"Whiplash" (2014)—What It Takes To Reach Greatness
"Whiplash" (2014)—What It Takes To Reach Greatness
+Guest Posts: Movie Wisdom By Guest Writer Aman Arora—Issue #1
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The Movie:
Whiplash (2014) is a drama written and directed by Damien Chazelle about Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), a student drummer at a top music school whose ambition to be one of the jazz greats allows him to endure physical and mental abuse.
Life Lesson: Being good enough is not enough if you want to be great.
Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons): Truth is, I don’t think people understood what it was I was doing at Shaffer. I wasn’t there to conduct. Any fucking moron can wave his arms and keep people in tempo. I was there to push people beyond what’s expected of them. I believe that is an absolute necessity. […] There are no two words in the English language more harmful than, “good job.”
Guest Writer:
Guest writer Aman Arora pens a self-discovery newsletter: Know Yourself Better
I don't know how many times I have watched the climax of this movie. The moment where Andrew's father is left dumbstruck and stunned watching his son’s performance forms a lump in my throat and moves me to tears. This performance was like showing the middle-finger to all those people—including parents sometimes—who tell you to forget your dreams and get a normal job like everyone else to earn bread and butter, and to all those people who laugh at you when you pursue your passions and don't settle for an ordinary life. They don't understand that while having a routine job can quench a person's physical hunger, it cannot satiate the longing to become a genius; it cannot give the soul satisfaction.
The movie Whiplash shows us what a human is capable of achieving once (s)he sets his/her eyes on accomplishing a goal. And how against all odds, Andrew shows the 'world' what he is capable of. He just never gave up trying to better himself. Even with a less-than-ideal mentor who is ruthless to the point of being abusive, who doesn't motivate him in the conventional sense, who at times discourages him as well—Andrew succeeds in proving his mettle.
What I learned from this movie is that to become a prodigy or a virtuoso in any field, one must have:
Strong will-power
Determination
Resilience
Perseverance
Stubbornness
Don't-care-what-people-say attitude
moviewise Review:
Whiplash (2014) is a suspenseful thriller that has an unusual and unexpected message about accepting pain and discomfort in order to excel in a field. Many sports movies that focus on physical skill show this type of endurance and grit, but Whiplash goes a bit further than that with vivid and graphic cinematography. The movie humanizes an abusive teacher, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), and essentially justifies his brutal actions toward a young student.
In the real world, and rightly so, neither the students, the parents, nor the administration of a school would ever allow this kind of violent behavior, or anything like it, by a teacher. But that is, in a way, what this movie is criticizing in an exaggerated, over-the-top, and dramatic fashion.
Because some parents can be so overprotective and schools so afraid of losing funding or of damaging their reputations, it results in students being coddled. They are not pushed to greatness; they are rewarded for mediocre work; and—tragically—they never realize their potential.
There is no way to become great without a lot of difficult, uncomfortable, work. Whiplash is a vivid representation of the physical and mental stamina that is required to reach the top of a field. No one gets to that level with a pampered attitude, with their mommy complaining that the teacher is too demanding, for example.
But it is those few people who endure—who could never be discouraged no matter what obstacles or pain they encounter—who do indeed become great. This movie is for those who understand that.
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Thanks for featuring mate! Looking forward to the next edition.