Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor complement each other beautifully and lead the film harmoniously through the intimate history of Lionel and David.
Written by Lara Edwards
Adapted from the 2024 novel of the same name written by Ben Shattuck, Oliver Hermanus’ feature film adaptation of The History of Sound is a poetic tragedy. I have not read the book, so I cannot share my thoughts on whether it is well translated from each medium. I can say that, as a singular project, it works tremendously.
Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor complement each other beautifully and lead the film harmoniously through the intimate history of Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor). Mescal is a standout. Showcasing his greatest strength: gut-wrenching performances. Mescal and O’Connor were deliberate in how delicately they handled their characters. Every shared look held immense amounts of emotion that flowed between them beautifully. They created an almost tangible electricity in their relationship, the way they bounced off each other and even still felt the presence of O’Connor in scenes that David did not physically appear in, but the presence he left was everlasting, being so clear and tender on screen.
Hermanus’s direction was deeply intimate and completely immersive. It was achingly authentic to a queer experience that translates to all life backdrops seamlessly. It appears quiet, yet is loud to viewers as Hermanus allows us to be part of the scene. It was intimate and tender between David and Lionel, yet it felt as though we, the audience, were sitting with them on the outskirts, watching.
There is a very present third character in the film, and it’s the use of music throughout. The mission for David is to preserve these local songs and make them part of music history. It is very much a ‘you cannot have one without the other’ pair that, as the film progresses, becomes a more nostalgic but painful reality for Lionel to go on living with. The music does not just hold the history of the towns and families it comes from, but it holds the history of these two characters and the development of their love and the tragedy of it all.
While the relationship between Mescal and O’Connor’s characters did appear as genuine and real, I wish there had been more of them in the film. Lionel and David’s love felt like a very central part of the film and of the characters. Yet the film ends with me wanting more; I want to see more of their journey in the music preservation mission. Seeing more of the personal parts of their mission could’ve deepened their relationship more and tied stronger feelings with the audience. The ending would have been more impactful with that change. As the credits started to roll, it felt as though there was still a tie waiting to be cut from these characters. Waiting for more of a resolution or emotion to strike, which was just unreachable, to make this tragic and sad ending that little bit more harsh and painful.
The History of Sound is now streaming on MUBI.
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