Whiplash - Movie Review

Whiplash depicts the story of a young and aspiring jazz drummer, Andrew Neiman, who joins the Shaffer Conservatory. There he starts being a student of the evil, sadistic and merciless instructor Terence Fletcher, who uses aggression and verbal aggressiveness in order to provoke his students to the edge. That is WHY the film presents the main characters’ ‘tough’ pursuit of being one of the greats, captures the viewers’ interest in Andrew’s passion and obsession with his pursuit. The tone is distinctly stern and dramatic, though much of the time in the realm of the intimidating overlap with the thriller genre. Discussing the movie, Whiplash, it raises many challenging questions about the suffering and personalized success of the artist. J.K. Simmons takes on the performance of a lifetime with the role of Terence Fletcher, Lea Michele’s cruelly sincere music teacher. The movie rises and falls on the interaction between Teller and Simmons, who provide a lesson in the portrayal of character relations. His direction is unapologetic, the energy level is high and ever thrilling from start to finish, the audience members are held captive.

The soundtracks of Whiplash are amazing, filled with the joyous tunes of jazz. For music in this picture, it is not only background but the subject that forms the plot and reflects Andrew’s inner state and passion in the form of Jazz.

The visual aspect of the film is vibrant, and the perspective and the frame rate of the shots resemble frenzied performances. Every shot is staged, which contributes to the movie’s realistic feel.

While most shooting was done indoors; specifically in the music conservatory, the production design is quite apt for the heist theme of the movie. The rehearsal rooms and stage spaces are depicted as realistically as possible to further make the movie rather intense.

While not being fully effect heavy Whiplash is heavily reliant on their clicked environments and precise edit to up the drama and physical stress of the characters.

Whiplash’s edit is very slick, it keeps in tune with the movie’s musical beats and increases the tension and speed in the movie. The fast moves and synchronization of scenes make a strong and apparently progressing rhythm, which draws the viewer into Andrew’s world of jazz more and more.

Fast movements of the film are supported by either musical scenes or dramatic confrontations that make whiplash so intense. The dilemma is more like slowly increasing pressure, culminating in scenes that are as intense as the topic of the picture.

In this movie, dialogues are sharp and meaningful, with Fletcher’s loud and brutal gestures. The dialogues between characters are full of tension, which underscores the dynamics of power relations and the progress of the plot.

Some viewers may define the technique of presenting the abusive behavior of a mentor as proper and valuable, while others will see it as a sign of pedagodicy in Whiplash. Of course, the movie raises certain ethical issues regarding the price for becoming a great performer which can be disturbing to some audience members.

In its turn Whiplash was really captivating and caused a lot of critical thinking regarding passion and the price which is paid for art. The spectacular stagings remained seared in the spectators mind and provoked thoughts about the limits of striving and the spirit.