I must admit, I was surprised with where I ended up on this film. Of everything I’ve analyzed thus far, there’s been a resolution to the tragic circumstances and conflicts posed by the story. I love Whiplash, because it’s honest, it’s real, it’s undeniably well shot, and acted, but it’s conclusion is optimistically ambiguous, pessimistically disturbing, and naively inspiring. That is why I love talking about it with everyone, but it’s also why I have a hard time taking away anything from this film beyond lessons of what not to do.

One of the things I’m going to have to accept going forward, is that analysis isn’t always going to make me feel better about challenging subject matter, because it’s not the prerogative of artistic media to resolve it’s themes with the story. It’s only duty, is to take those themes to “the end of the line”, and Whiplash certainly does that.