WHIPLASH: A Story of Anger and Ambition

Why do we strive for greatness? What pushes someone to practice something over and over, until his hands bleed, until he perfects it? Can this intensity be brought out in all of us? Whiplash is a portrait of a young jazz drummer, Andrew Neyman, who possesses this drive to such a degree that everything else in his life is just background noise. The film contains superb acting performances, stylish but effective cinematography, and an upbeat, unpredictable nature that resembles the very essence of jazz itself.

Drummer Boy

At the start of Whiplash, Andrew Neyman is entering his first semester at the fictional Shaffer Conservatory in New York City. His talent and obsessive work ethic quickly earn the attention of the school’s most rigorous conductor, Terrence Fletcher, who gives Andrew a shot in the competition studio band. Things quickly heat up: personalities clash, monologues are delivered, and frustration ensues.

Andrew’s rise to success is hindered by obstacles and tough decisions that force him to give up everything that distracts him from drumming. Fletcher’s method demands it. Andrew knows that the slightest mistake in competition or the practice room will cost him his spot in the band, and this limited opportunity is his inspiration.

From competition to rehearsal to social interaction, Whiplash explores Andrew’s coming of age with gripping dialogue, camerawork, and of course music. As intense as Gone Girl and as witty as Birdman, this film should not be missed and will be an inspiration to anyone who has ever dreamed of greatness.

Indie Filmmaker Makes it to Hollywood

Whiplash is written and directed by Damien Chazelle, a young Harvard grad with only one previous directing credit – a 2009 independent film called Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench. Like Whiplash after it, Guy and Madeline is centered around musicianship, and despite having a much lower budget than Whiplash, Chazelle‘s debut is still promising and shows his potential for creating compelling narratives centered around jazz. If Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench is Chazelle‘s first born child, then Whiplash is its bigger, bolder, meaner, higher-achieving younger sibling.

The flow of the movie shifts speeds back and forth: from long scenes of high-tension dialogue to fast paced quick sections highlighting Andrew’s hypnotic practicing. We are constantly shuffled back and forth between the two types – each scene that moves the plot forward is separated by Andrew practicing or studying the drums religiously. Some of the best shots come during the playing of music in the film. The camera swoops around the band to the beat of the music (which is exciting and layered), then pulls to the back of the concert hall, then immediately cuts all the way in to Andrew’s face through a window between two cymbals. This camera work complements the intensity and rhythm of the film and its soundtrack.

My favorite shot in the film was the one in which the camera is positioned directly above Andrew’s drum set, looking straight down from the top. As he plays, we can see how fast his sticks fly around the entire kit, and how his whole body gets involved in the percussion. Miles Teller is actually playing the drums in these sequences, which make them all the more vivid and impressive. While the cinematography and editing are great in Whiplash, it is unlikely that they will surpass those of Birdman or Boyhood at the Academy Awards this year. All in all, Whiplash is a great sophomore effort from Damien Chazelle which demonstrates his directing and writing competence.

Young Talent Meets Experience

Everybody has encountered an intimidating figure of authority whether it be a teacher, coach, or employer. They may abuse their power or make you psychologically uncomfortable, which can have serious affects on your behavior and performance. That is how Fletcher operates, by getting inside the brain of his pupils and forcing them to overcome his dominance. Andrew rises to this challenge, meeting Fletcher’s expectations and refusing to be bossed around. This Andrew vs. Fletcher conflict provides the film’s best scenes, and the way that their relationship develops and changes throughout the film is captivating.

Such captivation can only exist with convincing acting, and fortunately this is Whiplash‘s strongest quality. Miles Teller, as Andrew, does a very good job of toeing the line between complete jerk/obsessor and someone we want to see succeed because of how badly he himself wants to succeed. He shifts between intensity, focus, explosiveness, and reservation fluidly and convincingly. Additionally, the fact that Teller is actually playing the drums throughout the film reflects work ethic of the same caliber as his character’s. He reportedly rehearsed for three hours a day for two months in preparation for shooting, which certainly payed off. Teller is an emerging superstar. He has accumulated leading roles in many significant teenaged-oriented films such as Footloose, Project X, and Divergent. It is great to see him step into more serious territory with Whiplash, and I am definitely interested to see in which directions his career moves going forward.

While Teller is good, the standout performance of Whiplash comes from J. K. Simmons in an Oscar-nominated role of a lifetime. Simmons‘ Terrence Fletcher is tyrannical and cruel to the point of irrationality – he repeatedly humiliates, demotes and belittles his students. However, Fletcher’s character is more multidimensional than that, and thanks to Chazelle‘s writing does not become a caricature of the cruel, outdated instructor typically seen in music and sports films. Instead we are exposed to Fletcher behind the scenes, and come to realize his passion and dedication to music. This passion manifests itself as his persona of the volatile, Full Metal Jacket–esque drill sergeant while conducting the studio band, but on a deeper level it really reflects his own thirst for excellence and disgust for failure – just like Andrew. Each scene with J. K. Simmons in Whiplash is engrossing and awe-inspiring, and in my opinion he certainly deserves the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Pushed Too Hard

Whiplash is an excellent film, one of the best of 2014, but like all movies it has its shortcomings. For one, the relationship between Andrew and his father was introduced early on in the film but was never really developed or resolved. Andrew’s father is a failed writer turned high school teacher, exemplifying Andrew’s idea of an average, unimportant life. The ways in which Andrew resists his father’s advice and affection is saddening and highlights his obsessive, ambitious nature. This is a very interesting relationship that could have added another layer to the film, but unfortunately feels pushed off to the side and never really addressed or concluded.

Secondly, some of the plot points in the film, and I do not want to give anything away here, occur under such ridiculous and coincidental circumstances that they took me out of the experience and made me question if what was happening made any sense. Especially towards the end (you’ll know what I’m talking about once you watch it) I felt myself being pulled out of an otherwise engrossing and spectacular film and thinking about how unlikely a certain event and its aftermath seemed. With that in mind, it’s still a movie, free from the constraints of mundane reality. There is an undeniable spirit in this film. Chazelle in his writing has constructed some spectacular scenes and set pieces, but may have overextended himself and the plot a little too far.

But that’s the theme of Whiplash: to push yourself further than you ever imagined possible, and for that the film’s ambition is commendable. Again, these are minor complaints, Whiplash is amazingly deep in its 107 minute running time, they just seem like details that could have easily been addressed.

The American Dream

Andrew and Fletcher share an intensity that is unmatched by most people. It causes them to alienate themselves and harm the ones they care about as they pursue perfection. Whiplash does not idolize them for this, nor does it vilify them, Damien Chazelle paints a picture into their world and how the pursuit of success tramples most other qualities of life.

But is this personal success worth the loss of love, friendship, and leisurely happiness? Surely Andrew and Fletcher would be incapable of surviving without a passion or focus. This hyperactivity and dedication reflects the pressures put on Americans to succeed in their professional field. It is a society in which kids are over-prescribed “focus pills” like Adderall and Ritalin to do well in school and set themselves up for success.  It is a culture that worships the rich, where the ultra high functioning individuals rise to the top. It does not matter where you’re from or what your values are, the ones who beat out the competition and perform at the highest level take home the prize.

In one philosophical dinner scene, Andrew says to his uncle, “I’d rather die drunk, broke at 34 and have people at a dinner table talk about me than live to be rich and sober at 90 and nobody remember who I was.” His uncle responds, “But your friends will remember you, that’s the point.”

Be Who You Want To Be

Should life be about being the greatest? Is fame, perfection, and adoration the real goal of our society? Should we abandon ethical treatment of others in order to attain this success? Whiplash does not answer these questions. What it does do is present the affects of this societal pressure on high-achieving individuals. This is something that many of us can relate to – the fear of being average. Do you accept your mediocrity, or do you strive to escape it?

It’s not a perfect movie, and may not be as game-changing as some other big releases this year, but Whiplash is a stylish, engrossing, amazingly-acted film that everyone should experience, jazz fan or not. Because at its core Whiplash is not only about jazz: it’s about who you want to be.

What did you think about Whiplash? Do Andrew and Fletcher take it too far? Is J. K. Simmons about to be propelled into the A-list company of actors? Leave your comments below!

(top image source: Sony Pictures Classic)