Here, we present to you a list of questions and elementary thought experiments that will act as your reference material after you have watched – WHIPLASH.
What really stands out in the film from a story standpoint?
(doesn’t deviate into unnecessary sub-plots, simplistic characters and plot, and builds onto them)
- Why does this movie motivate you? What does it motivate you towards?
- How will you define the genre of the movie?
Andrew
- What makes Andrew different from the rest of the drummers/musicians?
(Essentially, it’s not his drumming that makes him different. It is his sheer grit that he showcases after getting an opportunity is what distinguishes him.)
- Attempt a description of him before he met Fletcher.
(Confused and doubtful about his passion and unaware of the path to success.)
- When Fletcher comes in his life, why does Andrew suddenly feel the need to go beyond limits? Wasn’t he already practicing well?
- What kind of reality check does he get after becoming a part of his band?
- Even though we see how Andrew behaves with Nicole, why do we sympathise with him?
- Even though Andrew knows that a former student committed suicide under Fletcher, why does he go back to him? Why do you think Andrew agreed to start drumming again?
- If not for Fletcher and receiving his validation, would Andrew have still gone till that same extent?
- Do you think he doubted until the final act that he could actually be the greatest?
- In the final act, do you think Andrew is playing to prove a point to Fletcher or is it for himself?
- Do you think Andrew gets what he wanted in the end?
Andrew’s dad
“Mild-mannered, soft spoken, average in every respect, eyes of a former dreamer.”
These are the lines from the script.
- What does ‘former dreamer’ signify? What could be his back story?
- Are some people just born to be average? And Is there anything wrong in being average?
- What does the presence of Andrew’s father signify?
(manifestation of society; the epitome of averageness; his dad is the mediocrity he fears)
- In one scene, Andrew’s dad says, “you still have plenty of options”.
Do you think parents and people who love us, are the ones who actually stop us from becoming great?
- In the final act, there’s a close up shot of Andrew’s dad seeing him play from a distance. What is he feeling at that point?
Fletcher
- Why do you think Fletcher resorts to such extreme ways to train his students?
- Why does he become really sweet at times and then suddenly become extremely aggressive? Is he bipolar? Or is he aware of his behaviour and behaves in a particular manner purposely?
- Fletcher threw things at him, cursed and humiliated him in many other ways in order to test his level of grit. After a point, even Andrew started cursing himself and Fletcher.
How does cursing help? Why does it feel good to curse?
- In the final scene, when Andrew starts to play without Fletcher’s cue, he loses it.
But after some time, he starts to smile.
Does the smile suggest that he was successful in his conquest to bring the best out of Andrew?
- Don’t you think all that he did was merely a facade and only out of selfishness?
- Do you think Fletcher learnt anything from the entire experience?
- Would you call him a one-dimensional character?
- Is it a paradox that Fletcher seems like a one-dimensional character to many but comes across as very unpredictable at the same time?
Ways in which he manipulated Andrew
- Scene description: He asks him to play a double-time swing. Then leaves. Comes back after a few days in his class. Asks everyone to play the same thing.
Inference: So he didn’t want to know how good the drummers were. He just wanted to see whether Andrew had worked on it since their first meeting or not.
- Where did the file go? Did Fletcher take it?
Inference: He wanted to see whether Andrew would be prepared with all lines memorised or not, if such a thing happened. As he knew that the main drummer would never be able to memorise it.
- He threw things at him, humiliated him etc only to see his grit.
- He brought Ryan Conolly to play Caravan and Fletcher said he was perfect. Do you think he really was perfect? Or was it just another trick to test Andrew? Why did he bring the Conolly?
Inference: He just wanted to give Andrew a subconscious reality check by revealing the volatility of his position in his band and threat of replacement. This will make Andrew push himself more, even if that means because of his anger on Fletcher.
- In the last sequence, initially he made him feel good, only to give him the shock that he already knew that Andrew had complained about him.
Inference: He saved this for the last and played a song that he didn’t know, to make him feel humiliated and in quest of seeking revenge from him, making Andrew do his best performance.
Scenes that humanised fletcher
- Cried at death of a student
- The way he talked to the little girl
- The way he opened up with andrew in the jazz bar
Andrew and Nicole
- Why is Nicole seen as a distraction and a hurdle towards his greatness? Don’t good partners help you become a better version of yourself?
(She isn’t clear about her path in life, hence Andrew feels she would be a bad influence for him. Also, there’s a scene where he is watching a drumming video on his phone and Nicole’s message pops up, which is symbolic of his situation.)
- Andrew hated Fletcher as a person.
But don’t you think the way he treated Nicole shows how he eventually became like his bully?
(bullies beget bullies)
- Is it okay to not be clear on your passion and path in life?
- What would a sequel be like? What would have happened to Nicole and Andrew?
Things to ponder over
- If not for Fletcher and receiving his validation, would Andrew have still gone till that same extent?
- Do you think if Andrew wouldn’t have seen Fletcher in the bar, he would have stopped drumming altogether?
- Do you think the movie glorifies self destruction and absolute sacrifice in order to achieve greatness? Why are such characters manifested as heroes?
- Why is it necessary to endure pain and suffering in order to become great? Can’t your path of success be full of joy?
- Why is it that crackheads like Andrew make it big?
- What according to you is the right balance of passion and other aspects of life?
- Does the end justify the means?
- Is Fletcher the villain in the story? If not, who is? Or is there?
(mediocrity?)
- Damien Chazelle, the director says that this is actually a love story. What do you think he means by that?
- What would you have changed/added/removed from the movie if you got a chance to?
