The History of Sound: delicately portrayed by Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor

INT. – BAR – NIGHT. It is 1917, and Lionel is unwinding. His attention is caught by a surprising song further on, at the piano. He thinks that he recognizes a chorus from his native Kentucky. He rises, and approaches. A conversation strikes up with David, a student, like him, at the New England Conservatory. It’s love at first sight. The beginning of a story, until David is drafted and must set off for the front.

Ben Shattuck wrote the screenplay for The History of Sound, based on his short story of the same name. Oliver Hermanus directs the film, with Paul Mescal as Lionel and Josh O’Connor as David. In the early stages of the project, the two actors were mostly known for their roles on TV shows: Mescal in Normal People, O’Connor in The Crown.

It would take some time before the cameras could start rolling as financing proved hard to come by, but the trio stayed positive and patient. In the meantime, Mescal burst onto the movie scene with Aftersun, Carmen, and Gladiator 2, and so did O’Connor in Seule la Terre (God’s Own Country), La Chimera, and Challengers. As for, Hermanus, he directed Vivre (Living), his first feature film made outside of his native South Africa. These experiences and the recognition that came along with them helped to set the wheels in motion on getting The History of Sound to the big screen.

What we see is pure chemistry between Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, who show us a discreet, yet powerful love story. Oliver Hermanus did not want the film to revolve around their sexuality. His focus, instead, was to portray the passing of youth, through its passions and its regrets. The History of Sound delicately touches the heart.