“There are no two words more harmful in the English language than good job.” Whiplash is a war of colossal scale waged in the minds of two egotistical psychopaths who refuse to concede their flaws. It was released in 2014 and, since then, I’ve watched it at least six times—more than any other movie. But the amazing thing is that it never gets old. I can recite most of the scenes by heart at this point, but every time I see it I am still blown away by this film’s quality. J.K. Simmons’ performance is, without hyperbole, my favorite of all time. On a shoestring budget of $3.3 million and only the second feature-length film by the director, Whiplash was destined to be overlooked, but I can’t get it out of my head, and neither can the critics. It won a plethora of awards, most of which are for best supporting actor, awarded to J. K. Simmons.
Whiplash is about a talented drummer named Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), who is admitted into a prestigious ensemble at a fictional university where he meets the conductor, Terrence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). What first seems like the perfect opportunity for Andrew to take his career to the next level quickly reveals itself to be a desperate struggle to not only live up to Fletcher’s expectations, but also survive the constant emotional and physical abuse he dishes out to his musicians. Fletcher is obsessed with creating the next Charlie Parker: a genius musician who will transform the music industry. Fletcher’s strategy is to push his students hard enough that those who don’t have it in them will quit. As he puts it, “The next Charlie Parker wouldn’t be discouraged.” Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker was a supremely talented saxophonist in real life, and not a character in this film, but his musical influence is omnipresent. He represents the abstract idea of perfection that Andrew is reaching for, but is just beyond his grasp.
Andrew believes that music is not subjective; there is one way to play correctly. Similarly, Fletcher is under the false impression that there is a singular method to create a great musician, and those who don’t fit a particular mold will eventually crack. In a lot of ways, the two of them are exactly alike.
However, they have each sunk too far into their hubris to realize these similarities. They are essentially the only two characters in the film; everyone else exists just to fill the room or to further develop these two. Fletcher latches onto Andrew and pushes him to his limit until Andrew’s hands bleed. He physically hits Andrew, screams at him, has him play the same measures over and over and over again for hours, but Andrew keeps coming back, unwilling to back down. Andrew truly believes that he can be the next great drummer, and now Fletcher is standing in the way. So Andrew begins to push back. I won’t spoil anything else as far as the plot goes, but it remains absolutely captivating the whole way through.
The performances are on another level. There are a lot of long takes where the actors are portraying unbelievably tense emotions. Rage, fear, sadness…all of it is sold by the tremendous acting. This battle is waged over music, so it’s only fitting that the soundtrack is among the best ever created. Both the background music and the music played by Fletcher’s band are incredibly impressive, and they often blend together so you can’t tell which is which. Andrew’s non-stop practicing is backed by an ominous soundtrack as he descends into obsession. Additionally, Miles Teller actually performed all of the music that his character (Andrew) is seen playing during the movie, adding an extra layer of authenticity. The movie’s last performance scene was filmed over three whole days, and it is truly a sight to behold. This level of commitment is what makes the movie feel so genuine and honest. It’s even possible to learn a thing or two about music and jazz, although this is certainly not the film’s focus.
When Whiplash is firing on all cylinders it is a drama that will have you on the edge of your seat, whether it’s the band frantically playing on stage, Andrew discussing his future with his father, or just a simple scene of two people, totally different but impossibly the same, debating what makes a musician great. I didn’t come out of this epic journey having learned the answer to that question, but every time I see this movie I feel as if I understand these two better than I had the previous time. I will continue watching Whiplash until it no longer surprises me, and with all of the film’s complexities, that won’t be for a while. Whiplash may be my favorite movie, but you can share your favorite cinematic masterpiece on your BingeRoom page for all your friends to see!
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