Although created in different eras, Oscar Wilde's 1980 gothic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and Damien Chazelle's 2014 drama Whiplash are comparable in the exploration of obsession, destruction and control by the authors of the text. Chazelle and Wild similarly explore the concept of obsessions as they evolve in the minds of the protagonists, corresponding through the use of minor characters but different in the nature of the fixations examined. Likewise, both texts incorporate the idea of ​​a manipulative dynamic between two individuals, creating contrasts between the methods of control explored by the authors and the different techniques employed to examine how fear can affect characters. Since both authors conclude their texts with the protagonist's destruction, the ending of Whiplash echoes a central motif in which The Picture of Dorian Gray exhibits a metaphorical ending. Furthermore, Wilde's symbolic portrait and Chazelle's close-ups each allow us to emphasize an idea of ​​physical destruction resulting from psychological evolution. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As characterization and allusion allow the central characters of Wilde's novel to explore an obsession with physical beauty, Chazelle's montages reveal that Whiplash's protagonist develops a different ambitious fixation on the drums. In The Picture of Dorian Gray the protagonist immediately stands out for his appearance, initially described as "a young man of extraordinary personal beauty", prefiguring the importance of Dorian's physical appearance in relation to his character. This idea fuels the character's obsession with his own beauty and its preservation with Wilde forming an analogy between Dorian and the classical myth of Narcissus who tragically loved his own reflection as "in a boyish mockery of Narcissus, [Dorian] had kissed […] those painted lips” of his portrait. In contrast, the first short montage witnessed in Whiplash establishes Andrew's growing obsession, with Chazelle integrating close-ups of a photograph and a "Buddy Rich" album to express the idolized ambition that fuels the protagonist's fixation (Fig . 1). Additionally, subsequent frames of the montage frame between Andrew and a low-angle shot heading towards a drum kit, emulating an atmosphere of worship and power (Fig. 2). Unlike Whiplash's montages, Wilde manipulates the character of Basil to explore an obsession developed solely by beauty while declaring that Dorian's “me[re]visual presence” suggests “an entirely new way in art,” equating it with “ face of Antonius [in ] Greek sculpture”. Differently, a second montage in Whiplash implies how Andrew's obsession consumes his life by combining aggressive drum hits with sequences of Andrew fanatically falling asleep next to the drums (Fig. 3). With the concept of obsession central to both The Picture of Dorian Gray and Whiplash, Wilde explores a fixation on physical beauty through characterizations and allusions to Greek mythology, while the techniques integrated into Chazelle's montages convey a different, success-oriented infatuation for music.Minor characters from both Whiplash and The Picture of Dorian Gray are used to explore the corresponding concept of obsessive behavior and its alienating effects. Chazelle highlights the repressed madness of Andrew's fixation by juxtaposing a loud sequence of him playing the drums in a frenzied state witha wide central shot of his first date with Nicole, exhibiting a contrasting calm blue-green color scheme and low-voiced dialogue (Fig. 4) . Like Nicole, Sibyl highlights Dorian's destructive obsession with visual and artistic beauty, as she bases their engagement solely on this infatuation by claiming that "mere beauty could fill your eyes with tears." So when Sibyl fails to meet, despite Dorian's expectations of beauty in her acting, he cruelly rejects her by declaring that she "killed [his] love" with Wilde exploiting her subsequent suicide to highlight the dangerous effects of Sibyl's narcissistic concern. Dorian for aesthetics. Likewise, while the intimate close-ups in Whiplash's first date scene imply a connection between the characters, Nicole's discussion of her indecisive specialization in collage contrasts sharply with Andrew's tenacious fixation on pursuing perfection in jazz drumming. Consequently, Chazelle makes a long cut accentuating the physical distance between the two characters to indicate the philosophical divide between Nicole and Andrew due to his obsessive behavior, which forms the basis of his subsequent rejection (Fig. 5). Alternatively, Henry in The Picture of Dorian Gray becomes a means through which Wilde expresses the aesthetic theories at the heart of his novel that instigate Dorian's obsession with beauty, as he declares that beauty "is a form of genius" and "the wonder of all". wonders” with a “divine right of sovereignty”. Ultimately, Chazelle and Wilde similarly incorporate minor characters into their texts who function as spotlights to emphasize Andrew and Dorian's obsession and isolation. In Whiplash, Fletcher encapsulates the archetype of a tyrannical leader, who controls Andrew with hostility and violence, while the charismatic and seductive Henry of Picture of Dorian Gray, differently prefers to lure Dorian with the promise of pleasure and excitement. Fletcher's foul language and malicious insults are crucial to his persona, reflecting his aggressive manipulative methodology in calling Andrew a "worthless, friendless little piece of shit" with warnings such as "If you deliberately sabotage my band, you I'll disembowel like a pig,” evidently only practiced more in later scenes. In contrast, Wilde uses the novel's third-person omniscient perspective to portray Henry's more subtle and passive approach to manipulating Dorian using his mind. his “philosophy of pleasure,” as the narrator notes that when Henry “talk[ed] to [Dorian] it was like playing. on an exquisite violin. It responded to every touch and thrill of the bow.” Furthermore, Chazelle examines the symbolic significance of Fletcher's hand as a weapon of control by cinematically conveying its importance with close-ups, focal shifts, and harsh contrasting foreground lighting (Fig. 6). Specific counterattacks in Whiplash highlight the ephemeral but substantial control a conductor has over his band, and Chazelle infers the power Fletcher gains from this by making his hand synonymous with imminent violence (Fig. 7). Like Fletcher's directing hand, Henry's extravagant language and dialogue act as a weapon that pushes Dorian towards corruption. Wilde uses this dialogue to plant the seed of Henry's influence with the narrator noting how Henry's “mere words” had “touched some secret chord [in Dorian] which […] he felt now quivering and throbbing with curious pulses” . Although Whiplash and The Picture of Dorian Gray correspond in relation to the theme of control, Chazelle highlights Fletcher's aggressive influence with hostile language and symbolism while Wilde characterizes Henry as amanipulator with a charming approach through an omniscient narrator. Both Whiplash and The Picture of Dorian Gray Gray examine how fear can control and influence characters' decisions, although where Chazelle takes advantage of physical appearance and composition of characters, Wilde employs symbolism. Fletcher's appearance in Whiplash is used to convey the sense of threat experienced by Andrew, which is essential to understanding his subsequent submissive reactions. Chazelle draws the audience's attention to Fletcher's muscular physique with lighting, creating shadows that soften the lines and form the aura of power and strength that emanates from his character (Fig. 8). While Chazelle focuses on creating the atmosphere of Fletcher's intimidation, Wilde exploits the symbolism of the “yellow book” to highlight Dorian's fear of mortality as a key provocation for his immoral behavior. The only difference between the book and Dorian's life, in that the "Parisian" grows up and becomes unpleasant while Dorian remains young, becomes the basis of his symbolism. As Dorian becomes "more and more in love" with his own beauty and the fear of losing it, he in turn becomes "more interested in the corruption of his own soul", so since it is Henry who gives him the book, it is Henry who is exploiting the fear of Dorian's mortality to strengthen his poisonous hedonistic influence. Alternatively, Chazelle highlights the lack of physical contact but frequent closeness between Andrew and Fletcher as the framing and composition of shots reflect the invasion of the characters' personal space (Fig. 9). This implies that Andrew's fear predominantly arises from the threat of internal violence in the form of disapproval and disappointment rather than in a literal sense, forming the core of the Fletcher effect as Andrew's actions reflect his desire to meet expectations. While Chazelle develops Fletcher's aura of power to emphasize his manipulation of Andrew's fear, Wilde focuses on how Dorian's fear of mortality, accentuated by the symbolic yellow book, allows Henry to further control his mind. Although Chazelle and Wilde ultimately convey the literal or figurative destruction of their protagonists, Whiplash displays an ending that parallels a central motif in which Wilde infers metaphorical ideas to convey an underlying moral. The final scenes of Whiplash mirror the recurring motif of the “Charlie Parker” anecdote, in which a jazz drummer throws a cymbal at the head of the famous saxophonist – who a year later performs “the best solo” of his career. The reiteration of this story foreshadows Andrew's final confrontation with Fletcher, when he ferociously delivers his best performance despite the psychosomatic abuse he has suffered. Chazelle amplifies the intensity of Andrew's psychological destruction by combining the powerful, rhythmic soundtrack with progressively shorter shots that build up to a final reverse close-up of Fletcher's fleeting expression of approval and Andrew's faint smile in response (Fig. 10 ). The audience is in a position to accept Andrew's solo as living proof of Fletcher's sadistic teaching method, as he finally achieves his ideal "Charlie Parker". However, this comes at the cost of destroying Andrew's humanity and spirit who, ironically, by demonstrating the effectiveness of Fletcher's abuse, will forever remain a prisoner of his influence. Like Whiplash, The Picture of Dorian Gray ends with the protagonist's ironic destruction as, in an attempt to start a "new life" and be "good", Dorian seeks to destroy the only symbol of his conscience - the portrait - and the face. the immorality of his soul. However, since.