How can endless effort and passion to push your limits change your life?

As the protagonist, an aspiring drummer, overcomes his limitations under the harsh guidance of his teacher, this movie deeply explores how endless hard work and passion can change lives, and reminds our society of the meaning of true achievement and hard work.

 

Life often feels like it’s going in circles. As our daily routines become repetitive, our lofty dreams gradually fade, and we become complacent and content with our current situation. There is a movie that I would like to recommend to those who want to get out of this situation. The movie “Whiplash” is a movie that gives you the opportunity to push yourself forward again. I found the movie to be very thought-provoking, moving, and self-reflective. The key message of the movie is ‘endless effort and passion to push beyond your limits’.
I was inspired to watch this movie by a friend who plays music, who highly recommended it as a film with very important lessons for people who play music. So I thought it would be a music movie full of musicians’ struggles, tribulations, and love stories. But after watching it, I realized that my expectations were completely wrong: the drums were just a vehicle, and I felt that the director wanted to tell a story that could be applied to people in any profession. It was about the “endless hard work and passion” I mentioned above.
To summarize the plot of the movie Andrew enrolls in music school and dreams of becoming the best drummer he can be. Shortly after enrolling, while working as an assistant to another drummer, Andrew is practicing alone in the practice room one day when Professor Fletcher happens to walk in on him and invites him to join his jazz band. But unlike other professors, Fletcher was known for his radical and harsh teaching methods. Andrew arrives at the band room with high hopes, but from the first day, he is subjected to harsh insults and mental pressure. However, through bloody hard work and maniacal enthusiasm, Andrew fights back against Fletcher’s harsh teaching methods and is eventually recognized as the first drummer at the concert. But on the day of the all-important recital, Andrew is late and gets into a car accident on the way. Not wanting to miss out on the opportunity he’s been given, Andrew pushes through with the performance, even though he’s bleeding, but he ends up ruining the concert and Fletcher stops him. Andrew punches Fletcher on stage, and the incident leads to his expulsion from the school. Fletcher is also kicked out of the school when it is revealed that a student who was under great stress due to his harsh teaching methods committed suicide. Andrew becomes disillusioned with the drummer’s path and decides to put down his sticks. But it’s Fletcher who reaches out to him again, explaining to him why he’s been so strict, saying that he didn’t think it was the role of a teacher to teach limits, but rather to help him push beyond them. Andrew understands and accepts Fletcher’s request to be the drummer in his band’s upcoming concert. The movie ends with Andrew finally seeing the fruits of his labor at that gig.
“There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job.”
This line stuck with me long after I left the theater. It was a line that instantly made me understand why Fletcher was so harsh, and why he had to be. These words resonated with me. I realized that I wanted to squeeze every ounce of effort I could out of my life, to the point where I was intentionally powerless to find rest. Of course, I’m not suggesting that you put that much effort into everything, nor do I think you need to. But at least in one area, in what you want to be the best at, or at least in what you love, live with passion. However, the current social climate seems to be moving away from this endeavor rather than toward it. Just look at one of the most overused words these days: healing. In a society that talks about healing in all kinds of situations, have they really tried enough to deserve it? I wonder if most people are satisfied with some level of achievement and only talk about healing and rationalize to themselves that they have tried? If the process required to pick the sweet fruit was easy for everyone, would the fruit be sweet? It certainly wouldn’t. And what is it but the greedy heart that wants the fruit to be easy? For this reason, this movie, and that one sentence in particular, was a welcome relief in a drought of healing in our society. I don’t want to be told, “You’re doing great,” I want to be told, “You’re doing great, keep going.” Of course, if you’re going to be crazy about something, like Andrew in the movie, you’re going to have to stick with it regardless of the social climate. But in a society where the phrase “enough is enough!” is so prevalent, it’s hard not to feel demoralized whenever you hear it.
“I WILL CUE YOU!”
At the end of the movie, Andrew finally unleashes his practice, his talent, his madness, his passion, his everything at the recital. The madness is so overwhelming that Fletcher’s conducting and the score no longer mean anything to him. Only he became the center, and the very drumming he was doing became the music that enveloped the hall. And even Fletcher, who was so terrifying, so intent on his own music, so in complete control of the band, followed Andrew’s cues. Every member of the band began to focus on his hand gestures. “I WILL CUE YOU!” was all it took to silence Fletcher, and he continued to play on Andrew’s cue. In this scene, I felt the arrogance and ease that only those who have achieved through frantic endeavor can have, and it was indescribably cool and beautiful. “I WILL CUE YOU!” Only Andrew could have said these words, and he deserved them. For it is the privilege of the earned. When we talk about healing, we’re talking about people like this.
I don’t think everyone should strive to be the best at something like this. The process is exhausting and hard work. In the movies, it’s accomplished in a matter of minutes, but in reality, it can take years, even decades, and the process is very painful, so I don’t think it’s something that everyone should endure and dream about. But in the modern world, even those who don’t try hard enough find “healing,” and they don’t deserve to call it healing. I felt the movie “Whiplash” was a jab at this society, and it was a cathartic experience. It was like it was showing people that “there are other people who try just as hard.”
The title of the movie, Whiplash, means “whipping.” For those who dream of an easy life, the movie’s 120-minute running time may seem like a torment. However, for those who want to discipline themselves and pursue their dreams, even if it’s not easy, or for those who hate themselves for becoming complacent, it will be an opportunity to regain their lost passion and goals, and to get their minds right. As they move through life and become more and more complacent, I’m sure they’ll be reminded of this movie and gain the momentum to move forward once again. Until I can one day say those charismatic words, “I WILL CUE YOU!”, this movie will stay with me and many others for a long time to come.