Humanus' love story set in the early 20th century, is beautiful in so many ways, the kind of story about loss and regret, about holding for a moment something truly beautiful, but letting if fall through the cracks. I was impressed with Mescal's against-type performance and the way he captured levels of pain in quiet and reserved ways. But I was also struck by some of the film's narrative choices which somehow seemed to sap some of the power of the story, a story which feels a little like ground we have treaded before.
The History of Sound is a lovely movie, but its story isn't an unfamiliar one. There are shades of other films in the queer cinema cannon that it is reminiscent of. A film like this needs to differentiate itself a bit and I'm not sure Sound finds a way to do that. It builds to a powerful moment in the films final moments but one that feels like it has been done before, more profoundly. Sometimes the way Humanus has constructed the story feels like it could have found a different rhythm. Perhaps breaking the narrative into different parts and rearranging them may have captured something unique for this story. But what is here feels familiar and somewhat worn.
Having said that it remains a gorgeous movie that its cast handles beautifully. The heartbreak here is palpable and the underlying themes of queer pain remain potent. By the end it was a film where I was moved by its themes but maybe not resonating to the level of some others.
The History of Sound
Starring: Paul Mescal, Josh O'Connor, Chris Cooper
Director: Oliver Humanus
Writer: Ben Shattuck
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