Whiplash

‘There are no two words in the English language more harmful than “good job”’- Fletcher

Whiplash surges more intensity and suspense than you could think possible for a movie that at its core is just about jazz music.

For Andrew Newman to prove that he deserves a place in his prestigious music school, he works tireless to prove his worth to acclaimed musician and conductor Fletcher who is hell bent on breaking him down.

Immediately the power dynamic between Fletcher and Newman is made clear as he shouts musical styles at him before leaves in silence without giving Newman any feedback leaving the young drummer confused and drenched in his own sweat.

There is always a tense atmosphere when Fletcher is in the room as he gives nothing away and lulls his students into a false sense of security before aggressively crushing their spirits. Not that he sees it that way. In Fletcher’s mind he inflicts necessary pain to push the musicians to their full potential. He implores outrageous techniques to crush the spirits of the students and will stop at nothing to create the best musician’s, even rewriting history.

In an effort to gain the respect of his conductor, Newman strains himself and pushes the few people that he was close to far away and becomes arrogant and cocky in his drumming ability. This makes him more similar to Fletcher than the two would care to admit.

Between Fletcher’s malicious tactics and Newman over working himself, Whiplash never has a dull moment. With a duration of almost two hours, Damien Chazelle continuously builds intensity and makes it clear why this film was once pegged as a psychological thriller. The lack of backing music in Whiplash despite its jazz music foundation further intensifies the actions and emotions in the movie.

The mind games truly come to a head at the film’s conclusion as the two protagonists put the cinematographer, their fellow musicians and my sense of comfort to work as they aggressively battle to prove that they are in control. The end scene shows one of the many levels that the title matches the film well as the camera whips back and forth between Newman and Fletcher. The title also reflects the physical toll that Newman puts on himself, that results in him being bruised and bleeding in order to be respected. 

Whether Newman gained the respect of his conductor is unclear but Chazelle's success with the film is well agreed upon.