The History of Sound

I have wanted to see The History of Sound ever since I learned about it because I am a big fan of both Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor and I finally had the chance last night at the Broadway.  It is a meditative, meandering, and melancholy portrait of forbidden love so, of course, I absolutely loved it!  Lionel Worthing (Mescal), a sensitive farm boy from Kentucky, and David White (O'Connor), a wealthy and charismatic orphan from Newport, Rhode Island, meet in 1917 as students at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and bond over their shared love of folk music.  They begin an affair but are separated when David is drafted to fight in World War I and Lionel returns to the farm.  They are both unhappy without each other so, after the war, David invites Lionel to assist him on a project collecting folk songs throughout rural Maine and preserving them on wax cylinders.  Even though he is happier than he has ever been while traveling with David, Lionel realizes that a relationship with him is not possible and they part. He attempts to communicate with David but gives up when his letters go unanswered and spends the next few years pining for him while pursuing unhappy relationships and performing in Europe.  Lionel eventually finds closure and lets the memory of David go only to discover later in life the impact they both had on each other.  I really love a scene where Lionel explains that sound is able to be captured on a wax cylinder because, even though it cannot be seen, it creates a vibration that can be felt and this becomes a meaningful metaphor for the relationship between Lionel and David.  The narrative moves at a languid pace (so much longing!), loses focus in the second half (I really missed the presence of O'Connor on screen), and concludes with heartache and yet I still found it to be very compelling.  The cinematography featuring muted colors is beautiful, the score is incredibly evocative, and the nuanced performances are lovely.  I also really enjoyed all of the folk music used throughout, especially "The Unquiet Grave" because it foreshadows an important turning point for Lionel.  This might not appeal to everyone because it is so restrained but I still recommend it to fans of the actors.