Sound of Metal is a masterpiece of Sonic Design and Editing in a heartbreaking and inspirational story. Darius Marder’s new film, stars Riz Ahmed stars as Ruben, in a role that is sure to garner him an Oscar nomination.
The film follows his heavy metal drummer as he awakes one day, and his hearing is greatly lost. Panicked, he doesn’t at first tell his bandmate Lou (Olivia Cooke) and seeks help on his own. They’re a two-person band (she guitar and vocals, he on drums) and they are in the midst of a tour. Ruben finds himself at a pharmacy seeking help that he cannot even hear. The pharmacist puts the name of an audiologist who can see him immediately. It is there that our protagonist hears the news that any musician would perish from hearing. His hearing is practically gone and if he continues playing music, it will be completely gone.
Ruben is a recovering addict. That concerns his longtime love, Lou. She tells him to forget the tour and it’s time to check in to a facility that specializes in deaf addicts. The drummer reluctantly agrees, and it launches a film from Marder that is an utter revelation. The Movie Mensch got a priceless gift this holiday season with an invitation to a virtual press conference for the film that breaks barriers in filmmaking on a myriad of levels.
Point of view (POV) films are nothing new, but the way that the helmer and his gifted team of movie wizards put us in the head of Ruben as his life goes from hard rocking to hardly hearing is envelope-pushing. We caught up with Marder, Sound Designer Nicolas Becker, Editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, Costume Designer Megan Stark Evans, writer Abraham Marder (David’s brother), and Production Designer Jeremy Woodward.
They all were joined by the commitment to “do something new that hadn’t been seen or specifically heard—almost like putting on a virtual reality headset,” Marder said. “We studied what happens to musicians who are losing their hearing.”
Now, this isn’t a silent movie. We hear the world around him, but when it comes to Ahmed’s time as focus, well… watch Marder’s magic. “We can’t be our monotone selves. You have to animate, and you have to express in a different way,” Abraham said. It’s really about true community and communicating in a very genuine way.”
Not only do we talk about the miracle that is Ahmed, but the conversation delves deeply into exactly how this one of the best films of 2020 managed to play with its sonic succulence to the point where we enter the deaf world from the perspective of someone who is deeply addicted to drugs and desperately needs his music to keep him sane.
All the creators attending this press con were involved in the stellar sound effort that is Sound of Metal. Even how the film was edited was key to that tsunami of fear, isolation and personal terror can overwhelm a person missing one of their senses. It is a gift to moviedom.
Enjoy! Don’t miss our “A” review of Sound of Metal for more on this incredible film.