Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. thus the term “Going In Blind”, which I use when a film does not have audio description.

Oliver Hermanus’s masterpiece The History Of Sound is my Brokeback Mountain. I wish it had audio description, just to solidify how much I adored this, but that is really the only negative thing working against it. Granted, simple access is a big thing, and the reason I’m here, but the story is right up my alley. I had a harder time relating to gay ranchers, but gay musicians? Yeah, I see myself more in this.

The History Of Sound offers a profound meditation on memory, and achieves this quiet, aching grandeur that lasts after the final frame. It is patient, luminous, and deeply rewarding.it also highlights the importance of music, and how it often has greater cultural significance even among smaller communities, as our two leads travel America looking to record various regional folk tunes. Music attempts to preserve what time so often erases, and by recording it, the hope is that these cultures live on.

Set in turn of the century America, we are introduced to Lionel (Paul Mescal), a gifted rural farm boy who interprets music far more than just sound. he sees colors, and music itself has a taste.He manages to get a scholarship to study at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he meets David (Josh O’Connor). Their bond is instantaneous, as they bond over the beauty of folk songs.

The success of this film relies so heavily on the chemistry of its two leads, and Mescal and O’Connor deliver in the same way Ledger and Gyllenhaal did years ago. it’s the rare, palpable connection that lights up the screen. While comparison was inevitable, mescal and O’Connor carve out a space all their own. O’Connor brings a boyish charm to David, hinting at endless charisma, which reshapes as his character experiences things that bring a darker tone to his reality. David reshapes, and even though he still seems like the more extroverted of the duo, there’s a growing unease. Mescal’s Lionel is the lead, and he’s Oscar worthy. Simply put, he disappears more into this role than perhaps any he’s done before. he really feels like he’s of the woods, but with a high emotional intelligence behind his often quiet demeanor. His emotional arc is one that takes its time, but by the end of the film, the quiet and reserved Lionel is left with the ability to break your heart. It is through Mescal’s brilliant use of the simplicity in his character that really puts him out in front. honestly, I enjoyed him more here than Hamnet. here, the last fifteen minutes or so of this are far more brutal than anything he gave in Hamnet. This is his performance of the year.

but, like I said, no audio description. So, when one of the leads isn’t as talkative, I found myself needing more. but the film also counterbalances the light dialogue with its use of music, as the film is about music lovers singing and seeking out the best America has to offer. And, along the way, if they find companionship in each other, then so be it.

The deliberate pacing is often regarded as slow, but I didn’t feel a pacing issue as much as an accessibility one. In those moments, if I had audio description to fill it out, I would likely not have ever noticed the runtime.

I’m writing this after the Spirit Awards failed to capture a single nod for this, so my only hope is the Dorian Awards. I think this is a fantastic work of beauty and authenticity, with actors adding yet another stellar performance to their resumes. For those who embrace its rhythm, The History Of Sound is a deeply resonant work of art. A poetic odyssey with stunning performances that shouldn’t be missed.

Fresh: Final Grade: 8.0/10 (which is already high enough for a film without audio description)