Applying Lacan's Psychoanalytical Theory

Whiplash (2014), directed by Damien Chazelle, is an excellent subject for the application of Lacan due to the theme of obsession being present throughout the film. This is because the obsession portrayed in the film is always present as a consequence of a desire for success and perfection. This further relates to Lacan as the level of musical perfection sought by the characters in the film, namely Neiman (Miles Teller) and Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) could be considered unrealistic or unachievable, making it a good comparison to the unquenchable desire that drives Lacan's idea of lack.

 

Lack can be interpreted in the above scene from the film, where Fletcher pushes the drummers in his class to their limit to make them play faster. However, the near unattainable nature of what Fletcher desires from the students results in an extremely frantic atmosphere. The mise en scene builds on this atmosphere, with the drummers being swapped in and out of the hot seat and Fletcher moving around Neiman as he plays, even going as far as to throw a drum and kick a chair to motivate Neiman. What adds to this further is the editing and cinematography, which employs fast paced cuts between camera angles, zoomed in shots of the drummers' sweaty faces and bloodied hands, and the complementing audio of the drum set which is itself, by nature of the scene's context, incredibly high tempo. These factors combine on the screen in a way that communicates the stress and anxiety of the students to the audience.

The unrelenting pressure from Fletcher in this scene also displays the idea of lack, as he is unable to force his students to be perform perfectly and this is ultimately what he is chasing.

The above scene can also be linked to Lacan's idea of the mirror stage. This is because the three drummers appear as reflections of each other in that they are being made to play the same music, share the same drum set and stool, and are all overexerting themselves to keep up with Fletcher's desire for speed.

 

Bibliography:

• Whiplash. 2014. [DVD] Directed by D. Chazelle. United States: Bold Films, Blumhouse Productions, Right of Way Films.