PinkGlitter

I actually take a different stance on this movie. I think eventually Richard set out not to be an amazing drummer, but specifically to prove himself as an amazing drummer to a man that kept knocking his ego down. It wasn't about being great on the drums so much as it was about winning approval from a man he deeply admired and looked up to. At some point or another for me the movie stopped being about Richard becoming a great drummer, and took a heavy, closed, and narrow (purposefully so) focus on the relationship between teacher and student. The same relationship dynamic could have been applied to many different activities (e.g. martial arts, military training). After all, what was there stopping Richard from being a great drummer without Fletcher, through some other means? If he had that strong a drive for being great on the drums, he could have found another way, but instead he kept going back to prove himself to Fletcher. That's my two cents anyway. The movie was a very uncomfortable but gripping watch. I read a great review article which ended by saying that really this was a horror movie, and nothing at all to do with being a drummer in the jazz industry. The final scene where their eyes meet was described as the moment that 'the psychopath finds his successor'. http://theconversation.com/whiplash-is-a-horror-film-so-jazz-critics-should-stop-worrying-36156

Interesting thread. I definitely support MMX2010's views.