Description
THE SOUND OF MUSIC is incredibly entertaining and incredibly effective despite the fact that it is incredibly hokey. THE SOUND OF MUSIC may actually be the source of all known hokeyness in the universe. Still, despite it all, this film leaves nuclear waste long-haul truckers and oil-rig wildcatters singing, "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" with a smile on their grizzled faces.
There's a lovely innocence to this film that touches everyone who sees it. Julie Andrews as Maria essentially reprises her MARY POPPINS role as the magical governess who brings happiness to a houseful of lonelymore… children being raised by an overly stern but loving father.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC is more or less the true story of the singing von Trapp family who fled anschluss Austria to escape the overwhelming shadow of Nazism. Christopher Plummer plays Naval Captain Georg von Trapp, a rather benevolent despot of a parent who is mismanaging his children with brisk military efficiency when Maria appears. The new Nanny is a reluctant Novice at the local convent, sent out into the world by the Reverend Mother to measure her devotion to the cloister. She soon falls in love with the children and they with her. As Maria and the children bond, the Captain and Maria are drawn to one another. They eventually marry, and as the Germans occupy their country, they flee over the mountains to Switzerland.
Most of the musical numbers in THE SOUND OF MUSIC have become true standards, including, "The Sound of Music," "Sixteen on Seventeen," "Do-Re-Mi" (AKA "Doe a Deer"), "A Few of My Favorite Things," and "Edelweiss" (which is NOT the national anthem of Austria). Rodgers and Hammerstein contributed their best and last to the libretto. Musically, the 1965 movie varies somewhat from the 1959 stage play, but this only means there are more classics to be had in enjoying them both.
Certain scenes have become classics in and of themselves: The opening scene of Julie Andrews flinging her arms and pirouetting joyfully on the slopes of the Unterberg is instantly recognizable. The chorus of smiling nuns is equally recognizable. The gazebo scene and gentle dance between the eldest daughter, Liesl and her boyfriend Rolf, still leaves the viewer with wet eyes. Plummer and Andrews' wistful last scene on stage in Salzbug is moving.
Affection for this staid but singular film has led to it being often parodied (i.e., "The Sound of Murder") and picked on (viz., "The Sound of Mucous"), and it is awfully easy to goof on the dialogue and songs, but nevertheless, we keep coming back to it.
When released, THE SOUND OF MUSIC became the top-grossing film of all time, and, inflation adjusted, it still stands in the top ten. The continuing popularity of this film is amazing, especially considering that four decades later the movie musical is all but dead. There are no dramatic special effects, no car chases, no explosions, no T & A, and not a foul word in this film. No doubt, this combination of elements accounts for its success. The political yahoos who grow fat on trumpeting "Family Values" could do more good by encouraging people to watch this film than by all the other anti-whatever they hypocritically babble about. Of course, that assumes they really believe what they're saying in the first place.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC is true G-Rated quality family entertainment, an artifact of a gentler age.
| Julie Andrews |
| Christopher Plummer |
| Richard Haydn |
| Peggy Wood |
| Anna Lee |
Info:
- Category:
- Movies > Films
- Case Type:
- DVD
- Release Type:
- Retail
- Language:
- English
- Region:
- R1
- Format:
- Widescreen
- Comments:
- 1 read add
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Cover Info:
- Title:
- The Sound of Music (1965) WS R1 Retail DVD
- Part:
- CD
- Dimensions:
- 993 x 1000 px
- Size:
- 206 KB
- Downloads:
- 283 (1 today)
- Uploaded:
- 18/09/07 by choochoocha…
- Quality Rating:
-
- Currently /5 Stars.
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