The History of Sound
The History of Sound
Starring Paul Mescal, Josh O'Connor, Chris Cooper, Molly Price
Directed by Oliver Hermanus
In 1917, Lionel Worthing (Paul Mescal) is attending the New England Conservatory for music after growing up literally seeing music, a savant with a remarkable talent for music even though he grew up impoverished on a dilapidated farm. One night at a pub he hears a folk song that he heard when he was a child, and approaches the man singing and playing the piano. David White (Josh O'Connor) is a fellow student at the Conservatory who was orphaned but is also charismatic and charming, which opens Lionel's reserved nature when he has Lionel sing in front of everyone. The two men instantly connect and begin a relationship, and when David goes to war in World War I Lionel returns home to help with the farm after his father's death.
When David returns, the two men reunite and David takes Lionel on a state-wide adventure to record folk songs on wax cylinders from locals to celebrate the art of folk singing. Afterward, Lionel chooses to travel to Europe and the two men part ways again, and after years of communication Lionel stops hearing back from David so he moves on with his life, but never forgets the connection they had. When Lionel returns home again he goes in search for David and discovers how much David really has affected his life.
Everything surrounding "The History of Sound" screams Oscar worthy. Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor are two of the best young actors around with stellar filmographies (Mescal is an Oscar-nominee already for "Aftersun" while O'Connor dominated 2023's underrated "Challengers"); it's directed by Oliver Hermanus who also directed 2022's "Living" which earned Bill Nighy his own Oscar nod; the movie is shot with cinematographer Alexander Dynan who also shot "First Reformed"; it's a period piece about forbidden love; it's a movie that celebrates the art of music. Yet despite all this, the movie doesn't reach the heights I was expecting it to get to. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I think it's because the film's pacing doesn't allow for any emotional depth to be achieved.
The film soars when the music plays, as the folk songs resonate to your very spirit and makes it evident why such music has been celebrated over the decades, especially during times of war and hardship. The singing is exquisite, and I wish there was more of it in the movie. While I wished for that, it's not the reason why I was let down by the movie.
The cinematography is equally exquisite, with dulled colors really pointing back to the darker times of World War I along with the toll it took on people, plus Lionel's upbringing showcases this hardship. His farm isn't as much a farm as it is a shack with land around it, and his bleak upbringing contrasts starkly with his present and how he became something of himself. Still, this isn't a low point for the movie either.
For me, the reason why this movie isn't an A+ is due to the characters. Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor have instant chemistry, and their relationship is another highlight of the movie, but it isn't the main focus. In fact, they only share a few intimate scenes together in this over-two-hour film, and O'Connor is absent for at least a third of it. If the movie centered on his character I feel it would've been better, as David is a charismatic character who lights up the room yet also has a tragic past that could've been explored at deeper levels, but sadly wasn't.
Paul Mescal is impeccable, but his Lionel shouldn't have been the focus of the film. Unlike David, Lionel is quiet, reflective, and shy. He doesn't pop on the screen and fades into the woodwork most of the time, with little to no character development. He heads off around the world to study, teach, and learn music with no discernible reasoning (especially when he chooses to go to Italy and leave David behind with barely a thought), and his wanderlust ends up costing him in the end. Mescal does the best with what he's given, but his character isn't compelling enough to lead such an elongated movie.
Sometimes when you have the best ingredients you make something subpar, and "The History of Sound" is the cinematic equivalent. It's not bad, but it's not one you'll remember fondly in the years to come, nor will it probably be mentioned again when awards season rolls around.
The Score: B+
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