La La Land is a film that must be seen on the big screen. When it came out in 2016, I saw it at least three times in theaters, and bought it on Blu-Ray as soon as it was available. I have seen the film at drive in theaters in Los Angeles as well. Of course, my at home viewings couldn't compare to the screenings in the theaters. La La Land is a visually spectacular film with an amazing soundtrack. Only a large screen and theater grade speakers can do the film justice.

The visuals of La La Land are unmatched by most films today. The spectacles of the big dance numbers, bright colors, and elaborate sets pays homage to old Hollywood films, such as Singin in the Rain. The film itself takes place in Los Angeles, California. And Los Angeles is the film capital of the world! It is only right that a film about Los Angeles should be viewed in a movie theater. In a way, watching the film in a theater pays respects to the old Hollywood way. It feels more authentic to watch a film about following your dreams in a theater, rather than at home. The film's color scheme is very dynamic and bright. Viewing it on a properly calibrated projector with a huge screen is the best option. On a phone or TV, audiences can't fully appreciate the colors and small details in the look of the film that make it so stunning. Right from the start, the cinematography is captivating. The first six minutes of the film is a dance number scene that was made to look like a single shot. It seems impossible, with the camera swooping over LA freeways, singling in on specific dancers, and weaving in and out of cars, but the filmmakers did it. Other than long oner shots, which the film includes multiple of, the cinematography is beautiful. Every single frame has so much care and thought put into it, that it should be appreciated where you can notice every detail: on a theater screen. The film's Academy Award winning cinematography and production design can only be fully appreciated on the big screen.

The soundtrack, also Academy Award winning, is also stunning and completes the experience. The film is a musical, so the soundtrack is essential to its story and tone. Hearing this film through home TV speakers, or even worse, mobile device speakers, doesn't give the audience the fully captivating and surround sound experience that theaters do. The jazzy, catchy soundtrack needs to be heard through theater speakers.

If someone watched La La Land for the first time on a small device or a television, it wouldn't have the same effects as it does on the big screen. The spectacular visuals would look sub-par, and the soundtrack would be less dynamic. The film is timeless, and it should be viewed as films always have been throughout time. Movie theaters have always been the vessels of dreams and cinema, and they should continue to be. Movies don't feel like movies when watched on a small screen; they need to be viewed on the spectacular screens at the movies.