Whiplash

     The movie Whiplash is a great but emotional one. Andrew Neiman is a very ambitious jazz drummer studying at a school for the arts. Terrence Fletcher is a genius instructor that takes Andrew under his wing. What ensues is a shocking and emotional relationship between the two that on both ends demands perfection. Let's look closer at some of the scenes to get a good grasp on the film...

    The lighting is what struck me most. Most of the time both Andrew and Terrence are in a light orange type of light that intensifies when Andrew is playing and Terrence is screaming at him. It's as if in some of the scenes the light turns brighter and makes you feel the heat. I imagine this is a subtle nod to the hell Andrew is in. Or it could represent warm and fuzzy feelings because that is what Andrew loves, to play. In other situations surrounding his life, the lighting is darker, more blue and grayish. Possibly to show that Andrew doesn't have the same interest in everything else like he does music.

    The camera work in this movie is intense. A great scene is when Andrew's blood splashes in slow motion on his cymbal. Later on, the camera, in a horizontal angle, shifts to see Andrew's hand submerged in a bucket of ice water. The water turns red with blood and Andrew picks up where he left off after a few seconds and begins drumming again. Through the pain, he is pushing it to his limit to achieve his goal of being the best. 

    With this being a film about music, sound played a big part in it of course. The scenes that most caught my attention were the ones when Terrence would abruptly stop the orchestra every time someone messed up. It gave me such anxiety, one moment it's upbeat jazz music, the next is a screeching halt. The last 10 minutes of the movie barely had any dialogue but it was filled with sound. Andrew is playing his heart out in front of the audience after Terrence tries to sabotage him. Finally, he drums so hard and well that Terrence and Andrew finally see the greatness in each other.

    So in conclusion, Whiplash is a journey you want to take. The story of the student and teacher isn't traditional, but it is moving. Lighting, camera work, and the sound of the film helped keep me engaged and awed. I highly recommend this movie for anyone wanting to experience a visual melody.