Whiplash

whiplash is a truly captivating film that encapsulates the dangers of perfectionism. we watch the character slowly destroy everything else in his life in pursuit of this ultimate dream that is seemingly getting more unrealistic due to the emotional abuse and manipulation from his teacher which he justifies as yet again wanting to push him to be his best. it makes the audience question how much our dreams are truly worth over everything else. however, in the final scene he begins to break free of this need for his approval and disobey him by taking his solo however we see his reverted back to this desperate last attempt at approval when despite his usual inability to keep eye contact, he looks Fletcher directly in the eyes teaching us that in the end we all succumb to the need for approval and perfectionism in modern society. this is also represented when throughout the film despite at the start him telling Fletcher his name he calls him something similar but deliberately wrong throughout the film to make sure he’s aware of that power imbalance and lack of care he has for him so much so he feels the need to force him to care about him. It is little mind games like these that go unnoticed that create this heavy power imbalance of manipulation until passion seems forgotten and all that’s left is the seeking of approval.