‘The History Of Sound' Review: Paul Mescal And Josh O'Connor Make Beautiful Music Together In Moving Love Story
On questionnaires for movie research screenings they always ask 'Choose words that best describe the film.' Okay, here are the words I would write down to best encapsulate the new film The History of Sound which had its world premiere tonight in competition at the Cannes Film Festival: Meditative. Beautiful. Musical. Reflective. Heartbreaking. Love. Quiet. Soothing. Life Affirming. Haunting. Tasteful. Adult. Unforgettable.
The title makes it sound rather academic, but it certainly isn't that. Perhaps more pointedly it should have been called The Sound of Music, but I think somebody already had that. Okay, how about The Sounds of Music? Actually the title they have fits perfectly once you get to the end, but will it sell tickets? That is the problem for the distributor (Mubi in North America; Universal/Focus Features international), but the film itself, directed by Oliver Hermanus and written by Ben Shattock from his own short story, delivers. Hermanus also did the terrific remake of Kurosawa's Living, and he has made a quietly masterful love story here containing a wonderful lead performance from Paul Mescal and an equally fine supporting turn by Josh O'Connor. It simply envelopes you into its unique world and washes over you with a songbook of America, and a lyrically haunting gay love story at its center, one that describes that person who will always be your great love, no matter how much time you had with them.
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Set in 1917, music students David (O'Connor) and Lionel (Mescal) find mutual love of folk music at the Boston Conservatory one night and it becomes the start of a beautiful friendship, and later love affair, when after serving in World War I David returns and summons Lionel to join him on what is called a 'Song Collecting' walk through Maine's backwoods in order to collect and preserve in cylinders unique folk songs that might not ever have been heard unless they went knocking on these rural households where authenticity lies. This relationship also finds them falling in love in a surprisingly casual way unusual for the times. It was meant to be and it was a life-altering trip, but after it was over both of their lives changed. Lionel went back to university in the UK, David stayed behind. Despite writing several letters and getting nothing back over the course of two or three years, Lionel would never hear from David again — or so he thinks.
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In the meantime Lionel gets serious with a college student, Clarissa (a spirited Emma Canning), who encourages him to keep going at university. But when word reaches him that his mother (Molly Price) is dying he announces he is going back to Kentucky where he is from, and not coming back. Soon he will discover some startling truths as the music comes back into his life.
Deliberately paced and gorgeously shot by Alexander Dynan, The History of Sound may unfold slowly but give it a chance and it will wrap you up and take you places movies don't often go these days. I realized watching this how few of these movies there are now in a time that doesn't want to finance films like Malick's Days of Heaven which is what this reminded me of in terms of visual sumptuousness and pace.
Musically it is a wonder, with both O'Connor, and especially Mescal, proving they have the pipes to pull off a soundtrack of American folk obscurities that make this a must-have download. Lyrically the songs tell stories of everything from murder to love to morality to everyday emotions and feelings, and have been spectacularly arranged by famed recording artist Sam Amidon, who specializes in this area. 'Sweet Is The Day Of Sacred Rest,' 'Forked Deer,' 'The Unquiet Grave,' 'Fourteen Wildcat Scalps' and 'Across the Rocky Mountain' are just a sampling of titles, but the collective power of this music sweeps you away directly into this world of the road not taken.
This may be Mescal's best work in films yet. You just ache for this guy who found the great love of his life only to let him slip through his hands without quite knowing it. His performance, like O'Connor's, whose character is ever-present even with far less screen time, is nicely understated and all the more effective for it. Both serve up haunting portrayals. Chris Cooper turns up near the end of the film to play a much older version of Lionel and is quite moving. Hadley Robinson also makes a strong impression in one key scene where a lot of revelations occur. Ultimately, The History of Sound belongs to Mescal and O'Connor, who both committed to it pre-pandemic well before either became Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning major stars. They stuck with it through all the delays and should be rewarded for their loyalty to Hermanus, who has made a film that will stay in your head for a very long time. It's that good.
Producers are Lisa Ciuffetti, Hermanus, Andrew Kortschak, Sara Murphy, Thérèsa Ryan and Zhang Xin.
Title: The History of SoundFestival: Cannes (Competition)Distributors: Mubi (North America); Universal/Focus Features (International)Director: Oliver HermanusScreenwriter: Ben ShattockCast: Paul Mescal, Josh O'Connor, Raphael Sbarge, Hadley Robinson, Emma Cannining, Molly Price, Tom Mills, Michael Schantz, Chris Cooper, Gary Raymond, Sam Breslin Wright, Stephanie FayermanRunning time: 2 hr 7 mins
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