Sound and Fury

When 5-year-old deaf Heather Artinian decided that she wanted to hear "all the people talking in Florida and New York" among other audible possibilities (and impossibilities), she sparked a war within the extended Artinian family that pitted father against son, mother against daughter, in-laws against in-laws and--always--hearing culture against deaf culture. The source of the controversy lies in an amazing, though invasive, technological advance called a "cochlear implant," which--especially if opted for at an early age--can bring a remarkable degree of hearing and speech capability to a child born deaf. Josh Aronson's Oscar-nominated documentary follows the parallel stories of two brother's families: Peter (deaf), whose wife and children are all deaf, is vigorously opposed to his daughter's undergoing a serious operation that may or may not restore her hearing but will certainly (in Peter's eyes) cause her to lose her "identity" within the nurturing fold of deaf culture; and Chris (hearing), who, along with his wife, wants a cochlear implant for their 11-month-old son who was born deaf. Although, on the face of it, people might think that Peter is being obtuse and mean in denying his daughter the operation, the underlying social and familial questions as presented in this absolutely fascinating chronicle are considerably more complicated. As we watch Peter arguing with his hearing father--fingers flying, chest thumping, mouth furiously working--and listen to his dad respond in plain English (without ever using sign language with his son), we begin to get a glimmer of the isolated, protected, and ultimately cherished cocoon of a world that Peter has built around his family...and why he feels that people in hearing culture might not know what's best for a deaf child. Although the year's not even halfway gone, I know that Sound and Fury will be one of the most challenging, thought-provoking and gripping films I'll see in 2001. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)