“Andrew Neyman is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher, an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man’s life. Andrew’s passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues to push him to the brink of both his ability-and his sanity. (C) Sony Classics” (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whiplash_2014/)
Commenting on the story itself (in Hebrew)(http://mekomit.co.il/וויפלאש-כמייצג-מערכת-החינוך/) Gil Gertal (Ph.D. in Education) writes that the story mirrors the schooling experiences of many: breaking down and disregarding “average” kids to make room for the geniuses. Society, he says, pays dearly for the process of finding the “geniuses” and that price is pushing the rest of us through a sieve, putting pressures on us that ultimately break so many, labeling and negatively categorizing those who do not reach the top…
I agree with Gil but see this not as a society’s search for the “Best” (who can ultimately benifit society at large) but as more of a process of continuing the marginalization of those who are already powerless and keeping them in that low place for the benifit of those holding the power of writing curriculums and deciding on educational policy…
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