Whiplash Essay

In Damien Chazelle's Whiplash, the relationship between an ambitious jazz student Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) and an abusive instructor Terence Fletcher(J.K Simmons) is explored. After Andrew sees Fletcher play, they sit down for drinks. The scene begins with a medium shot of Andrew Neiman and Fletcher sitting down at a table in a bar and the sound of Jazz music can be heard throughout. In a medium close-up, Fletcher reveals the news he is no longer working at Shaffer anymore. Andrew clearly tries to hid his relief and responds by asking "Did you quit?" Fletcher goes on to say "Why would anyone would have anything other than peaches and cream to say about me is a mystery?" Andrew laughs at his response. Later, in a medium close-up Fletcher says "The truth is I don’t think people understand what it was I was doing at Shaffer....it’s
Otherwise we're depriving the world of its next Louie Armstrong. The next Charlie Parker." Fletcher goes on to describe in a close up the extreme action Jo Jones Charlie Parker's instructor took to make Charlie Parker who he was. And the turn of events that would of happened if Jones didn't do what he did. Fletcher tells Andrew "Imagine if Jones had just said "Well that's ok Charlie. Good Job" Charlie thinks to himself, “Well, shit, I did do a pretty good job,” end of story. No bird. That to me is an absolute tragedy. But that’s just what the world wants....There are no two words in the English language more harmful than “good job”. In a close up of Andrew silence is filled between the two as Fletcher lets his words linger in the air. Andrew eyes gazes to the floor, and thinks to himself for a moment then looks directly at Fletcher and ask "But is there a line? You know maybe you go to far and you discourage the next Charlie Parker from ever becoming Charlie Parker?" Fletcher without hesitation responds "No. Because the next Charlie Parker would never be discouraged." Andrew takes this