So recently I watched La La Land for the first time. I never got a chance to see it in the theater, and am normally not a huge movie person, so I never got around to seeing it. Now that I have, I can’t believe. that I had waited this long to see this masterpiece of a film. How it didn’t win Best Picture boggles me. I have yet to find a flaw with it.
I thought that I would share my thoughts on this movie. Because there is a lot that I took away from it. There are three main things I’ll touch on, but it’s possible there could be some ranting in between. I’ll touch on what I learned from it for my art, how it has influenced my creativity, and the overall message I took away from the movie. I’ll also share some tips on how you can use these lessons to help your creativity grow.
So without further ado, let’s jump right in!
What I Learned From La La Land
This movie does so many things right. The plot flows nicely, the theme is maintained throughout the film, the music feels similar enough to the theme while still being original, and the most important thing, it is a great example of following the “show don’t tell” rule.
As a writer, I’ve found it hard to follow this rule sometimes myself. But it is so important. Of course, there are moments when you need to tell the audience what is going on. But when it comes to most things in a story, you want to show the audience through your choice of words or imagery what the characters are feeling or doing. The audience needs to be able to interpret certain things for themselves.
This movie does that so well. They do take a moment to explain the scene when need be, but most of the film is done through scenes that show how the characters act and feel. You are able to feel what they are feeling, and really put yourself in their shoes. When you utilize this principle, and do it well, you get a three dimensional story that can really resonate with your audience.
Also, the use of theme was important. They carried the theme throughout the whole movie, but it didn’t feel overly predictable or redundant. It made it’s point and made it well.
So I took away some things that could help in my writing and art:
- First, the show don’t tell rule. Watching the film, I was able to see a great example of that. The montage scenes were a good reflection of that. They showed what happened in those moments, rather than having to go through each individual moment and explain it. You understood what they were feeling- the joy, the happiness, and their love- throughout those moments. It’s a good example that you don’t always have to write out every single detail, but that you make sure you convey the feelings and describe what is necessary. When you do this, you can show what they are feeling and how they react, rather than tell each individual moment.
- The main thing was regarding dialogue. I have a really hard time with dialogue, but am great at descriptive writing. So I was able to see how the way the dialogue was natural. It wasn’t flat or dry. Some think that writing words such as um, yeah, mmhmm, etc. are a weak substitute for stronger words. But using those words amongst others makes the characters more real. Most people use those “weaker” words in their conversations at least twenty times a day, so by adding those and combining it with varying tones, the characters become more alive. Also, they would fidget around. So including those awkward movements is necessary in creating three dimensional characters.
- The use of theme. It’s important to have a sense of what you are trying to convey through your piece of writing; a central message, or theme. La La Land did that well; the songs all had a similar tone, and the story of two dreamers who chase careers in Hollywood is followed all the way to the end. The message was very clear: that making your dreams reality is possible, but sometimes it requires sacrifices. So in order to write a strong theme into a piece of writing, it’s good to know what you want the message to be. That way you can incorporate it into the rest of the story.
How La La Land Has Inspired Me
So La La Land is full of color and dreamers trying to follow their passions. It’s all about finding your place in the world, and enjoying the journey of finding who you are. We follow Mia, who is an aspiring actress who can’t quite catch a break. She feels lost- like she’s just another face in the crowd. And then we follow Sebastian, a jazz musician who seems to be stuck in the past. He feels that jazz is a dying art form, and dreams of opening up his own jazz bar one day.
Sometimes we all feel lost in the crowd. Like we don’t quite fit with the world revolving around us; a puzzle piece that can never fit. But we still have to keep pushing for what we want, and keep trying. We also may feel that no one understands our passions or our dreams. But if we. strongly believe in what we are working for, it can happen. We just have to keep working for it.
We later see these two starving artists meet in a bar, while he plays a hauntingly beautiful piano melody. We then begin to see how these two support and inspire each other. Mia helps in making Sebastian’s dream of opening a jazz bar, and Sebastian helps Mia by suggesting that she should write a play. We then see how they fail in some of their endeavors; her one woman play gets hateful reviews, and Sebastian ends up selling our to make money. (But there’s a John Legend song out of the deal, so I’m not complaining!)
Sometimes we feel like we’ve hit a brick wall. Nothing we do is working, and it seems that those big dreams and ideas are too high for us to reach. We feel it’s better to just give up. That’s actually what Mia does. After her unsuccessful attempt at a one woman play, and countless auditions for parts she doesn’t get, she moves back home and decides to finish school.
While she is away though, Sebastian answers a phone call from a woman wanting Mia to audition for a show she is doing. So he drops everything and visits Mia at her home. She is reluctant to leave and go try out for what she thinks is just another failed opportunity. But she goes with him, and auditions. She ends up singing this brilliant and beautiful song about her aunt, and how without her and all the dreamers pursuing their dreams, the world would be a pretty dull place. It is my favorite part of the movie, because I felt that song, that message, in my bones.
When we feel like it’s not worth trying anymore, it’s our friends and the people who care about us who help us keep going. They give us the push that we need, and encourage us that the only way we can fail is if we don’t try.
What I Took Away From The Message Of La La Land
So a lot of people weren’t quite happy with the ending of the movie. But if you understand the central message of the movie, the ending makes a whole lot of sense, and is actually a really nice ending.
The movie eludes to the idea that you can’t have it all. Even from the opening number, we see artists who are sacrificing other opportunities or things in their life in order to pursue their dreams. And then we see Mia and Sebastian gradually growing apart throughout the latter half of the movie. When we get to the end, we see that she is happily married with a daughter- but not to Sebastian. Her and her husband are on their way to the premiere of her movie, when they decide to go to a jazz bar instead. It turns out that it is Sebastian’s jazz bar, and as he begins playing that same piano melody from the beginning, she starts to imagine what her life would have been like if she had stayed with Sebastian. In the end, she is happy for the memories she was able to have with Sebastian, but is overall happy with the life she has chosen.
It’s actually a really satisfying ending, and a more realistic take on pursuing your dreams. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. Sometimes you meet people in your life, but end up growing apart. But you will always have that journey together, and will always have the memories you made. It is possible to chase those big ideas and dreams, but you have to trust the journey you will take.
So, here’s to the ones who dream. The rebels, poets, and artists. Keep doing what you are doing, and keep adding more color to the world. Because that’s why they need us- to make this world more beautiful and interesting. Without art the earth is just eh. So keep making art, because it is what makes this mess of a life worth living.
That’s what I took away from this masterpiece of a film. Thanks for reading, and I hope that some of these points can help with your creative endeavors as well.
Until next time š
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