Whiplash, a 2014 film directed by Damien Chazelle, expresses the obsession and extreme determination to pursue greatness in jazz drumming. It follows the musical journey of a Shaffer Conservatory student, Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), who goes under the brutal teaching of Terrence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). The movie was shot in 19 days due to their budget, which only made the behind the scenes as stressful as the plot itself.
Neiman’s desperation to become one of the greatest pushes his emotional and physical limits. Throughout the film, he yearns for Fletcher’s approval. Fletcher manipulates and practically abuses Neiman to push him further, insisting it is necessary to achieve true greatness. The sacrifice destroys Neiman’s personal life, relationships, and mental health. With the final performance, Neiman proves himself worthy rather than a break.
The film opens with Neiman practicing on the drum kit, showing his talent for the instrument. His skills catch the attention of Fletcher, the ambitious conductor of the top jazz orchestra at Shaffer. Fletcher recognizes his potential and gives Nieman a chance to join. In one particular scene, Nieman has his first realization of Fletcher’s brutal methods of teaching, which marks Nieman’s beginning of pushing his talent as far as emotionally possible.
The band plays, but Nieman is rushing, then he’s dragging, and then Fletcher is throwing a chair at his head. “Why don’t you suppose I just hurl a chair at your head, Nieman?” Fletcher is aggravated that Nieman couldn’t get the tempo right, and Nieman, petrified, does nothing but obey Fletcher’s orders. Clueless, he gets slapped to the tempo by Fletcher, educating Nieman on the difference between rushing and dragging. “So you do know the difference!” The scene only gets more intense, with Fletcher screaming in Nieman’s face and even causing him to cry a little. “Say it louder!” Fletcher yells. “I’m upset!”
Many scenes throughout the movie are as intense as this one, effectively capturing the audience’s attention and allowing them to empathize with the immense stress and pressure that Nieman experiences.
Along with the intense performance, the cinematography is outstanding. The use of colors throughout the movie was consistent. Chazelle’s palette incorporated mainly oranges and yellows but occasionally included blue and greens when Nieman is shown to be distressed. It was almost as if having fewer colors in settings with Nieman’s intense drumming gave a feeling of being trapped, where nothing else mattered besides the music. The contrast between these colors and lighting balanced the electrifying mood of the movie.
Overall, Whiplash is an astonishing film. There are so many layers to the characters, the cinematography is outstanding, and the plot has a heavy meaning representing the sacrifices one would go to slowly destroy their health for success.
