Reverberation of Memory as a Metaphor: From Silence to a New Sound (Using the Example of the Film by J. Trier's «Sentimental Value»)

Abstract

The author analyzes episodes from Joachim Triers film «Sentimental Value» (2025) from the perspective of the «silent text» and its components: silence, pause, and unspoken. The criteria for «silent text» are defined based on a study of the work of Nobel laureate playwright Jon Fosse and projected onto the film's theme and concept. Conversational silence, as a communicative and existential category, is associated with soundlessness; the article examines their connection to the phenomenon of reverberation. Reverberation is presented not only as an acoustic and neurophysiological phenomenon but also as a mental and spiritual metaphor. These analogies make reflection of the film’s characters’ moral quest and rebirth more comprehensively.