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Whiplash Review: A "Bloody" Masterpiece!

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I have watched all the Oscar contenders now from Boyhood to Birdman, all of which definitely impressed me. But there was one gem among these movies, one I have waited for ever since I first saw its trailer when it was first released about 8 months ago, one that affected me beyond my wildest imaginations after finally getting to see it. And that is Whiplash and this is why I stand before you with this review instead of other movies like Theory of Everything or Birdman (which were still incredible!!!).



Whiplash earned its place in my hallmark of masterpieces and it's a movie I can not stop watching so I am begging someone to please make me stop because this can't be good for my health! The movie got me addicted to it...

I  have quite a handful of movie reviews on this blog (still not nearly enough) and I usually write about the movies that I really really like as I sadly don't have enough time to write about everything I watched, so in my reviews you will often come across my usual statements such as "this is my new favourite movie", "this is the best movie I watched in the year blabla". Whiplash made me realise that I am too hasty with these statements.

Now, forget all those remarks I made in my previous reviews and read this: WHIPLASH IS THE BEST MOVIE I HAVE SEEN IN MY WHOLE LIFE! Just last night after watching the movie for the 3rd time (already in a month) I was thinking so hard about my top 5 list (drama/thriller) and where I should place Whiplash. Why do I even have to think? It's number 1 easy!

After my emotional blabbering about how much I liked and enjoyed Whiplash, how I think it's the best movie ever or how it will always have a special place reserved in my heart and brain and so on and on, let's finally get into detail about the story and the characters.

Whiplash tells the story of an ambitious young drummer Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), who is passionate beyond human capabilities to become one of the "greats" and the struggles he has to go through in order to achieve this goal. He attends fictional Shaffer Conservatory, the best and the most prestigious music school in the country. But he has one obstacle standing in his way or is it an obstacle? You watch the movie and decide for yourself. And this "obstacle" is his ruthless and driven teacher/conductor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) with rather unconventional teaching methods who would give any student nightmares and make them wish they weren't even born!


The acting in Whiplash is breathtaking. It's even hard to call it "acting". What can you say when an actor doesn't play a part but BECOMES the part? Is it even fair to call it "portraying" when magnificently talented Miles Teller plays the drum all by himself while literally shedding blood and sweat? I mean he actually bled on the drum set... Whiplash Director Damien Chazelle's refusal to cut the scenes also led to Miles thoroughly exhausting himself during takes. So the pain you see on his face from excessive playing is all for real. What else is there to do except take off my hat to him? I mean, is there even a line between "acting" and "being" in Whiplash.

Miles' character Andrew is not your typical protagonist. Yes, you will certainly get angry at his narcissism. He looks down on anyone, he really couldn't care less about what anyone thinks and he is prepared to crush anyone that might stand in his way to stop him from taking what he has earned; yet you can't help but root for him to succeed. Andrew, to me is like a hero for being ready to leave behind anything that would even slightly diminish his chances to reach his goals. In a time when everyone is used to being spoon-fed or spoiled for doing so little, Andrew tries to breach his own limits and go beyond what's expected of him even if it means absolute isolation and personal torture. His passion and ambition will make you question your own capabilities and limits, possibly showing how we set the bar too low for ourselves these days and how we aren't even prepared to do what's necessary to reach that rather low goal.


This role "might" be considered Miles Teller's break-out to finally become the rising star that he deserves so much. I used the word "might" because watching his previous movies and seeing nothing but flawless performances in all of them made me ask myself why he didn't break-out beforehand (obviously it wasn't in his control...). I greatly urge you to watch his other movies like Footloose (he is so adorable and funny in that), The Spectacular Now, Rabbit Hole and his other titles. He's been mesmerizing in everything that had led up to Whiplash. To me his "performance" (let's call it performance for argument sake) in Whiplash was so raw, spectacular and mind boggling that I definitely think he deserved an Oscar nod even though the award of his category will 99.9% go to Eddie Redmayne (Theory of Everything). But I still strongly believe that he should have been among the nominees. I am a fan of Bradley Cooper and Benedict Cumberbatch as well but I am of the opinion that Miles gave a run for their money with his role in Whiplash... Oh, well. Hopefully next time Miles!

Though, he is very young and just as his character Andrew in Whiplash has the potential to become one of the greats, Miles Teller has the potential to become on of the most talked-about and sought-after stars of his generation in the very near future. Speaking of Miles Teller, 20th February (today) is his birthday so happy birthday Miles!

Miles Teller became my favourite actor of his generation!
J.K. Simmons' character Fletcher is a brutal and a brilliant conductor who has dog-like ears that can detect a single mistake from a whole orchestra. When he doesn't throw chairs or make ruthless remarks about your families, mothers, fathers; he might come at you with a couple of firm slaps, so beware! And god forbid you don't know whether you are "dragging" or "rushing", better start praying then! He is prepared to ditch anyone who would harm the harmony of the band or risk the win chances during competitions while inflicting endless emotional distress on his students to be perfect. He will not accept "doing your best" either, he will expect you to do THE BEST! While his sole aim is to win competitions and include as many achievements as he can to his reputation, he has one other subtle mission: To discover the next Charlie Parker. The character sounds horrendous right? However, this wonderfully written character will make you flinch and look away from the screen with his borderline psychopathic ruthlessness, yet in the next scene he will captivate you with his elegance and make you gasp in awe. No wonder J.K. Simmons will win his first Oscar this Sunday. It's just a guaranteed win... There isn't even any room for speculation.


The ending may very well leave you in disbelief; even maybe disappointed or perhaps remind you to exhale after holding your breath for so long as you question whether if it was all worth it. There is a small scene in the finale as the sound slowly turns down until reaching to a complete silence while Andrew becomes a monster on his drum kit as we see the facial expressions on each character. Just like all other the scenes involving screams, cries, great music and exhilarating dialogue; this tiny mute small scene actually has just as much to say and its significance can't be ignored.

Andrew bringing it on in his epic final scene!
(SPOILER WARNING) My personal interpretation (I could be wrong :p) of this scene is Andrew losing his humanity and finding his true self he coveted and worked for, his self image that he believed he deserved to have. This scene also gives us a glimpse of Andrew's dad and the bloodcurdling horror in his eyes possibly realising that he just lost his son. Not but not least we see Fletcher's sparkling bright eyes and a smile forming on his grumpy face for the first time in the whole movie while nodding his head in approval. Did he just discover his Charlie Parker? It is up to you to decide! Was it worth it at the cost of Andrew's being and sanity? Maybe or maybe not. These are all up for interpretation.

Whiplash is a very original movie, a hidden gem among all these low quality trash or remakes lying around. It certainly doesn't involve a typical student/teacher relationship either. Whiplash will keep you glued to your seat by building up infinite thrilling suspense, giving your ears a grand festival of stunning Jazz music and introducing performances so flawless that they are out of this world. What's more, it has one of the most jaw-dropping climax/finale of any movie I could think of. It certainly was a ride that could give me a heart attack, one that I will be so glad to take again many times in the future.

Ps. Just writing about the movie made me want to watch it again. STOP... ME.. PLEASE...

Comments

  1. Moda ve Çikolata24 February 2015 at 23:11

    Blood, sweat and tears :)
    For me, the best scene was the accident scene. I thought that he died then I was surprised! He went to the studio/ concert area or whatever and continued to play the drum.
    I congratulate the actor for his performance

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    1. Merve Maraş24 February 2015 at 23:32

      It was a very powerful scene, it signified how little he cared about his physical self and how he didn't want it to be an obstacle for him. He would never let some small accident get in the way of playing on that stage, a right he earned through blood, sweat and tears as you pointed out.

      Miles Teller, for me definitely deserved an Oscar nod. Would he get the award? No, it would be rightfully Eddie Redmayne's and he indeed won; but, compared to the rest of the nominees, I think Teller's performance was MUCH better than some of them.

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  2. Moda ve Çikolata27 February 2015 at 23:52

    You are totally right

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  3. Shamziro3 March 2015 at 19:19

    Whiplash is a great movie - am happy I've watched it. But I'd like to mention few words about two main characters:

    *Spoilers*

    For me, Neiman character has gone through a process of "death and rebirth". But it is not as simple as it seems. From first scenes we see his passion about music, ambition to become The Drummer. He's being noticed and that's when everything starts ... to begin? end? I like the fact one can't really tell.

    The interaction with the girl introduces the element of doubt: is the school for him? Is he denying his Self in order to achieve greater skill? (the talk in the pizza place). At one moment, Neiman indeed "loses it" and that moment marks the end of his carrier with drumming. For a moment, wee see him doing a regular 9-5 job. But fate has it that Neiman receives another chance to get back to drumming. The ending left me with mixed feelings, as there's no decisive answer as if Neiman's ambitions are his true calling. I don't mind the doubt though - Whiplash ended at the time it was intended to end - to show the triumph of human, going beyond and beyond. But there's no answer for example what was the drive for this triumph - ambition to achieve, despite family; drumming being the true calling; willpower?

    Fletcher is so complex - though he comes out as cold and ruthless (who he is) and I hate him for that, it's not the whole picture. No black and white here. Fletcher is a philosopher, strives for perfection, having a vision, using extreme and painful means. We is capable of hiding his intentions, deceiving Neiman about the concert thing. Yet the ending shows what is stronger within Fletcher - the Grand Vision. Though through Neiman's actions, he's no longer teaching ... and what does Fletcher do, how does Fletcher react when Neiman returns to his drums after the humiliationin front of the audience? Fletcher had every reason to hate Neiman, and he did, but he doesn't let his contempt take over - Fletcher not only allows Neiman to continue, but also cooperates.

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    1. Merve Maraş3 March 2015 at 22:03

      Thank you so much for your comment Shamziro and I really enjoyed reading your own in-depth character analysis. I have some things to add to your analysis, thus a very LONG wall of text is incoming so bear with me please because I’ve got some pretty interesting things to say especially about Fletcher and the ending.

      I really loved how you formed your first paragraph. We don't know if the movie starts off as the beginning of something great or the ending of "what would have been" great. This speculation totally depends on how people perceive the characters.

      To me Andrew had only one goal in mind and that was to be the best drummer the world has to offer so in my perception it was the beginning of something great which brings me to your analysis of the pizza place scene and the girlfriend.

      I think when Andrew was called to join Fletcher's band, he had a significant boost of self confidence and we see that throughout the entire movie (family dinner scene comes to mind and the way he belittles other drummers). After being accepted by Fletcher, did he merely want to celebrate or did he actually for once believe that he could have it all? His talents were “appreciated” after all by the best teacher at the school so he thought he was entitled to taking a small break as he believed his hard work paid off?

      But of course that was all BEFORE he actually practiced with Fletcher so he didn't know then that he still had a long way to go which eventually led to the break up. I think his dating didn't give him any benefit of the doubt about his career path. He knew exactly what his true calling was and he knew that school was the only way to achieve that calling. The benefit of the doubt was "dating" and he decided that he couldn't afford it as it would be an obstacle standing on his way to be one of the greats. So according to me, continuing to date the girl would be denying his true self.

      We certainly don't know what drove him to be this ambitious about drumming in the first place but he wanted to leave a legacy, he wanted to be talked about at dinner tables. I think that is enough for one to have the drive to go beyond human limits to achieve something. But if we had to look for a root cause in a speculative way, as that’s all that we can do, I think it stems from wishing acceptance from his relatives/family. His mum left his family, “rubbish” athletes were getting all the attention from the relatives (I assume they were relatives) just because they played football and he was always left lurking in the shadows. I don’t know, I’m only speculating here :)

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    2. Merve Maraş3 March 2015 at 22:07

      As for Fletcher, yes he is a very complex and deep character. We have absolutely 0 background information on him so all we can do is throw theories at each other about what made him the way he is; but one can’t call him as simple as a “villain”. People who have seen Whiplash are sort of divided into two categories when it comes to Fletcher. Those who think he is a villain, those who think he isn’t. I’d like to put myself in the latter. As you said, his ruthlessness and coldness are not as clear as black and white and it would be oversimplifying the character if we called him merely a villain...

      I will start my speculation on Fletcher now, I think he has deep resentment of himself which is why he is this ruthless. I think Fletcher, as brilliant a teacher and a conductor he can be, failed as a player himself and thus failed at becoming one of the greats. I think his self hatred as a result, caused him to be this hateful towards any of his students. He could be still grieving because he couldn’t take that chance, so when he sees his students wasting away like that, he can’t tolerate the whole thing or maybe it is making him re-experience his own failure.

      Now while I believe he might have failed, I can’t really know why. Maybe he thought he lacked proper motivation, so he aims to provide that motivation he has lacked to his students. Ultimately he is actually helping his students push their own limits, the same way he wanted someone else to make him push his own limits, because maybe he couldn’t do that himself. He needed someone to throw a cymbal at his head to become his own Charlie Parker but he didn’t have that person so he took it upon himself to be the thrower this time, to discover new Charlie Parkers as he couldn’t be one himself.

      I could be far off with this speculation, but I sort of wrote this background on Fletcher, which in my head sit very well with the character that we have seen on Whiplash, but who knows maybe he is rude just for being rude... But there has to be a root cause right?

      Now let’s talk about the ending which is my most favourite scene ever! Fletcher had every reason to hate Andrew for telling on him and getting him fired from his job at the conservatory. But he wouldn’t let his hatred get in the way of discovering a true artist. Who knows, maybe he was even jealous of him for achieveing something that he couldn’t.

      Did he manipulate Andrew at the end? Maybe he did, but we could also speculate that he gave Andrew one last chance to prove himself. They were playing pieces that Andrew had absolutely no knowledge of. That was the real challenge to see if he would blend in, to discover if his talent and musicality were enough to get him out of that tough spot. Now, to me that WAS the real cymbal thrown at Andrew’s head. It wasn’t all the things that happened previously, they were merely practice rounds. But in the final scene, he threw the cymbal at Andrew’s head and he expected Charlie Parker’s Bird and he got just that with Andrew’s solo.

      Of course someone else could easily say that Fletcher was only trying to take revenge in the end... I don’t believe that theory at all! I don’t think the characters and the movie are that simple. Just a revenge twist?? Nope, not believable.

      Wow I just wrote a second review :D

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