- Joined
- Jan 15, 2007
- Messages
- 56,138
- Reaction score
- 20,808
Finally got around to watching Whiplast from 2014 and was very pleasantly supprised, I didn't think it would take things as far as it did with JK SImmons arguably beating the late R.Lee Ermey at his own game as a soul crushing mentor. Besides that it does also kind of strike as rather similar to Black Swan given a masculine twist with the same chase for artistic perfection and the potential cost of it.
Beyond the films quality one thing that stood out for me as well as a film that walked a very interesting line politically/morally quite in tune with a lot of debates this forum seems to have, Simmon's character is basically a "Dr Peterson" style motivator pushing for personal achievement no matter the cost yet we don't really get a final judgement on him.
To get more specific possible into spoiler range....
Beyond the films quality one thing that stood out for me as well as a film that walked a very interesting line politically/morally quite in tune with a lot of debates this forum seems to have, Simmon's character is basically a "Dr Peterson" style motivator pushing for personal achievement no matter the cost yet we don't really get a final judgement on him.
To get more specific possible into spoiler range....
He explains his methods openly during the jazz club scene but I think theres a deliberate lack of self awareness to him with regards to any cost which obviously leads into the finale. We see what looks him a vengeful setup of the protagonist to fail yet equally this can be taken as a final ruthless push towards excellence with its ultimately achieved with him actively assisting.
The question as well I spose becomes is that even a "happy ending"? its an ending where the protagonist gets what he's been after but before that its almost been presented like a destructive drug addition and in achieving it he seems to be rejecting his own father in favour of Simmons abusive pseudo parent
The question as well I spose becomes is that even a "happy ending"? its an ending where the protagonist gets what he's been after but before that its almost been presented like a destructive drug addition and in achieving it he seems to be rejecting his own father in favour of Simmons abusive pseudo parent
