We often see films to get lost in a world that is not our own. Stories of geniuses and highly gifted people provide us with a fantasy of what our lives could be like if we too were the best of the best. But what happens when this fantasy comes crashing down to a cruel reality, where these characters of great talent and skill are struck by the consequences of sacrificing everything for their art?
In some ways, films such as Black Swan, Whiplash, Foxcatcher, The Prestige and The Social Network could not be more different. What does a prima ballerina, a pro-wrestler, a jazz student, magicians and a world-famous internet entrepreneur have in common? Not much. But what they do share is an obsession with their talent that consumes their whole lives, a gift that may bring them unprecedented success but ultimately threatens to destroy their relationships, well-being and even the dream itself.
The protagonists of these films start off as the underdog of their environment. In The Social Network, Mark Zuckerberg may be a programming genius but is socially unintelligent and fails to make his relationship work; Mark Schultz is an Olympic wrestling champion but feels second place to his brother, also a wrestler, in Foxcatcher; Nina Sayers is superior in her technique but inferior to Lily in her lack of raw sexuality that is necessary to portray the Black Swan. With the aid of a teacher, coach, friend or even rival as a kind of ‘assistant’ to their dreams, our protagonists go on to overcome their insecurities and reach the goals they have long dreamed of.
However, these relationships are no Good Will Hunting. Their path to glory is filled with suffering and loss, caused by their ‘assistant’ who pushes them to the very extreme. Andrew is physically and emotionally abused by Fletcher in Whiplash, and while this encourages him to dedicate himself to hard work and practice, it results in his car accident and breakdown, reminding us of Nina’s suicide in Black Swan. The magicians in The Prestige use their rivalry with each other to boost their career, and in doing so undergo a series of public humiliation, great physical pain, and the sacrifice of the women they love.
These are stories of intense drama and upheaval, and while their main purpose may appear to be to thrill their audiences on a psychological level, and even to impress with the skills displayed, the impression it gives its viewers is something very different and very important. With the competition for university places and jobs reaching unprecedented heights, our generation has come to the point of believing that reaching the very top is the be-all and end-all of life. While it is vital that young people are encouraged to be the very best they can be, the definition of this success concerning. We have forgotten that life achievements do not necessarily have to mean being number one.
What films such as Foxcatcher and Whiplash ask us is: was it really worth it? Our talented and genius protagonists experience a period of popularity, reputability and satisifaction. But what follows is pain, loss and even death, a reminder that fame and achievement should not come at the cost of your mental or physical health.
Students and graduates of our generation should watch these films not just as an escape from their daily anxieties, but about why they should not allow these worries to be blown out of proportion. Sociopathic Fletcher in Whiplash tells Andrew that ‘there are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job”. And yet, Andrew only truly overcomes Fletcher’s reign of terror once he summons the courage and confidence to believe he is good enough to do what he believes is right, not what his teacher believes. Kyle Smith says that it Whiplash is ‘inspiring’, but it is not Andrew’s skills that are impressive, it is his ability to free himself from the constraints of what society deems to be ‘great’. Out of all the films mentioned, Whiplash is the only true success story, and this is ironically because Andrew chooses himself over the system that controls him, unlike characters such as Nina who allow it to destroy them. Perhaps it is time to make an effort to tell ourselves that we have in fact done a ‘good job’.
Anna Ellis-Rees 