WHIPLASH is one of the season’s justifiably lauded new films. It is the story of a young music prodigy, played by Miles Teller, who is studying at a first-class conservatory. Here, he is intimidated-- and that is no over-exaggeration-- by a brutal, bullying, sociopathic instructor, who is played by character actor J.K. Simmons in what just may be this year’s runaway Best Supporting Actor Oscar winning performance.
What is intriguing about WHIPLASH, beyond is quality, is its theme: What price must one pay for achieving great success not just in the arts but in any given field? But also, the film presents a picture of a teacher who is an ogre: a cruel, conniving soul who is not so much mentor as dictator.
Granted, in decades past, one occasionally might find an intimidating celluloid educator. In this regard, WHIPLASH is reminiscent of THE RED SHOES, the celebrated 1948 drama of a ballet company impresario who demands devotion and compliance from a young dancer. However, if you were to survey the cinematic portrayals of educators in decades past, you would find far more characters who resemble James Hilton’s kind, attentive Mr. Chips: a British boarding school teacher who genuinely cares for his charges.
To expand this further, a wide array of films from previous decades offer optimistic portrayals of humankind. In so many films, a troubled young person might he immeasurably aided by a Mr. Chips or a Father Flanagan in BOYS TOWN or countless other positive role models. This was the case despite all the crises faced by humankind, from Prohibition and the rise of organized crime in the 1920s to the Great Depression of the 1930s to World War II and the Korean War and the Cold War.
Today, of course, our world is in great turmoil. But all too often, our popular culture reflects only the grimness and cynicism of the times. So the music prodigy in WHIPLASH will not be encouraged by a caring mentor. He instead will be abused by a sadistic mentor. These days, such portrayals are the rule rather than the exception.
Back in the mid-1950s, the original INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS was released. In this sci-fi classic, a peaceful small American town is imperiled by the presence of giant pods which are transforming the citizenry into unfeeling souls who no longer have the capacity to love. INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS is a cautionary tale: a very serious film which reflects on the perils of atomic testing. But today, rampant evil is all-too casually accepted-- and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS likely would be viewed as little more than an undemanding escapist entertainment.
This shrug-your-shoulders acceptance is reflected by some seasonal accoutrements that currently are being marketed. If you wish, you can decorate your home or your holiday tree with ornaments celebrating THE WALKING DEAD. If you are so inclined, you can click onto the program’s web site where you will be enticed by the following sales pitch: “The holiday season is all about survival. Deck the halls with walker trimmings and frightening lights this year.”
Would you really want to spend your holiday not with friends and relatives but in the presence of a bunch of zombies? As for entertainment choices, wouldn’t you prefer to spend your holiday surrounded by such joyful, heartfelt films as IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, WHITE CHRISTMAS, CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT, or LOVE ACTUALLY?
Finally, would you much rather have a Mr. Chips or a Father Flanagan mentoring young people? Or would you prefer the ruthless instructor in WHIPLASH?
Rob Edelman teaches film history at the University at Albany. He has written several books on film and television, and is an associate editor of Leonard Maltin’s Movie and Video Guide.
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