Whiplash (2014, Damien Chazelle)

The film begins with a drum’s sound with a gradually accelerating tempo. A famous jazz conductor of the Shaffer Conservatory of Music just noticed a first year young man practicing.

Andrew is a very ambitious musician who knows he has to work hard to reach the top. Being aware of his remarkable progress, Fletcher asks him to join his jazz band…

Rehearsal room, 9 a.m sharp. Fletcher steps in. Everyone shuts up and stands up like to say hi in a polite manner. Fletcher takes off his hat and his coat and introduces our newcomer to the rest of the band. Then he goes like: "All right gang, Whiplash". The music starts to play and a series of intimidations follows… Behind his cool and friendly manner at first sight, Fletcher is a pure maniac in the classroom.  

Fletcher: "Do you think you’re out of tune?"

Metz: "Yes"
Fletcher: "Then why the f*** didn’t you say so?"

(Smile of amusement, after Metz's gone) "For the record, Metz wasn’t out of tune. You were, Ericson. But he didn’t know and that’s bad enough".

During break time, Fletcher approaches Andrew and cheers him up. Back to the stage, Andrew ob board. Go for Whiplash again, with a lower tempo this time. Andrew tries his best. Fletcher praises him laud. Then Andrew lets go…

Not quite my tempo...were your rushing or dragging?

Being sure he has found the next Charlie "Bird" Parker, Fletcher pushes his apprentice over the edge to reach his potential. Andrew breaks up with his girl and tortures himself practicing with one goal in mind: to earn the place of core member, to "be one of the greats".

The strange relationship between a mentor and his student is Whiplash's main subject: both characters who are driven by an uncontrolled ambition and the consequences it may bring.

Whiplash is partly based on director Damien Chazelle’s own experience when he learned music at Princeton High School. In my opinion, it is absolutely the best jazz music film ever written. The script and the music are flawless (wow the music !!!) but above all, the lead actors provided a great deal of work to deliver top notch performances.