the worlds best puppeteer revels in being a puppet in the end...

Rating: 10/10 (28 January 2015)

Whiplash I saw Whiplash the other day and I loved it, but on second viewing I felt I had to write something about it because I loved it even more.
On first viewing I was mostly convinced that Simmons played a villain. A soulless, malicious serpent and I found humour in his character which was vital as it would have lost understanding from a modern audience without an obvious likability in his character, even if it was through his sudden outbursts, mocking tones, and his hilarious flip from humouring a little girl to entering the room of musicians with 'Alright c***suckers! Listen up'. The second viewing Fletcher became more of a hero, who only shared this egotistical sense of satisfaction in the end with Andrew and us the audience. To everyone else they are both equally as mad as each other. They come from the same cloth, similar to a Daniel Plainview and Eli Sunday in There Will Be Blood or a Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix in the Master in fact is Paul Thomas Anderson sure he didn't write this screenplay??
There is so much life in this film, the music, camera work, story is all fantastic. But I felt so drawn in by its main protagonist, Miles Teller, who (to put it bluntly) smashed it! I feel for the young man not being nominated for more awards but if this is anything to go by, he was an incredible future ahead of him. Teller played a closed but driven individual whom the audience could gain sympathy for. He reminded me a little of Jesse Eisenberg in the Social Network. Both fuelled by a desire that went borderline 'God Syndrome'. The parallels between both girlfriend 'break up' scenes in those movies were clear, but in no way felt like plagiarism. They both highlighted one key fact for young men driven only by success Relationships MUST come second. Or at least that's what people are led to believe if they want to achieve the greatest success.
On second viewing you can see the cogs in motion in Fletcher's mind. He becomes less a villain in my view and more a dedicated practitioner, a master in his craft. Fletcher pulls every manipulative trick out of his arsenal to find the individuals that possess the potential to become a great. If it means cutting the ones he doubts, so be it. He even tugs at the heartstrings when he tells the students about his past prodigy who had tragically died in a car crash. The crocodile tears fell and it's hard to know if the tear was from his guilt or to manipulate the musicians. When we later find out the student died from a suicide.. questions start to enter your head. Did he lie because he feared losing reputation or his job, or did he lie just to push Andrew? Or... was it because the closest he has been to having his Charlie Parker is over and he is sad for his own ego and sense of personal achievement. The latter is probably the best bet.
The story used throughout the film about Charlie Parker having a symbol thrown at his head was a catalyst for the on screen action. Fletcher says:
'Imagine if he didn't throw the symbol at him that night.. he just said...don't worry.. good job... would he have worked as hard as he did? Or would he have just thought.. I did a good job.. and that be the end of it... there are no words more damaging in the English language as 'good job''
Is he right? Is the acceptance of mediocrity crippling the world's future for creating TRUE masters in craft? Maybe...
The constant reference to this story not only gave support to the way Fletcher conducted his business, but it came into full fruition in the final scene when Fletcher threw his own metaphorical 'symbol' by putting Andrew in a nightmare situation. Alone on stage in a venue that could launch him into stardom and Fletcher appears to set him up to fail by making him improvise a new track. Andrew tries in vain to keep up with the up and down tempo of the song. It was almost like this song was written just for this moment. It's as if Fletcher planned it, maybe he knew Andrew was going to walk past the club that night... I wouldn't put it past his mastery.
'I guess you don't have it.'
Some of the final lines spoken by the hero/villain of the film (depending how you look at it), leading to Andrew stepping up and creating his moment in history.
In the end, it was Andrew who would be the conductor, taking control and making Fletcher dance to his rhythm and work to his tempo. Fletcher abode. Of course he did. Even though this moment may trick the audience into thinking it was Andrews's moment of redemption against the evil wizard, it was actually the moment Fletcher had been waiting his entire life for. He was part of that moment and could finally say it was all worth it. This was powerful cinema! And the Oscar goes to....
Lastly, The eye contact and the glimpse of a smile from Fletcher spoke volumes at the films climax.
The subtext read 'You get it, you did it, we did it, you are my Charlie Parker'