Fear and loathing in the conservatory

Rating: 7/10 (23 February 2015)

There are teachers who want to be liked by their pupils. They try to be kind persons, because a teacher can get better results when there is mutual respect and positive feelings. Music teacher and band leader Terence Fletcher is not such a teacher. His authority is based on fear, humiliation and psychological warfare. That is necessary, he thinks, because it gets the best out of people.
The psychological war between Fletcher and his pupil, the young drummer Andrew, is the subject of 'Whiplash'. Fletcher humiliates Andrew, but at the same time stimulates him to become the best drummer ever. Andrew dumps his girlfriend, because he doesn't have time or energy to do something else than learning how to drum. He ignores the pain caused by the bloody blisters during the long hours of practicing. When he almost comes late for an important concert, he crashes a rental car while speeding, stumbles out of the wreck and continues on foot towards the concert hall. But when he realizes that Fletcher has pushed him too far, he decides to put an end to this reign of terror. Revenge and counter-revenge is the result.
The film has the characteristics of a thriller, but it is at the same time an exciting account of how far musicians can go to get the best out of themselves. The scenes in which the two protagonists confront each other, are wonderfully intense, even when there is no shouting and insulting or even drumming involved. J.K. Simmons's Oscar for his role of the ruthless maniac Fletcher is completely deserved. Some scenes towards the end feel a bit overdone, but on the other hand, people are capable of extreme acts when pushed to the limit.
Afterwards, you can ponder over the questions the movie asks the viewer: how far can you go to find talents no-one knew the existence of? What is the toll you're prepared to pay to outdo yourself? Is an extraordinary accomplishment worth anything?