Whiplash (2014) movie: perfect performance.
Everything you could possibly see and be amazed by is in this movie, including enjoyable and exciting performances that showcase the exceptional talents of both stars J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller. The thrill of playing musical instruments, sudden plot twists, and stunning cinematography with excellent visuals make it a truly enjoyable film. It features several highly distinctive scenes, which we will detail here.
Number one
When Andrew first struggled to keep the tempo with the band, Fletcher stopped him multiple times, instructing him to try again, only to halt him once more. This pattern repeated several times. Each time, Andrew couldn't control the tempo, which led Fletcher to shout at him harshly and cruelly, even throwing his seat at him.
Fletcher's approach with his band was characterized by harshness. Since it was Andrew's first time under his leadership, he felt immense pressure, with Fletcher continuing to berate him until he realized his mistake. This caused Andrew to tears despite himself. Fletcher persisted in speaking to him with extreme cruelty, sending a clear message that things are not as easy as Andrew might think. Success takes significant effort and practice; talent alone isn't enough. It must be refined and developed until it approaches perfection and achieves full harmony with the band.
For a moment, I thought Fletcher was a very complex character—some believe that pressure and cruelty are tools to achieve success and excellence. Fletcher employs this method with excessive violence and severity. While it can sometimes work and produce results, it only does so with individuals able to endure and even double that burden—just to realize their goals and dreams. Such a person won't become ordinary but will grow stronger and more resilient, capable of withstanding this pressure and cruelty.
There is another reason Fletcher sees for his actions with Andrew: to test Andrew's endurance under pressure and his loyalty to playing in the band. He aims to learn this with great precision and mastery so that he either gains a musician worth his effort or eliminates him completely if he cannot handle what he's done to him.
A very powerful scene where I didn't want to be in Andrew's place. I felt nervous and frustrated as I watched, and I felt pity for Andrew—his coach's strong personality and harsh, provocative teaching style, which helps his band members master their skills, come through clearly.
Number two
When Andrew rents a private car to catch up with the band, he forgets his cane at the car rental office. When he enters the band's place, Fletcher reacts very harshly, telling him that Ryan will be performing with him this time to mock Andrew. Fletcher becomes very angry and says that the place is supposed to be for someone with a cane. Andrew then realizes he forgot his cane and tells Fletcher he left it in the car, promising to bring it within five minutes. Fletcher, however, says that the band is warming up now.
Andrew tries to persuade him that he can use Ryan's cane, but Fletcher tells him he missed that opportunity. Frustrated, Andrew yells that this is his place and shouts at Fletcher. Fletcher responds that he has no right to make decisions there. Andrew claims he earned the place through his effort, and Fletcher says he is only here because of a mistake he made, subtly suggesting that the mistake might have been intentional.
Angry, Andrew insists he deserves the spot because he's the best. Fletcher, annoyed, tells him he can remove anyone from his group and gives him ten minutes to return with his stick, or he will spend the rest of his time at the institute shuffling papers until graduation — or he can let it go and give his spot to Ryan.
Andrew accepted this challenge and threat for the sake of his dream, for which he abandoned his girlfriend and everything else. He immediately set off to get his stick, got into his car, and returned to the rental office where he had forgotten it. Then, he took his stick and headed back to the group while talking to one of its members on the phone. He was completely unaware of the road, so his car collided with a large truck, causing it to flip upside down with him inside.
After a few seconds of the car overturning, Andrew managed to get himself out, covered in blood. He was badly injured, but he didn't care at all. The building was clearly visible just a few steps from the accident, so he forced himself to run toward it with fierce determination.
Andrew entered the building and then the competition hall, pushing Ryan aside in an entirely inappropriate way. He refused to let anyone take his place, believing he was the best, and he didn't care that he was severely injured. This was somewhat selfish and very arrogant, but what motivated him was Fletcher's harsh treatment. He had worked hard to reach this stage, abandoning everything in his life to pursue his dream, and it hurt him that Fletcher had dismissed him so easily just because he was a little late.
Fletcher saw Andrew instead of Ryan but kept managing his band, anger boiling inside him. To make things worse, Andrew couldn't continue, his hands trembling from the incident, causing Fletcher to stop and apologize to everyone there. Then, he went to Andrew and quietly told him he was done. In response, Andrew attacked him and threw him to the ground, trying to hit him. The band members struggled to stop him, then took him out of the hall.
This scene depicts an artistic and psychological conflict between two characters: Andrew, who is trying to hold his place in the band against all odds, and Fletcher, who prioritizes his interests above everyone else's and asserts his authority as the band leader. Without regard for others, he comes across as annoyingly domineering in this scene.
Andrew saw this as discouraging his resolve and a waste of his talent and energy, as well as crushing the dream he was pursuing, for which he had given up everything and everyone else. However, he was also somewhat selfish by not prioritizing the interests of the band as a whole over any individual consideration.
Number three
When Fletcher and Andrew met at the bar where Fletcher works, after he was expelled from the institute because of how he handled the band, they had a very interesting conversation that revealed a lot. Fletcher shared his view on his strict treatment of the band, while Andrew listened closely, trying to understand his perspective.
Fletcher explained that if he didn’t handle things that way, he wouldn’t have pushed each musician to work hard, maintain their positions, or perform at their best. He dreamed of creating new legends in art and told Andrew that tough treatment is what builds those legends. He mentioned Charlie Parker and Jones as examples, prompting Andrew to argue that this method might discourage the next Charlie Parker, suggesting there should be limits to Fletcher’s approach.
Fletcher responded logically, saying that true talent shouldn’t be discouraged; instead, it should be nurtured through steady effort until a musician becomes the next Charlie Parker. He admitted to Andrew that he had no real talent himself despite years at the institute, and that he had not succeeded in creating a new Charlie Parker. Still, he believed that his tough method was effective and that he had at least tried.
Fletcher also believed that his approach was different from most others doing the same work, and he never intended to apologize for his methods. This attitude contributed to his arrogance and the megalomania that filled his being and depths. However, through this talk, he was able to influence Andrew because he had a somewhat imaginary but convincing perspective on his way and his harsh methods with his band.
Fletcher made Andrew believe deep down that he was the reason for what happened to him, even though Fletcher never hinted that he knew he was the cause of his expulsion from the institute. He was aiming at something unspoken beneath expressing his point of view to Andrew, and it was certainly not an apology for what he did to him and everyone else.
Then he threw the nets around the wounded fish who was ambitious for life, Fletcher told Andrew as they were leaving the bar that he was forming a band for a new competition, and that he needed a musician like him. So, Andrew told him about Ryan and Tanner, the other two musicians in his band. Fletcher's response was that one of them was just an incentive for the rest, and that the other was frustrated after what happened.
Fletcher proved to be a true genius in this scene because, with that talk, he was sending a message to Andrew that he was the person he wanted and the talent I was working to motivate and showcase to the world. This was meant to deepen Andrew's feelings of regret for what happened. Then, he told him he had days to consider his offer, and the intense scene ended.
Number four
We see this scene as a symbol of true grandeur and strong evidence of Fletcher's strict style, which created a new legend. This legend is represented by Andrew, who rose up, exploded, and shined in this dazzling and highly enthusiastic scene.
The scene began when Andrew entered the competition hall, sat in his chair under Fletcher's leadership once again, and was surprised when Fletcher approached him. Fletcher told him that he knows Andrew is the reason for his expulsion from the institute. Fletcher then went to the audience to introduce himself and his band, telling them they would be playing the piece 'Up Swinging.' Andrew looked for the notes in front of him and was surprised again to see that the Whiplash notes were right there. Before he could fully understand, the band started playing.
Fletcher's focus was on Andrew, who did not know the tune well. He began to improvise in a confusing way, and Fletcher's eyes never left him until the performance ended. Andrew was still confused and perplexed, so Fletcher approached him and delivered words sharper than a sword, telling him he might not have it. He certainly meant the talent that makes legends in this world. This prompted Andrew to get up and leave in terrible frustration, leaving the theater silent as Andrew was lost in internal turmoil.
Andrew quickly left to find his father at the door, hugged him tightly while sensing his unnatural pain and frustration, and told him to leave. But Andrew took several steps back, then turned and went back to the stage.
Let's pause here to examine what Fletcher did to Andrew and what he intended by it. Essentially, there are two aspects: first, to determine the truth about Andrew's talent, and if the outcome is negative, then to humiliate Andrew and seek revenge for what he did to Fletcher. Fletcher briefly believed he had uncovered the truth.
Andrew sat on his chair, and Fletcher was surprised by him, but he tried to address the audience watching the competition and tell them about the next piece. Then it was his turn to be surprised again when Andrew started playing alone and without introduction.
Fletcher's features and body language showed anger, along with the confusion and embarrassment Andrew caused. However, he had no choice but to keep leading the band, and he was affected by Andrew's actions. Then, the band started to play one after another, so Fletcher approached Andrew and whispered some threatening words to him, but Andrew ignored him and continued playing with the band.
Fletcher began to blend in with the band and with Andrew in particular, and a slight smile started to appear on his lips, indicating his satisfaction and comfort. Harmony with the playing began to influence Fletcher's movements on stage, and his continuous signals to Andrew, as a seasoned leader, persisted until the moment came to end the piece. Fletcher raised his hand to signal the ending, but Andrew did not stop. The scene darkened briefly on Fletcher's upset face, then lit up again, showing Andrew continuing to play and lead.
It was unusually exciting and crazy, and Andrew was filled with a spirit of challenge, creativity, self-assertion, and recognition of his great talent. Fletcher approached him to ask what he was doing, and Andrew replied that he would tell him, and he meant in the language of playing, so he continued to speed up the rhythm forcefully. Fletcher immediately understood and started to get excited, signaling to the band to get ready at his cue.
Andrew's father watched what was happening. He was amazed by Andrew's unexpected performance, but his eyes held sadness because he believed that art legends often end early or die tragically. At that moment on the stage, he saw Andrew following the same path.
Andrew's forehead was drenched in sweat, falling onto the instruments and almost drowning them, but he didn't care at all. All his senses fused into one with the drums he was playing. Then Fletcher arrived, whose enthusiasm outstripped Andrew's many times over, and began signaling him to slow down the rhythm. From there, Andrew gradually reduced the tempo until he reached the minimum. Fletcher then signaled him to gradually pick up the pace again, and he did so until they reached the peak once more, this time at an unusual speed.
Fletcher, in response, took off his jacket and threw it aside, merging with Andrew through his hand signals and body movements. Andrew maintained this speed for a few seconds before suddenly stopping and looking questioningly at Fletcher, whose lips didn’t move but whose eyes seemed to smile in satisfaction. He nodded at Andrew, indicating he had achieved the desired result. Andrew responded with a satisfied smile. Fletcher then gave a final nod to Andrew and his band, and they finished playing the piece beautifully together.
Last word
Motivating and provoking a person's talents to shine is important in any work that involves showcasing talent, even though the method used here was harsh. Ultimately, it bore fruit, but it does not eliminate the presence of a psychological issue with Fletcher, who expelled one of his band members merely to prove he was unaware of his mistake or that of another person.
His attempt to seek revenge by humiliating Andrew on stage backfired, ultimately leading to his own success in unleashing Andrew's talent. With his determination to accept the challenge and succeed, Andrew aimed to make Fletcher regret his actions, which pushed Fletcher to work harder to prove his method's effectiveness and helped Andrew discover his hidden talent.
Comments
Post a Comment