Movie of the Month: Whiplash

Photo from IMDb.

Carter Zieger

The Production of Whiplash 

Whiplash is a film that was originally made as a shorter, 18-minute long piece, about an unforgiving jazz music teacher abusing his dedicated student. The director, Damien Chazelle, wanted it to become a full-length film. A year later, Whiplash would be greenlit to become a full-length feature film with a budget of only 3.3 million dollars. The film stars actors J. K. Simmons (known for performances such as J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider Man franchise as well as his voice acting role as Omni-Man in the Amazon series Invincible) and Miles Teller (known for his roles as Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four and Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw in Top Gun; Maverick).

Acting

Both actors deliver their characters perfectly, more so than Damien Chazelle expected. Miles Teller already knew how to play the drums before being cast, and in preparation for Whiplash, practiced for twelve hours a week. According to Screen Rant, Miles’s own drumming made up a majority of the film, especially in wider shots. However, some of the closer shots were done by a drummer double, who was more precise and experienced than Miles. Though he is far from a perfect musician, Miles Teller does an excellent job doubling as both an actor and a drummer. 

Simmons also had a tremendous part in the movie, winning the academy award for best supporting actor in 2015. Simmons, in fact, is also a classically trained conductor. His character is very complex and sometimes convoluted, but Simmons helps clarify the fact that Fletcher (his character) deserves little sympathy in this film.

Summary (minor spoilers ahead)

Andrew (Miles Teller) is a young jazz drummer who is dead set on being the greatest jazz drummer of all time. He attends the fictional Shaffer Conservatory—which is meant to be the greatest music school in the country. There, he participates in the lower, less skilled band, but wants to move on to the best band in the school. One day, as he is practicing, the conductor for the top band, Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) walks in. This is the beginning of the manipulation. In the middle of Andrew’s demonstration, Fletcher walks out, discouraging the young drummer. Later, Fletcher barges in to Andrew’s band practice, and asks him to join his band the following day. 

At the next practice, Fletcher appears to be friendly to Andrew, but from the moment Andrew steps in, something is definitely off. Tension is in the air in Fletcher’s band—and everyone else—seems to be afraid. The musicians are cold and apathetic, and as Fletcher steps in, they quietly anticipate the signal to start—as though one mistake would expel them from the band. The moment that Andrew himself makes a mistake, Fletcher bursts into a violent rage, screaming in Andrew’s face, shouting and cursing at him. In one frightful scene, Fletcher throws a chair at Andrew's head as he continues to scream at him. This sort of abuse happens more than once, but it doesn’t push Andrew away; it makes him work harder. This creates an interesting yet unhealthy dynamic between the two that persists throughout the movie. 

Overall, the film seems to be a warning against going over the top in pursuit of greatness. Perhaps Fletcher is meant to represent the most extreme of our negative thoughts, and how we often put ourselves down as we pursue our dreams.

Review

Overall, Whiplash is an incredible film. The cinematography, especially the lighting choices and editing, was very pleasant to watch. The performances from Miles Teller and J. K. Simmons was fantastic, and both actors create not only a believable, but engaging and entertaining movie. The soundtrack is impeccable as well-with some great jazz tracks and solos to boot. The writing is also great. It’s compelling and reflective, and makes one think about oneself and their own aspirations. Although I would have liked to explore more characters than just Fletcher and Andrew, that is not a huge problem in the story at all.

Rating and Final Thoughts

Whiplash is undoubtedly a modern classic. The themes and performances given in the film makes it one of the best of our time, and one of my favorites to date. It’s not only full of iconic moments but also just a thought-provoking watch, which is always great. I highly recommend this movie to all people. It isn’t just about jazz; it's about the dangerous pursuit of perfection and the sacrifices people make to be great.