I mentioned J.K Simmons (image above) imposing bit part in the movie Up In the Air two weeks ago. Today we get to revel in what he is truly capable of as an actor. This independent psychological drama is as brutal to watch as it is engrossing in nearly every scene. Damien Chazelle (pictured left) is one of the most astute and admired young directors going around. He wrote the script of Whiplash in 2013 when he was just 28 years old. He drew upon his experiences in a “very competitive” jazz band in high school.

IMDB Storyline:

Andrew Neiman, a 19-year-old jazz drummer is determined to rise to the top of the country’s most elite music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons, Juno), an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man’s life. Andrew’s passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues to push him to the brink of both his ability and his sanity.

There is a very fine line between mentor / motivator and abuser. This movie seems to draw that line and expose it for all its worth. I lived as cadet in a Military Academy run by other cadets. Lord of the Flies if you will. I think what this film achieves is a good thing, but since perhaps 2000 I believe our educators have gone too soft and there exists an ‘Everyone is a winner‘ mentality in Education that started from Herbert Marcuse’s ‘Repressive Tolerance‘ book and thereafter Paulo Freire’s push towards critical pedagogy. Meritocracy has in many respects been shown the door. AI such as Chat GPT 4.0 and other such information intelligences could render Meritocracy obsolete in months / years.

Whiplash was initially sponsored as a short film but was backed by the production companies Right of Way Films and Blumhouse Productions to be made into a full feature. It premiered at Sundance in 2014 and won the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize for drama. The film ended up grossing grossed $49 million on a $3.3 million budget making it Chazelle’s highest grossing feature until La La Land (2016). It was shot in just 19 days.

There are other absorbing facts below from the Wikipedia article:

While attending Princeton High School Damien Chazelle was in the “very competitive” Studio Band and drew on the dread he felt in those years. He based the conductor, Terence Fletcher, on his former band instructor (who died in 2003) but “pushed it further”, adding elements of Buddy Rich and other band leaders known for their harsh treatment. Chazelle said he wrote the film “initially in frustration” while trying to get his musical La La Land off the ground.

Early on, Chazelle gave J. K. Simmons direction that “I want you to take it past what you think the normal limit would be,” telling him: “I don’t want to see a human being on-screen anymore. I want to see a monster, a gargoyle, an animal.” Many of the band members were real musicians or music students, and Chazelle tried to capture their expressions of fear and anxiety when Simmons pressed them. 

Having taught himself to play drums at age 15, the protagonist Teller performed much of the drumming seen in the film. Supporting actor and jazz drummer Nate Lang, who plays Teller’s rival Carl in the film, trained Teller in the specifics of jazz drumming; this included changing his grip from “matched” to “traditional”. For certain scenes, professional drummer Kyle Crane served as Teller’s drum double.

References:
1. Whiplash (2014 film) – Wikipedia
2. Whiplash – IMDB