It starts with a traffic jam. Not the kind where you’re doom-scrolling on your phone, but a full-blown, Technicolor explosion of bodies jumping over hoods on an LA freeway. When La La Land 2016 first hit theaters, people thought they were getting a classic throwback to the golden age of MGM musicals. They were wrong. Damien Chazelle didn’t make a tribute; he made a movie about how dreams eventually demand a sacrifice you might not be ready to make. Honestly, it’s a bit of a gut-punch disguised as a jazz piano solo.
Most people remember the ending. You know the one. That "what if" montage that shows the life Mia and Sebastian could have had if they had just stayed in the room, if they had just chosen each other over their ambitions. It’s brutal. Even years later, the film occupies this weird space in pop culture where it’s both a beloved romance and a cautionary tale for anyone trying to "make it."
The "Moonlight" Mess and Why It Doesn't Define the Movie
We have to talk about the Oscars. It’s the elephant in the room. The 89th Academy Awards became a permanent part of film history not because of the wins, but because of a frantic stagehand and the wrong envelope. For two minutes, the world thought La La Land 2016 was the Best Picture winner. Jordan Horowitz, the producer, had to literally hold up the card for Moonlight to fix the mistake.
It was awkward. It was painful to watch. But looking back, that moment almost overshadowed how technically incredible the film actually is. People started a bit of a backlash against it because it felt like the "safe" Hollywood choice compared to the gritty, groundbreaking Moonlight. But those are two different masterpieces. Chazelle, who became the youngest person ever to win Best Director at 32, wasn't trying to be safe. He was trying to figure out if you can be a successful artist and a happy person at the same time. Usually, in his movies (Whiplash, Babylon), the answer is a hard "no."
Justin Hurwitz and the Sound of Melancholy
If you strip away the bright yellow dresses and the Griffith Observatory dance sequence, you’re left with the music. Justin Hurwitz, Chazelle’s roommate from Harvard, wrote a score that basically functions as the movie’s heartbeat. "City of Stars" got all the radio play, but "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" is the actual soul of the story.
Emma Stone’s performance in that scene is incredible. There are no fancy cuts. Just a camera slowly zooming in on her face while she sings about her aunt jumping into the Seine. It’s raw. It’s also the moment the movie stops being a fun musical and starts being a character study. Hurwitz used a lot of 1950s orchestration techniques but kept the piano melodies simple and slightly out of tune at times to keep it grounded. It feels human. It doesn't feel like a polished Broadway recording.
The Reality of the "Starving Artist" Trope
Let's get real about Sebastian. Ryan Gosling plays him as a bit of a jazz snob, right? He’s obsessed with "saving" jazz, which is a pretty controversial take considering the genre's history and who actually created it. Some critics pointed out that having a white protagonist explain jazz to Black musicians was a bit tone-deaf. It’s a valid critique.
However, Sebastian’s struggle with "selling out" is something anyone in a creative field feels. When he joins Keith’s (John Legend) band, The Messengers, he’s playing music he hates but making money for the first time in his life. The tension between him and Mia happens because she actually wants him to be happy, not just successful. But in his head, success is the only way he can be worthy of her. It’s a classic miscommunication that feels deeply relatable.
The Cinematography of Linus Sandgren
The movie looks like a dream. Linus Sandgren shot the whole thing on 35mm film, which gives it that grainy, rich texture you just can't get with digital. They used a lot of long takes. That opening number on the 105/110 freeway interchange? That took two days to film in 110-degree heat.
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They didn't use a lot of CGI for the colors either. They actually painted the road. They waited for the "blue hour"—that tiny window of time after the sun goes down but before it’s pitch black—to film the "A Lovely Night" dance sequence. They only had about 30 minutes a day to get it right. They did it over two nights. Gosling and Stone aren't professional dancers, and you can tell, but that’s kind of the point. They’re just two people trying to keep up with each other.
Why the Ending Still Works
I’ve had arguments with friends who hate the ending of La La Land 2016. They wanted the fairy tale. They wanted them to be together in that jazz club at the end. But if they had stayed together, one of them probably would have had to give up their dream.
Mia becomes a massive movie star because she went to Paris. Sebastian opens "Seb’s" because he stayed behind and did the work. The film argues that some people are meant to be "catalysts" for each other. They push you to become the person you’re supposed to be, but they aren't necessarily the person you spend your life with. It’s bittersweet. It’s also incredibly honest.
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What You Can Learn from the Film’s Legacy
Watching the movie today, ten years later, hits different. We live in a world where everyone is trying to brand themselves, and the "hustle" is romanticized. This film shows the cost of that hustle. It shows the empty apartments, the failed auditions, and the lonely dinners.
If you're a filmmaker or a writer, look at how Chazelle uses color palettes to tell the story. Mia starts in bright, primary colors when she’s hopeful and fades into more muted, professional tones as she becomes successful. It’s subtle visual storytelling that most people miss on the first watch.
How to Revisit the Magic
If you’re planning a rewatch, don't just put it on in the background.
- Watch it on the biggest screen possible. The scope of the cinematography needs space to breathe.
- Listen to the score separately. Notice how the "Mia and Sebastian Theme" changes throughout the film—from a lonely piano riff to a full orchestral swell.
- Pay attention to the background. The movie is a love letter to Los Angeles locations like The Lighthouse Cafe, Rialto Theatre, and Angels Flight.
The biggest takeaway from La La Land 2016 isn't that dreams come true. It’s that dreams change you. By the time you get what you wanted, you might be a completely different person than the one who started the journey. And that’s okay.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check out the filming locations: If you're ever in LA, go to the Griffith Observatory at dusk. It’s cliché, but the view is actually as good as it looks in the movie.
- Research the "Moonlight" win: Watch the backstage footage of the Oscar mix-up. It’s a masterclass in how to handle a crisis with grace.
- Compare to "Babylon": If you want to see Chazelle’s darker, more cynical take on Hollywood, watch his later work. It makes the optimism of this film feel even more precious.
- Analyze the "What If" sequence: Watch the final ten minutes again and look for the specific moments where the "dream" version differs from the "reality" we saw earlier in the film. It's all about the choices made in the hallway.
The film reminds us that while we can't have every version of our lives, the version we choose is still worth celebrating. Keep dreaming, even if it breaks your heart a little.