Laurel Canyon and Water

As discussed this morning in class all directors use cinematography in their films to elaborate more on a story. They use certain elements of cinematography to make audiences understand more of where their characters are coming from and the settings they live in. The movie “Laurel Canyon” contained all the elements of cinematography that we talked about including music, makeup, scenery, and lighting as well as the component of symbolism. One such symbol that I felt was present throughout the movies entirety was water. It seemed that every time someone was in the pool outside of Jane’s house they were cleansing or purifying themselves.
The use of water in the film was primarily that of Jane’s pool. It is the thing I was first drawn to when introduced to her house. Also, when Sam and Alex are first arriving at Jane’s house we see them pulling their suitcases along the bumpy stone path. I felt that this was important to recognize because usually people go through a rough time and then cleanse themselves to become pure, which is essentially what happens at the end of the movie with Sam. He goes through a rough time at work with his attraction to Sarah, in addition to walking in on Alex, Jane, and Ian. Also, it is after Sam’s first swim in the pool that we see the relationship he has with his mother Jane. This is important to the audience because up until this point I was confused as to why he called his mother Jane instead of mom. In this scene, the audience is also exposed to the character flaws of Sam. Jane says to him, “why are you always stuck on the negative” and “Are we ever going to have a relationship?” However, conducting this scene after Sam gets out of the pool shows how now that he is “clean” he can address his past with his mother.
The final scene of the movie, where Sam hangs up the phone and ducks under the water, mirrors that of “The Piano.” I found it interesting that in both films the main characters use water as a way to be free. I did not like this ending because I felt that the movie could have gone on further. Yes, it made me question whether Sam lives or not, but I didn’t think it went along with the storyline. Overall, I really enjoyed this film, but wish the ending was different.