A Brutal Character

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2015)

A previous reviewer mention Full Metal Jacket, the Kubrick film about the vicious Drill Sergeant who dehumanizes his men, but one of those men in particular. However, in that movie, the young Marine probably had no business being where he was. Here, a young man wants to be a drummer who will be remembered, like Gene Krupa or Buddy Rich. He has awesome ability which is recognized by Fletcher (Academy Award winner J. K. Simmons). His method involves brutalizing and horrifying his charges and humiliating them in front of their peers. People know he's the best there is, but what a price to pay. He justifies his intensity by repeating some incident where another band member threw cymbal at Charlie Parker's head. While this is good entertainment, if we were to look into the successes of many great performers, most of them were never terrorized. The drumwork is astounding, but all the bleeding is pretty far fetched. Ask some drummers you know. The final scene is all Hollywood as most reality goes out the window. Still, if you buy into the possibility that such a psychotic can command these musicians, it's very entertaining. The drumming is beyond belief, although I'm sure there were some strategic cuts along the way.