Sound of Metal will perhaps surprise unsuspecting audiences. Its title implies a raucous and fast-paced narrative, as does the opening shot of a tattooed Riz Ahmed bashing a drum set, reminiscent of the psychological drama Whiplash (2014). However, within the first 10 minutes Ahmed’s character Ruben loses his hearing, and the film circumvents expectations by presenting an insightful account of vulnerability and what it can mean to be deaf.
Ruben’s disability isn’t romanticised or exaggerated for dramatic effect, and Ahmed’s performance imbues a quiet strength to the character’s journey. We see his frustration, anger and eventual acceptance of his deafness mainly through the intensity of his eyes and physicality more so than the pared back dialogue. Ahmed’s Oscar nomination for Best Actor is well deserved, and if he wins it would make him the first person to have an Oscar, Emmy and an MTV VMA award for his hip-hop music career.
Unsurprisingly, the star of Sound of Metal, aside from its capable lead Riz Ahmed, is the sound production. Alongside Ruben, the audience is subjected to both the paradoxically loud silences and piercing tinny sounds of the cochlear implant he eventually saves up to get. Certain pitches and sounds are at times uncomfortable to listen to, heightening the viewer’s sympathy for Ruben.
Since the film’s release, there has been discussion surrounding the lack of casting deaf actors in the film’s main roles. Director Darius Marder has stated that he wanted a hearing actor for the lead role as the character and audience both had to be “…thrust into an unfamiliar world”. There has been split opinion on this, but the film’s critical success and six Oscar nominations has highlighted the experiences of the D/deaf and brought them onto a global stage.
You can watch Sound of Metal on Amazon Prime.
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