Imperfection outshadows intention in 2014’s “Whiplash”

“There are no two words more harmful in the English language than ‘good job.’”

“Whiplash” (2014) is a drama film centered around college freshman Andrew, who has an intense passion for drumming. Wanting to move up in ranks, he is excited when Fletcher, the instructor for an elite conservatory band, invites him to join the team. However, under Fletcher’s unorthodox and terrifying teaching methods, Andrew’s dream of becoming “one of the greats” slowly turns into a destructive obsession, complete with the three-tier phenomena of blood, sweat and tears.

Before watching this movie, I had heard a lot about it. I was intrigued, as I assumed it would be the type of movie to make me feel something, which is my favorite type of movie. From what I gathered, the “feeling” I was going to get from “Whiplash” was either going to be a deeper understanding of the human psyche or fear. And I perhaps got both.

The three main characters in this film—Andrew, Fletcher and the vein in Fletcher’s forehead—all give tremendous performances. The movie is notably low-budget, so it gives audiences the chance to really focus on the acting, of which J.K. Simmons (who plays Fletcher) and Miles Teller (who plays Andrew) are both at their absolute best. Previous to this, I had seen Teller in only a handful of films, in which he portrayed someone a little soft-hearted, and a little timid. This film is a testimony to his range, and I definitely have to give him credit for taking drumming lessons to keep up with his character.

In addition, Simmons could not be more terrifying as Fletcher. His easily-dished anger gave me more anxiety than the three homework assignments I was putting off to watch the movie. I know that Fletcher is supposed to imitate the type of instructor from hell, but I’m just saying: he played that part a little too well. As an aside, “Whiplash” reminds me of another psychological thriller: “Black Swan” (2010). “Black Swan” may focus on dance and “Whiplash” music, but both are excellent analyses of how body parts react to internal passion. Both are an excellent answer to the question, “what happens when passion goes too far?” The answer is: nothing pretty.

I give this movie a 7/10. The acting was top-notch, and the editing good, but not remarkable. I loved the idea of Andrew’s band being a jazz band, but unfortunately I felt that this was a missed opportunity to incorporate more influential and zealous music. I also wanted to know more about Fletcher himself and his music background; did he have an instructor just like himself? Does he hold himself to the same standards as his students? However, its strengths definitely outweigh its weaknesses. it’ll be a long time before I forget the image of a stack of Band-Aids next to a drumset and blood splattered on the snare. And it’ll be an even longer time before I forget the movie’s message: if you’re always looking for imperfection, it’s always going to outshadow intention.