The Misleading Finale of Whiplash

Whiplash’s final sequence is one of the most electrifying and gripping few minutes

in film that I’ve ever seen.

It also feels like a perfect ending to an extremely tense film, both Miles Teller’s

Andrew Nieman and J.K. Simmons’ Fletcher coming to understand and respect each other.

This whole movie Fletcher has been chipping away at the stone trying to uncover the genius

hidden deep within Nieman and once he’s finally given up, Nieman steps up to the plate

and showcases his true musical genius.

And they do it together.

In one triumphant moment, they both arrive at the point they've been climbing towards

and we have the happy ending we were hoping for.

Or that's what I used to think.

Edit of Bobby Knight and Fletcher and throwing chair at the same time.

Fletcher is sort of the Bobby Knight of the jazz world.

Like Fletcher, legendary college basketball coach, Bobby Knight lost his job due to his

harsh coaching style, but Knight is still mostly looked back on as a basketball icon

- a legend.

“It’s almost sort of funny how intense he was.”

Knight literally choked a player - TWICE.

So, although the final scene between fletcher and Nieman seems to be one of understanding

and mutual respect, it also seems to validate the abusive teaching style employed by Fletcher.

The teaching style that earlier in the film left Nieman bloodied and incoherent on stage

and ultimately pushed him to drop out of the program.

That’s not ok, right?

In one of Fletcher’s only vulnerable moments in the film, we learn one of his previous

student’s has committed suicide - citing the intense pressure and anxiety that found

him during his time as Fletcher’s student as the reason for his decline.

Does this news make Fletcher reflect and perhaps reconsider his abusive teaching methods?

It doesn’t seem like it.

Like Knight, Fletcher seems to see himself as one of the last few pillars of the old

way of doing things.