Whiplash And Black Swan Analysis

There’s immediate tension in the respective title sequences of Whiplash and Black Swan. The beating of a drum quickens and intensifies. The soft strings of an ensemble fade in with a grand orchestra following suit. Superficially, these movies are exact opposites of each other. The artistic mediums in which each protagonist pursues are rhythmically contradictory. Physically, they rival each other, as Whiplash focuses predominantly on Andrew Neiman’s hands while Black Swan emphasizes Nina’s feet twisting and being distorted. Each character is rooted in the stereotype of their gender, which makes these movies seem so blaringly dissimilar. However, while the character’s respective genders drive a division between these films, the structure of …show more content…
Next, silence. Whiplash’s first image stares down a hallway to reveal the protagonist, Andrew Neiman, in a practice room behind a set of drums. Andrew is centered within the image and is brightly lit from overhead. The camera pushes in slowly as he practices. He is in a bright white t-shirt immediately illustrating his pureness as a character. Fletcher, the fox-eared Studio Band conductor, appears into the room with a tight black shirt on. With few exceptions this is how Andrew and Fletcher are established throughout the film; Andrew as a pure and innocent “squeaker,” Fletcher as an antagonistic, hard presence. As Andrew plays for Fletcher, the camera pushes intimately into Andrew. We are pulled into his rudiments and to his mental space. What Andrew first sees in Fletcher is opportunity, while in reality Fletcher’s presence is the first disruptive element in the hero’s journey. As we keep pushing into Andrew’s space, we hear the door slam and suddenly his goal is literally and metaphorically shut in his face. Fletcher is …show more content…
However, the catalyst remains the same, albeit altered to fit within stereotypical gendered constructs. Concerned that she did not perform to her highest potential, Nina decides to reassure Leroy that she is the better dancer and practices more often than her counterparts. Leroy recognizes Nina’s elegance and purity. He is fully confident that she can dance the part of the White Swan; it’s the role of the Black Swan that Leroy believes Nina is not poised for. As Leroy sends Nina out of his office, he holds her back in hopes of garnering rage out of Nina; rage that could be harnessed for the role of the Black Swan. He questions Nina’s ability to be controlled while also “letting go.” Her response is that she “just wants to be perfect.” Nina attempts to convince him that she’s perfect for the part but is interrupted by Leroy’s advance on her. Nina bites his lip. And while she gets the part of Swan Queen, her reaction to his prodding and questioning whether she’s good enough only pushes her to practice