'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAv/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAxGbCv//EAB8QAAEDAwUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECBBEAAwUGEhMxMv/aAAgBAQABPwBtqHIDHIZcxLYIWnYQDE90V3J9mv/EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oACAECAQE/AI//xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAP/aAAgBAwEBPwBL/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The History of Sound is a romantic drama that explores love, memory, and loss in the early 20th century. Directed by Oliver Hermanus and adapted from Ben Shattuck’s short story, the film follows Lionel (Paul Mescal), a singer from Kentucky, and David (Josh O’Connor), a composition student, whose lives briefly intertwine through music and intimacy.
Spoiler alert: The following article contains major spoilers for The History of Sound.
The central question of the film is whether Lionel and David reunite after their time together in Maine. The answer is no. Their relationship does not continue, and David dies tragically young. Decades later, Lionel discovers a relic from their past that brings him a bittersweet sense of closure.
The History of Sound: Lionel and David’s first connection
The film begins in 1917, when Lionel leaves his home in Kentucky to study at the Boston Music Conservatory. There, he meets David, another music student. They build an instant connection, and when David invites Lionel to join him in Maine to gather folk songs, their bond blossoms into love.
Trending
In Maine, far from judgment, the two share a brief but powerful love. Their time together seems like paradise, yet it holds unspoken tension: David is engaged to a woman, and with World War I looming, he is bound to fight.
The History of Sound: The separation
After their trip, Lionel continues to write to David, but his letters go unanswered. Eventually, he stops reaching out. Lionel builds a career abroad, first singing in Italy and later teaching in London. He forms relationships with both men and women, but nothing compares to what he felt in Maine.
Though his life appears full, Lionel remains marked by the silence left between him and David. The movie accentuates the isolation of queer relationships in that era, where societal expectations often outweighed personal happiness.
The History of Sound: The truth about David
Eventually, Lionel returns to Boston, hoping to reconnect with David. Instead, he learns that David died by suicide shortly after their time together. The war and the pressures of living a double life proved too heavy for him to bear.
Lionel also discovers that their folk-song expedition was never sanctioned by the university and that David had remained engaged during their relationship. These revelations deepen Lionel’s grief, showing how much David had been struggling in silence.
The History of Sound: The final chapter
The story returns to the 1980s, with Lionel now an established musician and writer. During a television interview about his book on folk music, he is sent a package with the lost recordings from his journey with David.
Among the reels is a recording that David left for Lionel. Listening to his voice after so many years overpowers him with emotion. Although the two men never reconnected, this moment allows Lionel to retain their memory with clarity and peace.
The movie does not end with a reunion or lasting relationship. Rather, it portrays love as something transient yet memorable. Lionel proceeds with his life and professional career, yet his experience with David is a landmark recollection.
