Period drama presented at the 49th São Paulo Film Festival delivers good performances from the main duo, but remains distant and reserved in their emotions
It is undeniable that what should attract many people to The History of Sound is the presence of two of the most talked about actors of the new generation: Josh O’Connorknown as Rivals (2024) and the sensitive Kingdom of God (2017), and Paul Mescalhighlighted in All of Us Strangers (2023) and in the series Normal People (2020), form a duo here that arouses great expectations — especially among a portion of the public queerwho enthusiastically received the announcement of the new film by Oliver Hermanus (Living). Shown at the 49th São Paulo International Film Festival, the film promised to combine emotion and delicacy, but the result, although beautiful, is marked by a restraint that limits what could have been a sweeping romance.
In The History of Soundthe director seeks to transform music into a bridge between two men who discover themselves through it. Lionel (Paul Mescal), young music student, and David (Josh O’Connor), charismatic singer, meet at the Boston Conservatory in 1917. Years later, a letter brings them together on a trip through the Maine countryside to collect popular songs. The journey promises to be a dive into the American musical tradition and, at the same time, into the emotion of a love that is born between them.
But what could be a great story about the power of sound and silence ends up feeling overly controlled. The film has beauty, melancholy and obvious formal care, but it lacks intensity. Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor They deliver delicate, almost choreographed performances, but the director always seems to film them with an exaggerated coldness, meaning that their framing spares us the intensity that the two could achieve together. This feeling seems cloistered, suffocated by a mise-en-scène which avoids any gesture of desire or more carnal conflict, treating the same-sex relationship with excessive conservatism.
There is a visible effort for everything to remain discreet, subtle, almost ethereal, a choice that ends up undermining the strength of the story and this genuine love, which is possible to perceive through the eyes of the two actors, excellent on stage. The music, which should serve as a language of connection between the characters, appears at specific moments without living up to the promise of the opening sequence, in which a young man Lionel talks about the flavors and smells that the notes transmit to you. Of course, it is impossible for the film to do the same with the audience — a film that exudes aromas would be incredible —; even so, Oliver Hermanus You can’t make sound communicate what look and touch can’t say.
Visually, The History of Sound impresses with the arid landscapes of Maine, which build an atmosphere of isolation and introspection, mirroring the emotional detachment of the protagonists. However, this aesthetic of restraint extends beyond measure — and what begins as sensitivity soon turns into coldness. There’s a beautiful melancholy there, but it sounds calculated, almost choreographed, as if each silence was meticulously imposed so that the audience suffers from a feeling that exists but never becomes truly palpable. It’s like denying a child candy. The worst: the candy is right there in front of our eyes.
At the end, The History of Sound He listens more to silence than to music as a link to this proposed love. It’s beautiful, careful and sensitive to some extent, yes, but it’s also so restrained that the emotion never comes to fruition on screen. The talent of Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor It’s obvious, but isolated and reserved can’t warm up this romance. What remains, then, is an elegant, visually striking and melancholic, but frustrating period drama — a film that prefers to observe the feeling from afar instead of experiencing it, leaving the audience more spectator — and expectant — than involved.
READ ALSO: 49th São Paulo Film Festival: Follow Rolling Stone Brasil’s coverage
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49th São Paulo International Film Festival
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The History of Sound
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criticism
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Josh O’Connor
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São Paulo Film Festival
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sp show
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Oliver Hermanus
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paul mescal
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
