Paul Mescal scorns comparisons between The History Of Sound and Brokeback Mountain

The History Of Sound, which co-stars Josh O’Connor as Mescal’s lover, may not be about repression, but critics out of Cannes have observed the film is perhaps overly restrained in its depiction of the men’s sexuality (reviews use the word “stifled,” “chaste,” and even “too polite“). Hermanus told IndieWire that when he read Ben Shattuck’s short story upon which the film was based, “there was this disinterest in the context of their sexuality,” preferring to emphasize the romance (though Vanity Fair notes there’s barely even any kissing in the movie). “Maybe it’s a personal taste thing. Even in my previous work, I’ve been very specific about what intimacy is, and what are intimate moments. There is an idea we had in writing this film, which was, I asked Ben, how do we have something that each of them does, which wasn’t in the short, that would demonstrate their love for the other that might be unknown to the other?” the filmmaker said. “For Josh, with [his character] David, it was this collecting of the pillow feathers, and with Paul, it was the feather he was keeping for the rest of his life. That’s what I feel were intimate ideas rather than a 55-minute sex scene.”

“Thank God,” Mescal responded. “I’ve done my fair share of sex scenes, I’m like, ‘been there, done that.’ What feels slightly different about this from [other] romantic relationships onscreen, I would say in the hierarchy of their relationship, physical touch isn’t the priority. It’s intellectual stimulation, it’s friendship. Not that they’re not physically attracted to each other; they very much are, but their chemistry is born from this shared love of these folk songs, and it extends from there.” The bottom line: The History Of Sound is its own thing, guys.