Cinema musical "La La Land": The soundtrack tells the story
13/01/2017
written by Mohan Mani
"La La Land", which has just been released in Swiss cinemas, is the talk of the town at the moment and is a candidate for several Oscars. The soundtrack is also special - it guides you through the story in the style of 50s musicals. Our album of the week.
The "La La Land" soundtrack (Universal Music/ Interscope Records) contains the songs as well as segments from the instrumental score by Justin Hurwitz.
The story is about hopeful actress Mia (Emma Stone), who meets and falls in love with jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) in Los Angeles. But the two lovebirds have almost no time for each other due to casting and other stresses.
The opening number with the song "Another Day of Sun" sets the musical tone right from the start: When a freeway traffic jam in Los Angeles suddenly turns into a perfectly choreographed show revue, you can't help but sway along.
The second piece, "Someone in the Crowd", expresses the dilemma of young Hollywood artists who have to cope with a social and professional life that often threatens their very existence. In the film, Mia prepares for a glamorous party with her roommates, enjoys the hustle and bustle in a posh glass house and finally jumps into the pool. The song lyrics are unmistakable: "What am I giving up for my dreams? Do I party? Or do I stay at home and work on my career and art?"
Singer/songwriter John Legend (center) can be seen in a supporting role.
Performance by John Legend
The song "A Lovely Night", in which Mia and Sebastian find each other in song and dance high above the big city of Los Angeles, is downright magical. The film sequence, which lasts several minutes, was perfectly rehearsed to match the rhythm of the song and shot in a single take.
The performance by singer and songwriter John Legend is also successful. He plays the musician Keith, who takes Sebastian into his up-and-coming band "The Messengers" and distracts him from his love for Mia. With the song "Start a Fire", he confronts the musician Sebastian with the question of how pop he wants to become; in other words, how far he is prepared to move away from his beloved jazz in order to be professionally successful.
Newly in love at the movies: Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling)
Songs instead of dialog
Conclusion: In contrast to classic soundtracks (such as "Moulin Rouge"), which use songs purely to set the mood, the "La La Land" songs are the linchpin of the entire musical. Their lyrics guide us through the plot and even replace spoken dialog in many places. This narrative form also won over the Golden Globes jury, who recently honored not only the score composer Justin Hurwitz, but also the song "City of Stars". It is expected that "La La Land" will be honored with several trophies at the Oscars on 26 February 2017.
