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Forest Whitaker
Hysteria vs. subtlety: Two new jazz films
Hysteria vs. subtlety: Two new jazz films

Why don't filmmakers get jazz? Why do most feature films miss the meaning of the music in attempting to depict it? Why is the original American art form apparently so elusive on screen? Two new films shed light on these mysteries, one peddling unfortunate misconceptions on jazz, the other offering something closer to reality. The much-touted feature "Whiplash" – about a conservatory jazz student striving for greatness – gives filmgoers plenty of melodrama to chew on. A villainous, sadistic teacher terrorizes young musicians with his cruel humiliations in the rehearsal room and on stage, often bringing his students to tears and worse. Our hero, a 19-year-old...