Not a few main protagonists who have hearing impairments (deaf) are presented in the film medium. Some of them, namely Children of the Lesser God, It’s All Gone Pete Tong, and of course Baby Driver. Pete Tong seems to be the closest to Sound of Metal, except that the main character is a DJ. Newcomer filmmaker Darius Marder directs sound of Metal by casting famous names, British rappers and actors, Riz Mahrez and Olivia Cooke.
Ruben Stone (Mahrez) is a metal group drummer with his lover Lulu (Cooke), as a vocalist. Each day close with the extreme loud voice, Ruben felt something was wrong with his hearing one day. Doctors also recommend withdrawing from all activities that will worsen his hearing. Frustrated and emotional eventually brought Ruben into the deaf community after his girlfriend forced him. Ruben’s nightlife changed drastically in his new life.
This kind of story is usually familiar with the biographical side. This is surprising because the script itself is not overdramatic even tends to be natural like a biopic. The story can lead anywhere. Sound of Metal is not a story about a genius musician like Beethoven who ends up deaf and finds his masterpiece but is how the protagonist tries to make peace with his condition. It was a long and tiring process, and the filmmaker ended the film in a beautiful and cinematic way.
Apart from impressive achievements by Mahrez, Sound of Metal is an ideal example of how sound (sound effects) can be explored in such a way according to the narrative. There are many moments of silence in the film, which can make common viewers very uncomfortable. The subjective voice represents Ruben’s deformed ears so that we are frustrated because it seems like we were feeling his pain. For most of the film, we can feel and hear what Ruben felt and heard. If you watch this film only with a regular audio system, you won’t fully enjoy it. Theatres is the most ideal. The sound of the atmosphere (ambiance) and sound effects play an important role in shaping this film.
Sound of Metal is a unique aesthetic experience of the deaf protagonist with Riz Ahmed’s stunning performance. Not only is the story evocative, but aesthetically, Sound of Metal is arguably one of the most cinematic films in terms of sound. Ruben’s story provides a valuable lesson in seeing our bodies’ physical limitations not to be dissolved by our body’s excessive ambition. Our body will scream if we continue to force it. Ruben understood it as a winding and suffering path. We, too, are now living in difficult situations, and hopefully, one day, we can learn a lesson from this extraordinary experience. Stay safe and Healthy!
 Stay safe and Healthy!
