Sound of Metal is a 2019 film that focuses on the struggles that occupy a drummer’s life when he begins to lose his hearing. The band Blackgammon comprise Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed) along with his manager/girlfriend Louise “Lou” Berger (Olivia Cooke).
Travelling out of an RV to spread their passion to heavy metal music lovers around the country, the couple enjoys a blissful routine that consists of frolicking moments infused with content conversations. However with an album underway and being booked for a tour, the duo are suddenly forced to reconsider their gypsy lifestyle as well as their future ahead when Ruben’s hearing starts to rapidly deteriorate.
Directed by Darius Marder, the film took flight when an unfinished project bearing semblance to the current screenplay was handed over to him by his friend Derek Cianfrance. Tugging at your heartstrings, the film enraptures viewers with its subtle yet skilful contradictions that make the characters seem human. One may perceive Ruben to be a stoic individual due to him being introduced with roaring tunes. Yet the next scene invites the audience into the cosy confines of the RV where we witness him indulging in all sorts of domestic chores.
His initial reluctance and helplessness are ones we can all relate to as Ruben struggles to accept his newfound reality. His ability to continue his fervour for music relies solely on his hearing and with it being snatched from him, he continues to live in denial and with the hope that ‘a surgery’ would restore what was once his. His time with Joe (Paul Raci), a Vietnam war veteran who leads a deaf community, nudges him to consider a different outlook on his bleak future. Calm, passive and understanding Joe proves to be an antithesis to Ruben’s undercurrent of feelings at his condition. He tries to help Ruben in this difficult endeavour and remains patient despite the constant stumbles. The continuous shots of nature that we are greeted with at Joe’s humble abode reiterate the theme of stillness and tranquillity, something that his new resident grapples with.
Viewers are introduced to a symphony of sounds and resonances as our main protagonist navigates his way around the silence that threatens to envelop him. Loud glaring noises replaced with muffled voices aid us in better comprehending Rueben’s POV. The contrast between the two acts as a perfect fusion that enhances the narrative further along the way.
Ruben’s story is filled with hardships, perseverance and a lesson that being deaf is not a handicap but just a stumbling block that must be overcome. Instead of treating it as a defect, he should embrace this unexpected change albeit a startling one. As Joe informs Ruben that he does not need to ‘fix anything’, he is also alluding to the repose that Ruben is missing out on due to his distant hope of ever hearing normally again.
With the likes of Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci and Lauren Ridloff to name a few, Sound of Metal offers spectators a journey through the stages of grief as a person gradually loses one of their senses. It also portrays how the people one meets on their way towards adopting a new way of life assist and leave a lasting impact on them and their future choices.
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