Film review: ‘THE HISTORY OF SOUND’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’

The History of sound is an evocatively shot, wonderfully acted but slow-moving story of musical anthropology, grief, fragile identity and queer romance.

Paul Mescal stars as Lionel Worthing, a young man from a dirt-poor farm in Kentucky who, as a musical prodigy, wins a scholarship to a Boston conservatory. There, in 1917, he meets musician David White (Josh O’ Connor) with whom he begins a same sex relationship. Together, they embark on a revolutionary journey across America documenting and recording on wax cylinders the rustic folk endemic to its isolated rural towns. Lionel’s uncertainty about his future and his place in the world, however, draw him away from David to other opportunities in Europe, a decision that impacts the rest of his life.

Like Andrew Dominic’s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford this film unspools very slowly and in its early stages feels a little too inert before the human struggle of its characters establishes a powerful emotional grip on viewers.

While often restrained and taciturn, Paul Mescal impressively captures the emotional conflict of a man wrestling with life choices and his sense of self. Josh O’Connor is equally good as David giving the character a haunted presence brought on by his shell shock from the First World War. Chris Cooper is also affecting in a brief appearance as an older Lionel in the 1980’s.  While the film doesn’t overtly depict homophobia, much like Brokeback Mountain there’s an awareness of the spectre of disapproval and prejudice hovering over Lionel and David.

Director Oliver Hermanus has crafted a remarkably convincing period piece both confrontingly raw in its depiction of poverty-stricken rural America and vivid in its rendering of upper-class England and Rome.

The film also presents a tantalising insight into the music percolating on the outskirts of America prior to mass recording in the 20th century. This journey is, however, mainly used as a crucible for Lionel and David’s relationship and it’s hard not to feel that the film diverts too soon from this rich cultural world and could have delved into it even further.

Like the Japanese Kabuki film Kokuho, The History of Sound is a touching personal story that, while built around a distinctive art form, should resonate with most viewers.

Nick’s rating: ***1/2

Genre: Drama/ Period film.

Classification: M.

Director(s): Oliver Hermanus.

Release date: 18th Dec 2025.

Running time: 128 mins.

Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm on 88.3 Southern FM.

 

Related Posts:

tagged with , , , , , , , ,