Streaming Gems: Whiplash (2014)
Photo from Vulture
From Shane Conto
What is the independent film that helped set the tone for those types of films over the past 10 years? Writer/director Damien Chazelle came flying into a big market of films and was able to find the right elements to stand out. A filmmaker can accomplish so much with a small budget and the right cast as well when you have the right story. A story that focuses on a dream and the drive to chase it can speak to so many people. What also speaks to many people is when said dream becomes more like a nightmare. It only takes one person, thing, or force to get in your way and be a roadblock that will stop you from realizing what you have worked so hard on. Whiplash is that story and over the past 10 years has become one of the most beloved and praised films in the internet film community.
What makes Whiplash stand out to so many? Chazelle’s direction is just leaps and bounds above what you would expect from the feature debut of a filmmaker. The tension is absolutely unbearable at times. This is a film about music and the perfection that can engulf that experience. Miles Teller’s Andrew finds the teacher from Hell in the form of J.K. Simmons’ Fletcher. The “Not my tempo” scene is one of the most uncomfortably tense film sequences in recent memory. The tension. The mystery. We have all been there struggling to accomplish something for someone else and not knowing how to please them. Chazelle knows how long to hold a shot or how to perfectly frame a character in a confined and uncomfortable place. The music performances are shot with such vigor that it is hard to ignore. The final performance of “Caravan” is one of the best scenes in any film in the 21st century. The way Chazelle is able to captures Andrew’s career defining performance
Chazelle might be the star of Whiplash from behind the camera but who steals the spotlight on screen? Simmons delivers one of the truly great performances in modern cinema. His antagonist, Fletcher, is a towering force of nature that looms tall over Andrew at every turn. Whenever he believes he is ready to breakthrough and become the great musician he believes he is, Fletched is there. Simmons is so great when it comes to balancing his tone and approach. He can be a seeming caring and resourceful teacher but in the next moment, he is the embodiment of brutality. The abusive relationship that builds between Andew and Fletcher works so well thanks to the all time performance of Simmons. But do not sell Teller short either. He delivers a complex performance that sees great intensity, drive, obsession, and arrogance mix together into a challenging protagonist. Teller can be charming in moments (especially with his personal life) but then we see him shatter and crumble under the weight of Fletcher’s pressure. But the combustible elements of Teller and Simmons explode on screen with a fiery conflict.
The direction and performances are incredible but does Chazelle’s script hold weight? There is plenty of depth and complexity in this tight and affecting screenplay. Andrew, as stated earlier, is an impressive protagonist because he has relatable motivations and drive but it is embodied in such a uniquely aggressive and challenging way. Do we like Andrew? Do we want to spend time with him? Those might not be true but, on some level, we admire his talents and his confidence. The film highlights the sacrifice some will make to chase their dreams. Their relationships can be destroyed by the effects of such obsession. We see that with his relationship with Melissa Benoist’s Nicole. We see the competition get in the way of creating any meaningful relationships with his fellow musicians. The tension is real and Chazelle’s screenplay lays the groundwork so he can ratchet up that suspense. This film climaxes with such a powerful crescendo that sees a purely satisfying resolution to the film’s central conflict. The catharsis of the final performance is what filmmaking is all about. Chazelle put the film world on notice with Whiplash and it is a must see thriller as it proves its legacy of being one of the best films of the past decade.
Whiplash is streaming on Netflix.
