Whiplash is one of the most misunderstood films because people are trying to take the film literally without understanding the symbolic meaning. A very important message is missed out when it is looked upon at surface level without knowing its true meaning. It is not about drumming, jazz, or even abuse, it is about the cost of perfection. What does it take to master a skill, become the best of the best, and are you willing to give it?
Spoiler alert, obviously.
In short, the plot of the film revolves around Terence Fletcher, a jazz conductor, pushing Andrew Neiman, an aspiring drummer, to become the best. He uses verbal and physical abuse to bring out the potential from Andrew, at one point, hurling a chair at him, trying to replicate Jo Jones. Looking at the face value and comparing it with real-life jazz bands, this is a criminal offense, making Terence Fletcher the bad guy. But, this film is not about drumming or jazz, it is a symbolic representation of life. Any successful person in art, science, corporate, etc. had to go through the exact same struggle, or even worse, to reach that level. Life is hard and when someone is planning to become the greatest of all time, life is hell. There is no easy way out, no rainbows, or candies but just blood, sweat, and tears. Nothing exists, but the goal. Whiplash symbolizes the hardships of life, the cost of perfection.
On their first meeting, Terence Fletcher asks Andrew Neiman to come at 6 am sharp for practice. But, Andrew is late by a few minutes and misses the opportunity which forces him to wait till 9 am. He sits in the room for 3 hours which will be termed as psychological abuse. Could Fletcher not have waited for a few minutes, he could have but life cannot. Even a single second can create the difference between winning and losing which is exactly what Whiplash tells. It also shows that those who are dedicated enough to wait for 3 hours get to reap the opportunity. If Andrew had left, he would never have got the chance to train under the best jazz teacher. No amount of words can describe the importance of punctuality and the value of time.
Another controversial scene was where Andrew breaks up with his girlfriend to focus on drumming. The liberals heavily criticized the scene saying that it was not necessary, it was too extreme, and other nonsense. In real life, a person has to sacrifice almost everything to become successful, work up to 18 hours daily. There is no time for romance, social media, entertainment, or vices like clubbing, smoking, etc. Anything that stops you from achieving your goals is a distraction. It could be social media, or friends asking you to come to a party or your love interests. Almost all successful people, unless extremely lucky, had to sacrifice on family, friends, and so-called romance, or at least had people who were understanding of their goals and did not stop them from achieving those.
The third controversial scene was where Fletcher threatened to remove Andrew from the band if he did not get his misplaced drumming sticks in 10 minutes. Andrew rushes with his car to get those sticks but suffers from an accident on his way back. He somehow manages to get on the stage in time, injured, bleeding. He is not able to play properly due to the injuries and Fletcher brutally tells him, “Neiman, you are done.” Many questions arise from this.
How can Fletcher be so insensitive, could he not see that Neiman was bleeding? Actually, he could see, but life cannot. Life will not pay heed to any excuse, genuine or not. If an athlete is not able to compete because of a serious injury, that is the end. If a company burns down, it is a big loss. If a student cannot appear for an exam due to illness, the student will fail. If someone dies accidentally, it is over. Life is not fair, all of the bricks laid can be toppled with no chance to save. Time waits for no one. Your excuses do not matter because there is always someone better to get the job done. This is the real meaning behind that scene.
Whiplash shows what it takes to be the greatest and it is not an exaggeration. There are people, many people, who have gone through 100 times worse than what Neiman had to go through. There are people who go through it daily, not for becoming the greatest but just for survival. The best example of hard work and the ability to tolerate pain is the battle of Pavankhind. 300 Maratha warriors fought against 10,000 Mughals and killed 5,000 of them. The leader of the Marathas, Baji Prabhu Deshpande kept on fighting for almost 5 hours, even when he was stabbed multiple times, soaked in blood. His neck was cut in half, but he did not give up until he ensured the safety of his king. Watch the trailer of a film based on the same incident here:
Today, people commit suicide or go into so-called depression when someone makes a small negative comment about them. The reason behind this is the lack of development of mental strength. With time, the mental strength of the population is decreasing. This is because no parent wants their child to go through the same struggle they went through. Because of their love, they provide all comforts to their kids, preventing them from facing any hardships. Thus, the kids fail to develop the same mental strength, control, perseverance, patience as their parents. This keeps on happening for generations with the effect multiplying each time. Parents have done everything for the kids and the kids waste time on things like social media, following useless influencers, succumbing to vices, and destroying valuable years of their life. Now we live in an age where kids and teenagers feel that waking up early to attend school and college is a big challenge. They go into so-called depression when a teacher scolds them for a good reason. This is why people are now afraid to speak the truth in case it might offend someone. Teachers shower fake praises on kids instead of insisting on them to improve.
“I was there to push people beyond what’s expected of them. I believe that’s an absolute necessity. There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job’” – Terence Fletcher.
Fletcher pushing people to do their best is considered wrong today, making him one of those hated and misunderstood characters ever. Now, people are just not willing to accept criticism even if it is for their own good. They feel that anyone who scolds them, even their parents or teachers, is their enemy. Any bitter truth is termed as hate and truth speakers are labeled as haters. There is an in-depth article on the reality of haters here.
Many people are not getting food to eat, clothes to wear, or a roof to live under. Many people have to walk miles daily just to get drinking water. These people would actually love to be in Neiman’s place. It would be like heaven for them. Only those born with a silver spoon in their mouth feel Whiplash is extreme. Get this straight, forget about becoming the best if you feel that Fletcher was too harsh.
So a big muscular YES. People are sensitive and weak nowadays. Their mind is like a rock and any negative comment, or a bad incident is like a line carved on it that stays forever. A truly wise person’s mind is like water where the line obliterates instantly. At least try to make your mind like sand if not water.