An Analysis of the Greatest Movie You Haven’t Seen: “Whiplash”

By Colin Udall

Whiplash opens to the audience as a film with ordinary tropes. The main character, Andrew, plays drums for a jazz band in college and aspires to be great among his idols. Enter Terrence Fletcher, the greatest jazz director, and leader of the studio band. The film opens with our first encounter between Fletcher and Andrew in which Fletcher shows a small semblance of interest in Andrew. Fletcher is harsh and unforgiving, and the movie leads us into that idea with amusement. As Andrew becomes involved with Fletcher and the studio band, it quickly becomes apparent to us that Fletcher is no more funny than he is mentally and nearly physically abusive. The dynamic between Andrew and Fletcher will serve to be our greatest theme.

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Art is achieved greatness. Andrew becomes obsessed with achieving true art and impressing Fletcher. Enter his descent into soullessness. The film transcends a performance drama as we watch Andrew lose his character from the beginning and as we watch him become more and more entangled with the idea of true art. Fletcher is antagonizing and serves only to push Andrew farther down the rabbit hole. Andrew acts erratically. He becomes unstable with his family and breaks up with his girlfriend. He bleeds over his drum kit; he bleeds over aspiration. Our two characters' tension boils over again, again and again, ultimately leading to one of the greatest film endings in the history of cinema.

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One of the other strengths “Whiplash” has is within its less abstract characteristics. The movie’s acting, cinematography and music all supplement the journey of undisturbed and pure dedication. The shots are symbolic and the music paces the movie. Miles Teller (Andrew) and T.K. 

Simmons’s (Terrence Fletcher) performances are convincing and powerful. All these elements work together to push the most significant theme known to the world of art. This seemingly unassuming movie will become one of the greatest you have ever seen.