The Sound of Silence: Ryan Gosling, Expressionism and the Silent Hero in 21st-Century Film

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Nancy Epton (Independent Scholar, UK)

The Sound of Silence

Ryan Gosling, Expressionism and the Silent Hero in 21st-Century Film

Nancy Epton (Independent Scholar, UK)

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English

Bloomsbury Publishing USA
18 September 2025

Film theory & criticism; Cinema industry

The Sound of Silence explores how non-verbal communication in film, shown primarily through the acting of Ryan Gosling, provides an expressive space in which passive audience viewing is made more active by removing the expository signifier of dialogue.

The German Expressionist era may have been brief, but the shadows cast since its end nonetheless loom large. The silhouetted, cigar-wielding men of film noir and their respectively dark, doom-laden haunts mirror the angst-inducing atmospheres of their forebearers, while also introducing the now-familiar figure of the silent hero. Considering the numerous silent hero actors in film history, there’s one that stands out in the 21st century like no other: Ryan Gosling. His later career has seen some of the most iconic silent heroes of the past decade, with films such as Drive, Only God Forgives, Blade Runner 2049 and First Man cementing him as the go-to guy for a monosyllabic, taciturn and moody hero whose actions speak louder than words.

This book argues that it is Gosling’s expressive capabilities that keep audiences compelled by his performances. With the use of non-verbal silence – combined with its counterbalance, sound – a more active, emotive audience response can be achieved. Looking further into this idea through theorists such as Michel Chion and Susan Sontag, the book demonstrates that the sound of silence is one of the most meaningful cinematic sounds of all.

By: Nancy Epton (Independent Scholar UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Country of Publication: United States [Currently unable to ship to USA: see Shipping Info]
Dimensions: Height: 226mm, Width: 148mm, Spine: 14mm
Weight: 300g
ISBN: 9798765108048
Pages: 200
Publication Date: 18 September 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Mythologies of the Silent Hero 2. Silent Heroes in 21st Century Film 3. Ryan Gosling and the Star System 4. Sound and Music Conclusion Filmography Bibliography Index

Nancy Epton is an independent scholar based in the UK. She was a reader in English at Oxford, UK, and was the first student to complete an MRes in Film, Theatre and Television (Distinction) at the University of Reading, UK. Her primary interests reside in the study of film, particularly in relation to the myriad ways imagery and sound contribute to cinematic narratives that contain minimal spoken dialogue, or no spoken dialogue at all.

Reviews for The Sound of Silence: Ryan Gosling, Expressionism and the Silent Hero in 21st-Century Film

""Theorists often feel unresponsive to film's sensory elements. Not Nancy Epton, who has a gift for detailing the many interesting things she sees-and hears. Her investigation of ""silence"" shows that an artistic cinema has been continuous, in a resonant way, from the silent era to today's vanguard."" --Justin Vicari is Author of Marks of Toil (2014) and Nicolas Winding Refn and the Violence of Art (2014) ""The Sound of Silence constructs a comprehensive genealogy of the 21st-century silent cinematic hero, centered on Ryan Gosling's laconic performances. The book significantly broadens the concept of silence in cinema by exploring its permeable registers, including oral pauses, numbed responses, failures of language, episodic speech, mute expressionist gesture, and other forms of non-verbal communication."" --Tanya Shilina-Conte is Assistant Professor of Global Film Studies, Department of English, University at Buffalo, USA