Words – A Limit?

Before I get carried away with by my train of thought, I must first say that Manchester by the Sea was brilliant, and Casey Affleck does a phenomenal job as Lee. I saw this movie knowing nothing about it other than its title, so I will leave the same opportunity to my readers who have not seen it yet by keeping details out.

When the credits began to roll, the audience remained still as if they had been petrified to stone and the theater filled with silence. Moments later, the stillness was finally interrupted with the onset of surrounding lights and soft footsteps that signaled it was time to go.  Throughout the movie, director Kenneth Lonergan blankets each scene with the perfect sound, whether it was a classical number by Handel, Poulenc, Albinoni, or Massenet, elements of an original score by Lesley Barber, or a piercing silence. Sometimes the music would overpower a conversation in the film because the conversation itself didn’t matter; the feeling associated was far more powerful than the words.

Words are limiting because they form a framework for thoughts whereas silence does not give any direction. We can use words and sounds to communicate with each other so we can follow and understand each other’s direction. Without these, we are left stranded. Perhaps this is why Lee is surrounded by silence during his story. When he feels the most pain, it becomes so overpowering to the point of numbness. The silence embodies the numbness. However, the absence of noise does not have to be a bad thing. It can be almost…liberating. Like a fresh start.

So I refrained from spilling details about Manchester by the Sea because my words might have influence your own perception of what you would expect to see going into the movie. They might steer you in a direction that you would not want to follow. For some movies, I think it’s important to have a sense of background and public opinion, but for this one, I highly recommend viewing without any expectations.  Instead, watch it for what it is in each moment.