Whiplash — Intimidation in Vignette, Liberation in the Final Beat
A deep dive into the psychological warfare of Jazz, exploring how cinematography and tyrant-like instruction push a drummer to the brink of greatness.
Have you ever seen a movie grossing $50 million out of just a $3 million budget, only through two lead characters and a blend of music, portrait shots, and cinematography, focused to inspire intimidation in the viewer's spine?
Well, Whiplash is that movie. Neither crazy VFX nor supernatural storyline, just pure Drum beats (Jazz) with strong psychological portrayals, which are the MVPs or MVFs (factors) in this drama.
What Kind of Movie is this?
The plot revolves around a shrewd drummer, Andrew, and his dictator-like instructor, the great Fletcher. The former got into the best music school, Shaffer. Fletcher picked him for his band (of course, as great as him), a band where only the instructor spoke (mostly cursing), and the members mostly wept.
The rest of the part is a transitory bend in the journey of Andrew, from the ephemerally timid state to the fierce one.
The Intimidation Arc
Fletcher's character design was so bang on that sometimes I felt goosebumps when he was abusing (eliciting true potential, according to him) Andrew, or other Members to the point where it felt I was the one in the rehearsal room.
His baldness, black shirt, silver-built physique & tyrant facial expressions in a focused dark spotlight picked up the arc's initiative.
However, Andrew picked up things from his master, and soon his submission transmuted to sublimation. Now, the student silently gets fiercer than ever, hence, radiating a stronger personality and looking the dictator in the eye. Indeed, the tables turned, but the amount of intimidation stayed intact.
Fletcher justified his abusive philosophy as an instrument to elicit greatness. Andrew's counter was thoughtful and relatable; the risk of permanent discouragement was high in his instructor's method. Yet, I feel so inclined towards the reply, "If someone is really the greatest, he/she will never be discouraged."
Maybe my inclination is a cognitive bias where I want to feel great by agreeing to great phrases. This is also supported by luring cinematography acting as a catalyst. But, ground reality is different; some people like autonomy to flourish, some need surveillance for the same. When a wrong intersection happens, it induces discouragement.
Personally, I am more of an autonomous guy who hates micro-management by superiors, but takes the initiative on my own.
The Slice of Life Subplot
Spoiler alert (not main story)
One notable moment in the movie, aside from the music, is when Andrew interacts with the Theatre Girl, and they end up dating. They went on to talk about their Universities, discovering each other more and more; It was a wholesome and peaceful scene in all this chaos, both for the viewers and the lead.
However, the story takes a more pragmatic turn when he ditches his girlfriend to focus entirely on his goal. This happens to many goal-oriented/ambitious guys, and I relate to it. Yet, this is not the best thing to do, I feel, because you get lows when you need someone to fuel your resilience. This was justified when Andrew tried to patch things up with her.
Highly Cinematic End
From the movie poster to the climax, every scene is shot in a cinematic dark atmosphere. Characters are always under a spotlight, which they deserve, of course.
Therefore, I consider the movie's dim cinematography as a strength that fuels the psychological traumas enough to evoke them over the screen.
The final act, when Andrew becomes an actual drummer in Fletcher's viewpoint, won me over and over again. The whole scene was so energetic that my body started mimicking the drummer's efforts. The music, the camera angles, the expressions, and the Crescendo all converged into something visceral; I wasn't watching, I was performing.
Verdict
In a nutshell, if you miss this movie, you are missing a masterpiece. The cinematography, acting, and story coherently made this Jazz drama a theatre classic.
Maybe you will find a few happy moments, but it exemplifies the notion, "Diamonds are formed under pressure." And that the greats are never discouraged by anything.