The mixing and editing of "Voice of Metal" is surprising, but the film is not only a technical achievement, it tells a solid and fascinating story about coping and overcoming.
Rubin is the drummer of a heavy metal band that goes to the show and plays in a small but enthusiastic crowd. He shares an RV with female singer Lulu, and establishes an interdependent relationship between the two.
Rubin’s difficulty is that he is addicted to drugs, and her problem is not specifically expressed, but clues can be found in the traces of the cut on the arm.
They seemed to be happy (or at least satisfied) before their fate took a new blow.
Rubin's hearing is slightly faulty (Ma De conveys to the audience through what we hear from the perspective of the character, which is a technique he continues to use throughout the film), but the problem quickly developed to Rubin almost completely deaf To the point.
Later Rubin found a rehabilitation center, but in his opinion, it was temporary. His goal is to raise funds for cochlear implants.
We are witnesses of Rubin's struggle, he is eager to find everything back. But this way of thinking is destructive. In order to truly help this lost soul caught in self-pity and fear, he must give up all contact with the past so that he can re-establish himself in the unfaced reality.
"Voice of Metal" takes character research as the narrative track, and Ma De is more interested in exploring the particularity of Ruben's struggle than pioneering and innovative. The character must go through all stages of grief: rejection, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. He can move forward only when he grasps the reality of the current situation. However, there is still a gap between him and many others who live and work in the community.
Rubin sees deafness as a disability and is determined to restore hearing. Others don't see it as a barrier, they see it as part of their personal identity. (This is why part of the deaf community opposes cochlear implants.)
Movies are relatively open, so viewers can fill in the blanks according to their needs. The ending can be said to be full of hope and satisfaction, just like the whole movie.
There is no doubt that Metal Voice is a good movie. It is very low-key and based on reality. It will not make Ruben a magical figure with all the answers, but it stands by every character. The actors performed very well, and the director also used a lot of recording lenses and clever sound design to let the audience understand Rubin's world and it can be said that he developed a new way of experiencing movies.
View more about Sound of Metal reviews
