Musicals—30

We now come to the moment I’ve been waiting for—my favorite musical, not just of recent years, but perhaps of all time—La La Land [2016] by Damien Chazelle. I’ve talked about this film before in this blog, but I can’t help talking about it again.

The writer said he wanted to write a love letter, if you will, to Los Angeles, and to all the people who came there hoping to break into the crazy world of film. And he did just that.

La La Land tells the story of two wannabes, Mia, who is an actress trying to break into the business, and Sebastian, who is a jazz pianist/composer who wants to open up his own club. Both are having very little luck. Mia is a barista at a coffee shop on a studio lot and Sebastian has to play in pop bands to string together enough to live on.

In the tradition of many romantic comedies, they can’t stand each other when they meet, but circumstances throw them together and they become a couple. Then he has some success, then she does, and then we wonder if their disparate successes will cause them to lose what they have together.

For me, the actual love story is terrific—in all its heartbreak and sweetness. But perhaps even better is the film’s treatment of the artist by this town, Los Angeles.

From time immemorial, artists needed to be supported. Great artists like DaVinci created at the pleasure of the duke. Almost all great artists had patrons who would pay them to create. And you might be the most creative jazz artist or actress, but you have to eat. So we see the struggle to walk the line of trying to pursue your craft and simultaneously earning a living in La La Land.

But what is most poignant is getting inside the creative process. And the music definitely helps us do that. Not only do we get to see Sebastian create songs, we see Mia and him sing them. And the most meaningful song is The Audition Song—take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL_YMm9C6tw

I still can’t watch that moment in the film without tearing up—because it IS the creative process—having the guts to dream the impossible, and then the further fortitude to actually pursue that dream.

Los Angeles is littered with people who’ve tried. We’re told that if you just put yourself out there, work hard enough, you can make it happen, but look at this song—it didn’t happen for her aunt, did it? And it doesn’t happen for most people.

But there’s something about having the guts to pursue that dream… and whether you succeed or fail, maybe it’s the guts that matter.

So why not go into writing that film musical thinking it will work out? Why not dream big?

Copyright © Diane Lake

16Feb20

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com