Loved this film and this ending. I will never forget when the title’s double meaning clicked for me. The true “sound of metal” is the distortion in his head caused by the implants. It’s brilliant.
Just noticed how the last sound he hears before taking out his implants is the church bells similar to that of a drums cymbals.. he truly lets go and accepts his new life with peace
@@ofelialamanna6839 He hears an array of sound, starting with two kids trying a skateboard trick, then the sounds of running teenagers is heard, with car noises and the church bell creating a staticy sound. Creating a mess of sound, then pure silence when he takes off his hearing aids
And the last sound he hears before pulling the device off is church bells (Kingdom of God) which sound like cymbals (his throne behind the drumset in music)
I think the ending is a little more nuanced once I learned how cochlear implants work: He didn't rip out his implants. He took off the external processors, which attach magnetically, and put them in his pockets. Cochlear implant patients have to remove the processors for showering, just as you wouldn't shower with your phone. He accepted that his implants are an aid, not a cure, and that a silent life can be just as fulfilling.
I think he may have found that place already after some attempts of going on with the assignment of writing at 5am. He then got closer and closer to the community he was part of, but sadly, just like a drug addiction, he fell back into it. He fell back into not accepting his condition when he saw his girlfriend being successful.
@@Masjen10 I think he was close, and being apart of the deaf community certainly helped. But Joe asked him if he had any moments of stillness in those writing sessions at 5am, and he said no.
There is a small moment right before he leaves his rehabilitation, during the 5 am assignment, he takes a look at the sun and clouds through the window, and it kinda mirrors how he does the same here, but he turns away from that stillness in favor of the implants, and then rips them off at the end to return to that stillness for a moment. I also like how he calls that stillness the kingdom of god, and its the grating sound of a church bell that causes him to take them out.
In the room he still held on to the idea he could be "fixed" and get his normal hearing again At the end he let's go of his idea of "having to hear everything" and finally accepts the silence as a new part of him
Anyone who has struggled with mental health issues or addiction can seriously resonate with this movie's message, his struggle was never once about him going deaf and this end scene perfectly tells that he has finally learned that. He learned how to truly be at peace.
I'm a cochlear implant user and I loved this film for it's depiction of hearing loss. The only things I didn't like about it is it's depiction that the sound quality of the implant will always be tinny and high pitched. Thats not true, eventually things sound natural after a while. And ppl seem to think the ending means that Ruben has decided to reject his implants. He didn't.. I can explain, as a implant user I am lucky enough to experience pure silence whenever I want. There is a very relaxing peace in the silence, and hearing people will never have that experience. Choosing to relax in the silence doesn't mean he's rejected his implants or he's decided to accept his "new" life. He's just taking a mental health break from the hustle and bustle of the world.
We can’t control what happens in our life, anything can happen at any given moment. My health has slowly gotten worse and it makes you truly appreciate the beauty in life. You can find that calmness whether you’re deaf, blind, handicap, sick, or just depressed. We all need that peace.
This scene resonates with me on a different level. How he was so anxious to just get back to Lou when he was admitted to the center for deaf people, to the way he wisely lets go of her when he realizes things have changed and it's time to move on... He was trying to hold on so tightly to the idea of getting back to music but once he understood it's actually over, he let go of it so beautifully. I love this masterpiece of a movie's ending because it's taught me to simply let go of things (literally just allow it slip away because maybe that is how it's meant to be)that make me restless or things that have run their course. Thank you so much Riz for doing justice to those emotions, and you did it without saying a word in this scene.. A true genius.🌼 I'll always come back to this scene whenever I am need. ❤
Same. For me it also kind of similar to the 5 stages of grief. First, is he continue playing the drums, even though his doctor told him not to, Denial. Then he get angry and destroy the inside of the RV + start yelling at his girlfriend for putting him in deaf community, Anger. Then he sold his RV to get enough money to get his ear surgery and hopes to get it back, Bargaining. Then he get a little sad after he could hear as it not as he was expecting, Depression. And finally he accepted the fact that he could no longer hear as he took off his hearing aids, acceptance
Because this movie focused so much on making you go through the experience of becoming deaf, when Reuben finally got what his counseler was trying to teach him... then I got it too. He discovered it can be just as amazing to experience life with or without being able to hear.
Have you watched the movie? Being deaf isn't a bad thing and not something to regret. You should try to spend some time with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.
@@dhruvgadhavi843 my guy the clip your commenting on is from a movie about how being Deaf isn't a handicap, it's not a "condition" you can deal with. You're just being ableist.
The reaction is everything here. When he takes off the hearing aid at 0:53, he's agitated and fearful of the noise. When he embraces the nothing at 1:05, his face becomes relaxed and he's finally at peace. Best ending since Whiplash. Riz Ahmed deserved the Oscar nomination here.
I am suffering of tinnitus for 2 weeks already, a constant sound in your ear that its produced by your brain, the nervous system to be more specific, this sound never goes away its there 24/7. I saw this movie last year and read stoic philosophy. I have accepted the idea that probably I have to live with this my whole life. I have embrace it and just still grateful for having arms and legs and eyes and lungs to breath, see and touch. Peace will still be there. Anyone that is dealing with an obstacle or challenge in your life. This will make you stronger. Be grateful with what you have.
I was looking for such a comment. I'd rather be deaf than to hear this ringing in my years all the time. Deafness is not that bad, because you have peace and silence. This is torture, this tinnitus, I just want silence! I can't take it anymore
@@Aman-ln2oh most deaf people have tinnitus. I've had it all my life. You get used to it with time and it just becomes part of the soundtrack of daily life. Trust me it gets better ❤️
Sucks I’ve just had it recent , like last year … it’s a tough battle everyday but I’m glad I’m still living. I cut down some habits because I love music and metal … sucks I will have to retire attending concerts.
Had tinnitus most of my life due to infections and sinusitis . Before that I could hear crt tv flybacks. These days its only annoying when everything gets real quiet. Then i have to get busy listening to or doing other things.
The beauty of stillness captured on film in such an impactful way. One of the best film endings in recent memory. Bravo to everyone involved with this fantastic movie.
I was diagnosed with a neurological disease a couple of months ago. It left me with flaccid paralysis from the waist down, I can walk unassisted now but the pain and some debilitating symptoms remain. Rewatched this film and came back to this scene. I've finally learnt to accept the possibility that my life might never be the same and have come to terms with it.
THIS is important movie. In today's world. In a time where mainly maistream media is showing audiences the idea behind "being good", like help others, have good friends etc. Like they unknowingly put even more responsibility to already very chaotic and anxious society. This just showing you the power of stillness and silence, that everybody have within themselves. It's about diving into yourself. The panic and discomfort with the deafness went to even higher level of panic and discomfort with the electronic "sparkling" sound of the ear implants. And suddenly after he takes it down and faces the silence, the movie reaches somewhat meditative state of healing.
I think we all believe that chasing after something that we want will give us more happiness but in reality the more we chase, the more we strive for perfection and appreciation which is not ideal. Through the ending, the movie conveys that when you let go off something that you love, that actually brings you close to who you are. The fruit of any art should not be imposed on recognition but how that art enhances us and brings stillness in our life that we truly look for. In the end, Ruben didnt found his sound but he found the stillness which he unknowlingly wanted and what makes it more beautiful is that he finds stillness in deafness.
I quite literally just finished watching this film and have watched this scene an additional six times. What a powerful, impactful conclusion. His character arc is complete. He has made a total 180 from the beginning of the film to this moment of pure clarity and acceptance. A beautiful ending to an exceptional film. It was, in my opinion, the best of 2020.
That stillness he’s talking about is achieved through meditation. Simply sitting with yourself and focusing on your breath, or the surrounding sounds and eventually it will come to you. Whenever you find yourself disappearing into your thoughts, refocus on your breath or the sounds. Try at least ten mins per day. One day something indescribable will start happening. Changed my life. ‘You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.’ Franz Kafka
When Ruben and Lou had their final conversation in the bed. When he said "it's ok, you saved my life." It came to my mind the first time they met Joe when Joe would ask Ruben about his drug addiction and Ruben replied that he stopped doing heroin 4 years ago then Joe continued to ask him when he met Lou and he said that also was 4 years ago. I realised that she was the reason he got over his drug addiction and she literally saved his life and he helped her cope with her moms suicide and stopped her from scratching herself eventually saving her life.
May sound strange but I’ve suffered with anxiety my whole adult life. And this ending altered something in my brain chemistry. I realised my anxiety was just the inability to be still. I’am eternally grateful to this movie for the first time in so many years I was present without any thought and just being. That moment has overwhelmed me with so much emotion I cannot describe
"All my life, I wanted to be nearer to God. But the only nearness… silence" Joel Theriot, from True Detective. Don't know why this ending made me think about those words.
Indeed, too much noise keeps your mind in distortion. Look at today culture, too much noise and too much said than done. The only way to fix things around is take a moment of silence and sit down, eventually solution present itself.
Riz Ahmed's acting is so understated yet beautifully done here. You can actually see the tiniest hint of a smile form on his face at 1:35, followed by a look of bliss as he embraces the silence
What a powerful, beautiful, and unforgettable ending to a beautiful film. This scene has stayed with me ever since I saw Sound of Metal. Thank you so much for uploading it...
Just finished watching this film with my boyfriend. I loved it. After seeing it nominated at the Oscars this year, i had to check it out and I'm glad I did. Very sad yet beautiful film. He had to lose everything to accept it and find peace.
As someone who experienced temporary hearing loss in one ear, It spooked me and reminded me of this movie. It made me think how ungrateful I was to be blessed with perfect hearing. Thankfully it only lasted 24 hours and my hearing returned.
Sound of Metal no tiene la intención de ser triste pero casi me hizo llorar. Es una obra de arte poderosa, melancólica, profunda, relevante, reflexiva y original. Tiene un inicio interesante y un final demoledor. Plagada de silencios, una fotografía hermosa y una actuación de Riz Ahmed brutal es sin dudas la mejor película del 2020.
Los pequeños drones que sonaban de momentos dotaban igual de un impacto muy fuerte a esas escenas de eterno silencio, si es la mejor pelicula del 2020 sin dudas
I think that these lyrics go well with this scene: Well, the bells out in the church tower chime Burning clues into this heart of mine Thinking so hard on her soft eyes And the memories, offer signs that it's over It's over From Last Goodbye by Jeff Buckley
Interesting the ending shows Ruben's perspective as almost total silence. In that way, you as the viewer become aware of your own breathing, or the sounds you are making. For me, my tinnitus becomes apparent again, my breathing is made so obvious as I watch these final scenes. It helps with the realisation that as Ruben accepts his new life, we are made more aware of ours. Brilliant stuff. (Of course, I also relate to removing the aids as when I take mine off at the end of the day, it's the near-total silence as I learn to re-adjust to what is my natural state - and of course, one day I will be in the same position as Ruben. Just not as quickly or dramatically).
I'm clinically deaf & I know of some misconceptions, but this made me feel a little bit better. We hear tssssssssss forever even in sleep it's the profound thing. Acoustic neuroma here. It's Scan, Watch & wait. Nobody sees that it's hard to be in restaurant's/with family & friends.
This movie is amazing. While im not deaf, i resonate with the idea of truly finding peace in the stillness. Im happy Reuben found peace in his new life.
"Within each of us there is a silence, a silence as vast as the universe. And when we experience that silence, we remember who we are." - Gunilla Norris
On the one hand yes. But for me the most hard and tragic part of the movie was his disappointment after getting implant. His suffering during the party, around this painful sounds realizing that there is no come back. This scene was kind of relief, when he finally found some peace in silence.
One thing I’d add to the clip is closed captions for deaf people. This is a movie about the experience of a deaf person so it should be accessible to them.
@@PretentiousStuff because of the sonic difference between what he hears with his cochlear implants and the silence of when he takes them out. Dialogue is not the only important sound in movies, especially this one. Would you be able to tell there was a difference in sound if you watched it with no audio? Because that change from discordant sound to silence is kind of important in this scene. It’s the entire point actually.
@@juliadonati8245 pretty sure him taking out his implants and then slowly looking less frustrated and more calm is a pretty good visual indicator of what’s happening in a scene without dialog Also I just watched this movie on Amazon Prime and they do have subtitles indicating those tinny, metallic sounds he hears in this last stretch of the film
