Sound of Metal (2019)

Directed by: Darius Marder | 120 minutes | drama, music | Actors: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric, Domenico Toledo, Chelsea Lee, Shaheem Sanchez, Chris Perfetti, Bill Thorpe, Michael Tow, William Xifaras, Rena Maliszewski, Tom Kemp

Everything has a sound. Not only the hard metal music that main character Ruben plays together with his girlfriend Lou, but also their caring morning rituals. Not only the hooting of fans fills the hall with sound, but also the wind that their camper catches during the tour. The viewer hears their world in the most intimate details. Then drummer Ruben is surprised during a concert by a beep in his ear. Over the next few days, his hearing fades away, as if someone were turning the volume down. His doctor has no good news: his hearing is deteriorating so quickly that he will actually become almost completely deaf. Ruben’s world comes to an abrupt halt.

‘Sound of Metal’ is a gripping film. It dives into Ruben’s life without much embarrassment. The film meticulously shows how he ends up on an emotional roller coaster after his hearing loss. For that, the film relies on strong acting, especially that of Riz Ahmed. He plays Ruben, or rather is Reuben. ‘Sound of Metal’ therefore provides plenty of room for this, because director Darius Marder is quite obliging in his fiction debut. The director often omits visual flair and creates the right conditions for the dramatic turns in the story and the meticulous interpretations. The film also uses the soundtrack effectively to ‘imagine’ the loss of hearing. Strangely enough, ‘Sound of Metal’ makes you think extra about the importance of sound in a medium that is labeled as predominantly visual.

In addition, ‘Sound of Metal’ is not only about Ruben. His ordeal also represents how his generation that can do everything copes with adversity. Moreover, this generation grew up with the idea that almost anything can be made, if you want it hard enough. And then that deafness throws a spanner in the works, like a bolt from the blue. This sensory handicap does not suit Ruben in a way. His first reaction is: “how can I get my hearing back as soon as possible”. However, the film is not so much about whether or not Ruben overcomes his handicap, but how he deals with it emotionally. Ruben wants to fix everything. However, ‘Sound of Metal’ shows in a slightly moralistic way that in this situation it is perhaps more about self-acceptance. Life is not completely manufacturable, but it is also given to you. Therefore, one who is born deaf is no less human. You also see this sensitive approach to Ruben’s situation and that of fellow sufferers in the casting. One of the better supporting roles in the film comes from Paul Raci. He plays deaf mentor Joe and tries to help Ruben with that acceptance. Raci’s background reveals why he was especially suited for this role. Raci was raised by two deaf parents and is fluent in sign language.

Director Marder and his brother Abraham wrote the script for the film. However, the script’s origin stems from a collaboration between Darius Marder and Derek Cianfrance. Cianfrance has written and directed the emotionally complex dramas of fate ‘The Light Between Oceans’ (2016) and ‘The Place beyond the Pines’ (2012) among others. However, ‘Sound of Metal’ is most reminiscent of Cianfrance’s fiction debut, ‘Blue Valentine’ (2010). This intense drama is about a classic love story: a couple who cannot live without or with each other. As in ‘Sound of Metal’ in ‘Blue Valentine’ the camera is close to the skin of the main characters and that works almost suffocatingly well. It is only a pity that the story of Rubens ‘partner in crime’ Lou, again strongly played by Olivia Cooke, fades into the background somewhat. It gives rise to the wish that ‘Sound of Metal’ is the first part of a diptych and that Lou’s story is central in the sequel.