In Whiplash (directed by Damien Chazelle) the cinematic conventions of mise-en-scene, cinematography, narrative, sound, and editing to tell the tale of a zealous musician who aspires to be one of The Greats (alongside legendary drummer Buddy Rich), and his paternalistic (and often abusive) mentor Fletcher (played by J.K. Simmons) who demands perfection in his endless search for the next Charlie Parker. Whiplash reaches heights of tension and drama that is palpable, and a physically domineering performance by J.K. Simmons lends animalistic violence in scenes where there is no physical contact between his character and Andrew (played by Miles Teller).
With cinematography, specifically low camera angles and framed shots, J.K. Simmons is shown to be dominant. The low camera angles specifically occur as Fletcher is "on the prowl", and he starts to verbally circle the student(s) he's going to pick on. Then, as Fletcher pounces, the camera angle is a close-up of the student in question and Fletcher's face, usually at a slight angle towards Fletcher to make him more dominant. This excruciating intimacy brings the viewers into the discomforting space of the student, who's reaction sends a response to our brain that makes us uncomfortable.
The sound of Whiplash was most prominent, and every musical set-piece brings us into Andrew's world, first by the amateurish sounds of his Shaffer Conservatory class where everyone is like Andrew, they all want a chance to be in Fletcher's band. Once Andrew is invited to play with Fletcher, the sound difference is upgraded to reflect the higher level of skill of its ensemble players who have grown accustomed to Fletcher's abuse. Andrew's drumming skills are put to the test, and as the movie continues, Andrew's growing pains become our own, and we can hear the difference.
The conflict of Whiplash can be easily paralleled to the cultural ideology of conservatism versus liberalism as encapsulated by this quote:
"We cannot all be winners without winning losing its meaning, because a trophy that everyone gets is no trophy at all." -Morgan Marietta (A Citizen’s Guide to American Ideology)
While it would be easy to cite Fletcher as the main conflict for Andrew, this is not true. He is actually actively fighting against, in every scene, the mediocrity of his family (represented by the image of his down-trodden father [played by Paul Riser]). For Andrew, and for anyone aspiring to be great, they must hold true to their ideal and not let anyone quash it, unless they want to end up being like everyone else.
