Whiplash, 2014.
Directed by Damien Chazelle.
Starring Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell and Nate Lang.
SYNOPSIS:
A promising young drummer enrolls at a cutthroat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student’s potential.
“There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job. ”
The above isn’t just a powerfully resonating line of motivation that hard-ass band teacher Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) tells his most promising drummer Andrew (Milee Teller) to justify the extremities of his tutoring process, it’s a piece of dialogue that will hit home hard to anyone that has wanted not just to be competent at what they do, but to be one of the absolute best. That’s what Whiplash does. You don’t need to be involved in the jazz scene or have an understanding of drumming for the movie’s core theme to connect; music is simply the vessel to drive home one of the most emotional and awe-inspiring films of the past decade.
Enrolled in the most prestigious school for musicians in the entire country, Andrew has unwavering ambition to be one of the greatest drummers to have ever lived, and just will not be deterred. And when you take the personality of a man desperately seeking perfection, and clash it with a foul-mouthed, insensitive, angry teacher hell-bent on getting nothing but perfection out of his students. well, director Damien Chazelle has lightning in a bottle. Miles Teller’s dedicated and gripping portrayal of this frustrated and often egotistical drummer is nothing short of one of the most inspiring performances across all of cinema. J.K Simmons is also disturbingly hilarious yet terrifying in what is basically R. Lee Ermey’s Full Metal Jacket role, but as a musical instructor.
Even more mind-blowing than the performances however, is the cinematography and editing of Andrew’s heavy and relentless drumming scenes. The scenes frantically cut back and forth between Andrew, his hands beating the drums, the instruments themselves battering the drums with up-close looks of the marks left behind, and the wounds that are inflicted on the hands during extensive and exhausting performances. What some moviegoers won’t even realize is that some of the blood they are seeing on the hands and drumsticks of Miles Teller is real; the acting performance took that much dedication. The constant sweat and fatigue is as real as it gets. There were actually times Damien Chazelle would intentionally not yell “cut” just so Miles Teller would exert himself even more, making the performance essentially true to life. Simply put, it will be highway robbery is Miles Teller is not nominated for Best Actor come Oscar season.
While much of the entertainment in Whiplash easily goes to Fletcher mentally abusing the hell out of his students in an admirable effort to bring the best out of them, it is Miles Teller who will have you leaving the theater on cloud nine feeling like you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. In other words, Whiplash astonishingly excels above and beyond what it sets out to do. The film’s closing moments are some of the most compelling and gripping scenes you will ever see in a film. As far as cinematic pacing goes, Whiplash is reminiscent of a piece of music, starting off slow and gradually picking up tempo, building to an unforgettable climax.
There is only one moment in Whiplash where it felt like the filmmakers jumped the shark a tiny bit, but the rest of the movie is so engrossing and as perfect as the very musicians seeking greatness, it is easily overlooked. At the end of the day Whiplash is a triumphant and inspiring film that shouldn’t just be viewed by musicians, but anyone who has ever felt the struggle to excel at any given occupation beyond expectations.
Having an understanding of jazz and drumming will definitely allow moviegoers to dig deeper into the film and take away even more, as it is filled with little references and nods to the culture. Most notably is a poster in Andrew’s room mocking rock and roll drummers as those who weren’t skilled enough to make it in a jazz band. The knowledge simply isn’t necessary though and should not push you away from watching. Honestly, it’s so excellently weaved into the narrative that you will learn a thing or two about the scene and the people that inhabit it.
Whiplash is must-see cinema filled with explosively inspiring performances from both Miles Teller and J.K Simmons, If you don’t understand how this movie can connect with millions, then you probably have never felt the never-ending burning pressure that comes with ambitiously and passionately working to be one of the greats at something, whether it is drumming, writing, cooking, acting; absolutely anything. Whiplash is far and away the best film of 2014.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder – An aficionado of film, wrestling, and gaming. He currently writes for Flickering Myth, We Got This Covered, and Wrestle Enigma. Follow me on Twitter.
Originally published October 19, 2014. Updated October 26, 2022.
