Blog Post #3: Relationships Between Shots

Whiplash tells the story of Andrew Neiman, an aspiring young musician who is determined to become one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.  But before he can make it to the top, he must overcome the sadistic teaching tactics of Terence Fletcher, a renowned figure in the industry. In 2015 the film won an Oscar for "Best Editing," among other categories. The following scene completely proves why; the camera work perfectly captures the relationships between the characters and the student-teacher dynamic that Fletcher creates in the classroom.  Some of the very first shots are closeups of the drums and fingers playing the saxophone, which automatically allows for us to see the intensity of the music and the preciseness of playing.  The tracking shot zooms in on Fletcher, approaching him from below and slowly rising to eye level.  This completely accentuates his dominance over the class.  The camera then moves towards the students at a lower angle and across the classroom.  It loops around and zooms in on Andrew until Fletcher suddenly stops the music. With a quick cut to Andrew's reaction, the tension in the room is fully confirmed. As Fletcher begins to address the class, we see a shot of one student's reaction from above, further emphasizing his power.  As he picks out the student he is about to humiliate, a similar shot occurs. This time, the shot of "Elmer Fudd" is almost from below.  We are fully witnessing his shame.  Fletcher continues to be shot powerfully; he even says "Look up here.  Look at me."  As he screams at his traumatized student the angle is then shot from the side, and as he walks away there is a rack focus onto Andrew watching from a distance.  Although he wasn't the victim this time, he's fully aware of Fletcher's unpredictability and brutality.