Sound of Metal

The last scene in Sound of Metal is from the point of view of the main character, a man who has been learning how to be deaf, and has finally reached a major milestone in that journey.  The last scene is meant to be poignantly introspective, a moment of peace and understanding, but the end doesn't come.  Then a few moments later, the end still doesn't come.  Then finally, the movie ends.  My plan for this review was to suggest that the ending is representative of the entire movie, and I was going to argue that the movie was too long, and spent too much time trying to convey simple messages.  But as I began to write, the thought came to my mind that the ending was intentionally representative of the entire movie, and the point is that sometimes it takes a long time to drive a simple message home.  More so than any of the other films that I've reviewed recently, Sound of Metal succeeded in making me sympathetic to its main character.  Even with all his flaws, I found myself wondering how I would handle loosing my hearing.  I definitely identify with his initial denial, and the strong desire not to reach out for help.  I've probably mentioned this in a past review, but as I'm getting older I try not to let my first impression of a film be my final impression.  Years ago I saw the film Blackhawk Down in the theater, and I hated it with all my being.  I told everyone who would listen how bad the movie was, and how frustrating it was to watch.  The opinion that I formed, and the adamant stance that I took, have kept me from re-watching the film to this day.  That being said, I have this sneaking suspicion that Ridley Scott intended on making a film about the horrible situation that those soldiers found themselves in, and likely made the most frustrating war movie that he could.  If that is true, then I've been judging the movie all wrong these past twenty years.  In conclusion, either Sound of Metal held on fifteen seconds too long, or it had a perfect ending; I'll choose to believe the latter.