this through the intense use of colors to express distinct emotions during just about every scene in the movie, as well as acting as a homage to several older movies and the styles they were made in.
La La Land can be described as a drama, with comedic elements and a strong reliance on musical scenes. It follows Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), two dreamers in a land full of opportunists, yet lacking opportunity. Their drive to accomplish their goals is what brings them together, yet also drives them apart. The impossible goal that is achieving one's dreams and keeping one's relationships in the land of dreamers is shown in dazzling color through the story of La La Land. In the end the very thing that brought Mia and Sebastian together is what breaks them apart, yet I'd argue it's the best possible ending for both of them. Both professional dreams had been achieved, and all that remained was one last glimpse into what could have been, for better or for worse.
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of La La Land, for me, is color. The movie is colorful, in so many different and amazing ways. Not only is it the best use of color I've seen in a movie, but it's what grabbed my attention immediately. Even the opening scene of the movie was vibrant, full of motion and color; it was the epitome of memorable. As Louis Giannetti states about color in his book, Understanding Movies, "It's strongly emotional in its appeal, expressive and atmospheric rather than intellectual." La La Land is made to invoke an intense emotional response from the viewer, and it subconsciously influences us into this response through the use of color.
The atmospheric use of color in the movie is particularly incredible. Examples include the green back-lighting in the dinner/fight scene, with a strong yellow glow on both the actors. Normally both of these colors would invoke more positive feelings, such as yellow bringing joy and happiness, or green meaning loyalty and trust. However, this scene turns those on their heads, it uses them for the opposite and the effect is jarring yet memorable. This continues into the scene outside the theater, after Mia's one-woman show that Sebastian missed. They're surrounded by a bright pink light that fits into the surroundings but not the mood. It brings an almost ridiculous air to the scene that further enhances the intensity of the fight. It is a very jarring effect that's utilized extremely well in these moments, and is one I was not familiar with prior to viewing this film. Of course, there is also a very consistent theme throughout the movie, using lighting and color (or lack thereof). Several times, the camera zooms in on a character while all the lights but those pointed directly at the person of interest fade to black. This is an example of emphasis through lighting, albeit an extreme one. It works due to the already formalistic nature of the film, and in many cases highlights the intense emotions a scene is trying to convey.
In addition to the incredible use of color to make the film truly "pop", La La Land loves to include references to old films. Not only that, but it was also shot in CinemaScope, a popular filming method in the '50's and '60's. It truly immerses itself in the culture of those movies, and that allows it to play off their tropes in a new and refreshing way. It's a modern masterpiece of "just cliché enough to not be cliché". Examples of the references would include the multiple nods to "Singin' in the Rain", like near the beginning during Mia and Sebastian's duet where he spins around a lamp pole, as well as a very literal reference to "Rebel Without a Cause", a film from 1955, which was screening during their first date. It also had some scenes shot at the Griffith Observatory, which was visited in a subsequent scene. La La Land is a movie about movies, and as such has much more room and credibility when it comes to using countless movie references. It just fits the story, makes it more interesting and provides extra layers for the audience to pick apart.
One last interesting part about La La Land is the variety of shots and filming techniques used throughout the movie. The most interesting one, in my opinion, was the reliance on what seemed like hand-held (or at least shaky to slightly shaky cam) footage during the more intense scenes in the movie. It provided a sense of realism to them, completely separate from the mostly formalistic design of the movie. Throughout, it relies heavily on the use of expression through color and music, and often times places them in what could be considered ridiculous situations to start breaking into song and dance. Granted, this comes with being a musical, but it was capable of breaking away to a more realistic style when it needed to through the use of its filming.
La La Land is truly a masterpiece is my eyes, and one that I wished I had watched sooner. It's use of color, lighting, camera movements and nods to classical cinema are what bring it it's intense emotion, charm and memorable story. It's capable of taking something unoriginal and reinventing it using old techniques and clichés, something that I have never seen before, and never considered could be done.