Picking up on my thoughts about one of the story's key themes -- noise and the associated dynamic…
Ruben: Like, what does it matter? What does it matter? It just passes. Yo. If I disappear, like, who cares? Nobody cares, man. Seriously…
Picking up on my thoughts about one of the story's key themes -- noise and the associated dynamic of silence -- here is an important exchange between Ruben and Joe:
Ruben: Like, what does it matter? What does it matter? It just passes. Yo. If I disappear, like, who cares? Nobody cares, man. Seriously. Yo, and that's okay. That's life. That's life. No, for real. Okay? It just passes. It just fucking... fucking passes.
Joe: I wonder, uh, all these mornings you've been sitting in my study, sitting, have you had any moments of stillness? Because you're right, Ruben. The world does keep moving, and it can be a damn cruel place. But for me, those moments of stillness, that place, that's the kingdom of God.
This reads even more impactful when we recall this saying by Jesus from the Gospel of Luke: "Behold, the kingdom of God is within you." The stillness, that silence from within, is a reflection of one's most authentic nature. That's central to this story: Noise (music) / Silence (deafness).
Ruben believes he needs to fix his deafness when the movie suggests that is the path for him to discover the life he's supposed to be leading. The dialogue noted above speaks directly to that point.