Whiplash
Without delving into grander thematic values, I mostly found Fletcher’s mentorship fascinating; greatly admire his brutal pedagogical methods, and crave either my inner monologue or an actual mentor to torment me in such a way. Based on a cursory analysis, it seems to me that Fletcher's strategy involves three major steps:
1. Psychological abuse: To expose a newcomer to his methods and the way his band operates, which involves verbal, physical, and psychological abuse. Given Fletcher's prominent reputation, this step appears unlikely to truly dissuade novices, as they would've already been aware of his brutality through word-of-mouth. As such, this step is merely a necessary and preliminary form of natural selection.
2. Easing departure: He then provides his members with rational reasons for departing the band. With Neiman, for example, he praised an inferior adversary of his and replaced him with that rival. He then took Neiman's late arrival as yet another opportunity to replace him, further easing the prospect of Neiman's departure from the band. Finally, Neiman's attack on Fletcher resulted in his dismissal from the conservatory, easing the prospect of quitting even more. The objective of this step, as I see it, is to ensure only those with unyielding determination and an impervious passion for greatness are preserved in his band.
3. Public humiliation: To force an amalgamation of previous misery endured into attaining a climax whereby emotional resentment transforms into exceptional skill. For Neiman, this occurred when Fletcher intentionally played a track with the band in a public performance that Neiman hadn't trained for--emotionally fueling Neiman for the latter part of the performance, the one he actually knew and had struggled for. This led to the movie's ending, where Fletcher, at last, appeared satisfied with Neiman having attained his climax.
Overall, the movie's primary shortcoming is its relatively short length. Amidst ubiquitous brutality, for those of us who yearn for an end to the reign of injustice, I deem it only sensible that we internally apply Fletcher's savagery in that pursuit.