In the closing moments of La La Land, where the what-ifs and reality converge, there lies a magical moment painted in the hues of both love and separation. The last time when their eyes meet, with melancholy lingering in the air, Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) pass a final parting smile. It is that very moment, that smile bathed in the soft glow of lamplight captures the true essence of La La Land. The scene, with its phenomenal cinematography, leaves an indelible mark on the souls of the audience. The film culminates in that one beautifully sad moment of two lovers exchanging glances for one last time. The smile echoes of a love, that is to be always remembered.
It is the dance sequence preceding the smile that adds profound gravity to the closure. In those mesmerizing moments before the smile, Mia imagines a world where the separation never happened. One must appreciate the brilliant cinematography that beautifully strings the moments into a series of what-ifs. It is always the what-ifs that break our hearts. The scene in the film is one of the most poignant explorations of the possibility of love in the history of cinema. Each step they take together, the lovely sweet dance that fills the stage, all culminate into a moment of climax – when the possibilities fade away and reality starts to stare into the eyes of Mia and Sebastian.
And then comes the smile.
They smile. Their faces lit up with both joy and sadness. The joy of finally seeing each other after years, but the sadness of realizing it might be the last. The simplicity of the smile holds a profound depth. It becomes an acknowledgment of love. The tragic fate of love. It echoes all the beautiful memories they’ve ever had and all those they could never have. It stands as a closure. Though it brings tears to one’s eyes, it carries in itself the serenity of acceptance.
In the canvas of La La Land, the smile becomes a timeless echo. It speaks to the heart, of not only Mia and Sebastian but of all those who see themselves in the film. The last dance, the parting smile, the possibilities of love – it is only through these fleeting moments that the film becomes our own.