The Romance And Jazz In La La Land

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Before anyone names and shames me, I do love La La Land despite my lifelong feud with musicals. It goes hand in hand with High School Musical on the "it’s a lot of singing, but I can just about drone it out" scale. Although I’m not personally a fan of musicals, I have to admit that the film wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t one. The music is more than just a soundtrack—it tells the story, carrying viewers through the highs and lows of Mia and Sebastian’s love story.

I think the concept of "if you love someone, let them go" is the most beautifully painful ideology ever created, and even writing it down is bringing a tear to my eye. Seb letting Mia go to allow her space to chase her dreams is so full of love whilst also absolutely soul-crushing because—come on, why? Why can’t they have both? Why can’t she follow her dreams and he his too? I like to think that if there’s enough love and support, you can make it work, but maybe that’s me being silly and somewhat of a hopeful romantic.

Of course, we can’t forget that it is especially okay for women to let go of a partner—or for them to let go of her—to create space to follow her career and personal life goals, because it’s only been a shamefully short time since women were even allowed a career. We need to view everything with a slight feminist theory lens, as it’s essential to understanding female characters to their fullest potential. So yes, follow your dreams and leave whoever doesn’t show enough support, even if the audience hates you for it because you clearly belong together.

I think that romance as a theme within the film is crafted with so many elements—from their use of light and colour grading to the way they share dreams, aspirations, and dance under the stars. But its meaning definitely shifts towards the aforementioned idea of letting go of love to allow personal growth. I think they executed this so well and with such care for the characters. It’s so tricky to show that people can be so good for each other but that they are even better on their own.

This doesn’t mean that the other person didn’t have any effect on their lives—Seb’s is literally Mia’s logo. He may have let her go so she could chase her dreams, and he his, but he thought of her every step of the way.

My personal goal is to dance in the rain with the person I love, but I guess the stars would do just fine after seeing Seb and Mia and the genuine care they hold in their eyes when they look at each other. You can hear the piano keys hitting every note, showing that maybe, just maybe, he can rescue jazz.

La La Land would not be the film it is today without jazz, as the genre plays an essential role in shaping the film’s atmosphere, narrative, and emotional depth. Jazz is used as a storytelling device to convey the characters' journeys and emotions. The improvisational nature of jazz mirrors the twists and turns of their love story, highlighting that, just like life, jazz is unpredictable.

The soundtrack of the sky is "Mia and Sebastian’s Theme". There is no arguing this. The soundtrack of the film is so touching and memorable that you’ll hear the first note and somehow remember the exact scene it was played in. This, of course, is aided by the use of jazz and its significance within the film.

For example, one of my friends will—and has—screamed from the rooftops that jazz within the film is a representation of their relationship. Mia hates jazz at the start of the film but learns to love it and finds beauty in it, even though she has her doubts—like how someone grows to love another person and finds beauty within them over time. And despite its flaws—not that jazz has any flaws, of course—there’s just something that makes you keep coming back to this person.

Again, really showing I'm a bit of a hopeful romantic. And yes, I am the friend whispering, "Give them a second chance because you never know," exactly like the very weird ending the movie gave us—a look into Seb and Mia’s life if it had all worked out with them together.

But sometimes, things just aren’t meant to be.