Whether sung around a fire centuries ago, or spun on a turntable, music is a method for reflection. The use of folk songs throughout the entire film is a nod to not only how we all use music to better understand life, but how David and Lionel use folk music to try and understand their relationship when words fail.
...the two of them together are a powerhouse.
The palpable chemistry between Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor jumps off the screen at the audience, and their nuanced performances provide for an emotional and profound story told between the two men. So many of David and Lionel’s interactions rely on nonverbal conversations, enhancing their onscreen chemistry as we see them fight the complexities of their relationship simply using their eyes. I’ve yet to see a film with either co-star that hasn’t blown me away, and the two of them together are a powerhouse.
The film itself is beautiful, with stunning scenes of the rural, implying how nature enables their relationship to blossom, but also how the harsh winters can cause their communication to freeze in fear. Running for a total of 128 minutes, although beautiful, the film can feel dragged out in the final forty minutes. This does eventually become resolved, as Lionel and David’s love is disentangled and concluded many years later. However, keeping this information meant that a lot of the latter half of the film felt slow in its’ pacing.
In retrospect, this film will certainly appeal to a niche audience, who will enjoy rewatching this very long and complex story, however it may understandably feel slow to a wider audience. If you liked Paul Mescal in Aftersun or Josh O’Connor in God’s Own Country, I have a feeling you will like this one too. The History of Sound is an elegant journey of love and of the inevitable blindsides that life shocks us with, and plays as an important reminder of the necessity of the arts in times of suffering, to help us navigate our way through life.