By Juan A. Ramirez, A&E columnist

The year 2016 might not have been as strong a year in film as the one prior – the Year of Our Lord which brought us “Mad Max,” “The Big Short” and “Brooklyn” – but some of its late releases point to an emerging field of thought-provoking, artistically sound American works that could launch the art cinema back into the mainstream.

“La La Land,” a bright musical fairy tale by Damien Chazelle, which a year ago might have sounded wildly improbable, has risen to second place on in the US box office due to strong word of mouth and the broad appeal of its charming leads Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The film didn’t leave me in the wild throes of ecstasy some people seem to have found themselves experiencing – the musical numbers mostly failed to justify their existence outside of taking place within a musical, fading in and out and almost apologizing for the genre – but it’s undeniably an original artist’s work, which sets it apart from the million “Transformers” sequels and Marvel movies.

Similarly, Martin Scorsese’s “Silence,” about two Jesuit priests pondering the silence of God in 17th century Japan, feels like the studied work of a director who has taken time to weave solemn meditations on fate and meaning into a compelling narrative. With a name-brand director and stars like Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver, cynicism would have one believe this film would aim straight for the lowest common denominator, but it reaches past those comfortable standards.

Is it a revelatory exploration of the nature of faith? No. This is still a Hollywood picture and leans too heavily on its gorgeous settings and high production values when it should be directly challenging the notions it sets out to dismantle. Though most of the film’s lengthy run time (161 minutes) is spent in quiet meditation, it doesn’t provide much to meditate on – not as much as it thinks it does, anyway.

What’s interesting is that both films walk in the footsteps of far superior, far more artistic and far less marketable European releases. “La La Land” unapologetically attempts to recreate the gloriously colorful “Umbrellas of Cherbourg” from 1964. It’s obvious that Jacques Demy’s radiant, sung-through tale of love won and lost between two supernaturally gorgeous leads did not go unnoticed by Chazelle.

Scorsese, meanwhile, treads the same ground as Ingmar Bergman did in 1957 with “The Seventh Seal,” which also questions the role of God in everyday tragedies. Yet whereas Scorsese attempts to achieve epiphany through large-scale grandiosity, Bergman accomplishes more resonant discoveries in a tightly-packed 96 minutes focused on the struggles of one man coming to terms with his role in the Crusades.

If this reads as an indictment of American materialism over worldly artistry, well, sort of. Hollywood has never been praised for its authenticity. But these two films have achieved the remarkable feat of trying – trying something, anything – a daredevil stunt not often seen at the local multiplex. Scorsese and Chazelle have reached back into our cinematic heritage and brought back fascinating artistic experiments that have (praise be!) entered our national cultural conversation. The results are not terrific, sure, but they made for some of the most compelling cinema of the year, films which people are eager to attend and discuss.

Far from being American ripoffs of European classics, these films stand on their shoulders, bringing us along with them to enjoy the views afforded by true art from new heights. They remind us that, sometimes, sitting down and allowing someone to present us an earnest idea or story, no matter how fanciful or bizarre (or long), can prove to be as enriching an experience as you could have. They mine the wisdom and artistry found in film’s rich history for contemporary audiences, connecting us to past generations and reminding us that art’s ultimate purpose is to visually bridge the gap between reality and fantasy through expressive reflection. As we foray into heady times, we must hope and root for American cinema to rise up and challenge, subvert and test the limits of our perceptions, lest we end up with a fifth “Sharknado” and a culturally illiterate populace.

Realistic? Sure. Likely? In the words of Stone’s character in “La La Land,” “Here’s to the ones who dream.”