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| Scene from Sound of Metal |
When one lives their life as a musician, nothing feels as crucial as having an ear for melody. Without it, how does one hope to take on the rigorous challenge of playing for crowds every night, touring across the country, and having the world sing along? For Sound of Metal, it exists in a moment that may be a career drummer's worst nightmare: hearing loss. Even from the beginning as Reuben (Riz Ahmed) drums away in a darkened room, he tries hard to hear the lead singer. The audience can't hear her clearly either, though one has to ask if it's because of a bad sound system, or if the audience is experiencing the final moments, where Reuben can still hear the world around him. Once it disappears, the room's darkness will become more insufferable, reflective of his own internal life.
He can see the world, but this begins the challenges of trying to communicate. Through notebook papers, he finds the early days difficult. He'll do anything to overcome this problem, and yet there's the reality. It's hopeless. He's a drummer without an ear. All he will do is wear out his new options, and that's the pain. Sound of Metal is a story of self-acceptance when given a disability, reflecting a difficulty that many live with while being treated as an "other." It's one of the year's most harrowing journeys, but it ultimately ends with such a powerful conclusion that it's worth it. The struggle to recognize life after this condition is an important story. Through art, this story hopes to make the world not necessarily sympathize with the deaf, but to empathize and understand the most important part of them: they're still human and capable of love.
