Whiplash (2014)

 

Genre: Drama/Music                Time: 1h 47mins             Director: Damien Chazelle

Quick summary: Andrew enrols in a music conservatory to become a drummer. But he is mentored by Terence Fletcher, whose unconventional training methods push him beyond the boundaries of reason and sensibility.

Whiplash covers all the bases of dedication and ambition. Still, it blurs the line between humiliation and idolization through a long-term battle of mutual and self-respect between teacher and student. 

All throughout the film, there is so much heavy tension and you really feel that as the camera chooses to get up close shots of the actors so they feel in your own personal space, and suffocated by them.

This is a little different because it doesn’t have sub-plots like most films. It’s a film primarily about drumming. The narrative is very clear from the outset, this is a teacher/student relationship between Andrew and Fletcher. It’s about hard work and the determination that’s required for you to be the best. But there are a lot of wrong ideals shown in this film. It holds onto the thought that you have to be harsh to make your student good and push them to their limit to make them better.

 It’s really Simmons that steals the show though. Fletcher projects such an ugly persona that you really don’t know what to make of him. You question how he ever became a teacher in the first place. Brazen and Crass at times but seemingly with the best intentions of raising the bar for his students. Though he chooses to scream in their faces until they're crying, throw chairs at them, and force them to play at almost impossible speeds until their hands are bloody and raw. It's honestly like he's playing a game to see who will give up first.

 During scenes with the band rehearsing you see a lot of what Miles is doing on the kit. When the focus isn’t on him but rather on the intensity of Fletcher, the camera is right there gauging that fragile temper. The unique editing of the band preparing their instruments and the precision with which they do it makes for an interesting cut.  Blood, sweat and tears are literal requirements in his company. 

Fletcher talks a lot with his hands, but he doesn't flap about: his gestures are precise, illustrative, with palpable force behind them, as if he were moulding the air into shape. Part of what's scary about him is the ability to fly off the handle without seeming to lose control.

The movie is basically like a pot of water getting hotter and hotter till it boils over. The music and editing fit perfectly with this as it gets quicker and sharper, rising in crescendos and picking up the speed with drums. It really adds to how much tension there is in this film. Andrew practices like a madman and Fletcher does not let go for a second, the ending is surprising and extremely satisfying.

The cinematography in this film is delightful, there are so many interesting and uniquely framed shots, and the lighting is especially tasteful, with many scenes seeming to have a green glow, and it never seems to be too noticeable. However, one of the best scenes is the final ten minutes of the film and the performance of Caravan. The shots of the different instruments and all the moving of the camera really capture the movement and fluidity of Jazz, which I really loved to see. The film is incredibly well-shot, and I have almost no critiques about the direction.

10/10

"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."