Whiplash

December 2023 I made my embark of obsessive  film reviewing and I’d say I only really enabled the depths of it in recent months. I last watched Whiplash on my 19th birthday in which I certainly recall loving it, especially the final scene where I received chills throughout. However I’d still argue that after reevaluating, I’d suppress that I originally did not grasp the larger picture and therefore lead to blinding me of the full complexities of this masterpiece.  The term ‘Whiplash’ is commonly used to describe the rapid motion of a damaged muscle or ligament, typically in the neck, particularly caused from a rear-end car crash. The utility of this I love, as the addition of a car crash was used to present the lengths Andrew was willing to go through for his obsession, and who doesn’t love a good old hyperlink (English language A-level coming in clutch). The theme of obsession also consists with the films theme of self destruction, in which I mostly observed in a highly frozen state due to how drawn I was to the intensity of how apprehensible they delivered it.Terence is a common catalyst to Andrew, needed in order to fulfil his potential and to drive him to the final state we see him in. From the beginning of the film Terence has complete control over Andrew, he has the handle of his passion and his desired future in the palm of his hands, in which he uses to completely manipulate him for his own personal gain. (Terence is a sociopathic perfectionist who wants nothing but the success of his band and to find the students to bring him this desire). This is where the depths of Andrew’s obsession are reactant, his need for admiration from Terence completely takes over, leading him to a complete loss of character. Ruining of relationships, a declining mental turmoil and gain in physical injuries are all major impacts he undermines on his relentless pursuit of drumming excellence.  The finale scene I have always loved, from its basic picture it would seem as a happily ever after vibe, Andrew reaches the top, which is what him and us have been wanting from the beginning. It shows a complete shift in control of power, Andrew steals the stage and evidently removes all the power Terence has over him. He not only earns the respect but he overcomes it, getting exactly what he wants and more. However it all links back to the films main themes, obsession is dark and is not good for an individual to maintain, the tear it can cause in ones character can begin complete immolation. The self destruction Andrew absorbs leaves him with a huge loss of who he was, intentionally creating his mind to be seen as a completely dysfunctional consciousness. In the final scene we still see him committing to impress Terence, even after all the lunacy he put him through, thus causing the look of horror we see on the fathers face and consequently leaving the question- he’s obtained the greatness, but at what cost? So glad I rewatched this, it was absolutely phenomenal, even if I fear my pal @thejiggilyman didn’t grasp it as much as I’d hoped. Possibly my favourite performances from actors that I’ve ever seen, such passionate anger so beautifully correlated with a film tied to passion.  Films it reminded me of:500 Days of Summer (2009)- the colouring.Nightcrawler (2014)Sound of Metal (2019)Magazine Dreams (2023)