Believe it or not, the evergreen (and admittedly cheesy) film The Sound of Music is based on a true story. The film was adapted from Maria von Trapp’s memoir entitled The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. After five and a half decades, most films look familiar, but few exude the sheer joy of being directed by Robert Wise. Despite the time and location of the film, Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer’s film has a timeless, charming atmosphere that even years later it is difficult not to be enchanted by its theatricality.
Oh, and the songs! Beautiful and limitless and also popular (think Edelweiss). But we’re overtaking ourselves. Let me begin with the plot. The story takes place in Austria and revolves around a boyish, impulsive and enthusiastic 18-year-old Maria. Although many tried to “tame” her in the Nonnberg Monastery, Maria could not be held back – she was always bursting with ideas and music. In order to make her a responsible adult, she is sent as the governess of seven children of a retired naval officer named Captain Georg von Trapp (a noblest Christopher Plummer). However, Maria’s unorthodox manner soon caught the captain’s attention. And the rest of the action starts from there.
Predictable by the T, The Sound of Music makes up for what it lacks in the novelty department with its infectious energy. The story comes “alive” (pun intended) thanks to a well-cast cast of actors, including the child actors, who play their roles convincingly. But it’s no surprise to anyone that it’s the amazing Plummer and Andrews lead characters who anchor this all-too-familiar story. The notions of one’s own independence and the deep exploration of family relationships are to be admired. And when these themes are brought to screen with Julie Andrews’ vibrancy, the ride becomes all the more fun. Julie looks most beautiful in simple clothes and shines as the young Maria, who cannot help but spread a little joy and curiosity wherever she goes.
Hollywood rewind: Benny and Joon | Crimson Summit | The holiday | My blueberry nights | Help | Mission impossible | Cook | Revolutionary Street | I’m not there | Donnie Brasco | Sicario | Edge of tomorrow | Spy children | Godzilla from 1998 | 1998 The other | Phone booth | Wild | Scream | The Godfather Part II | A beautiful day | True romance | Little women | Confrontation | Pulp Fiction | Crouching tiger, hidden dragon | The age of innocence | Common girls | Die hard | Never kissed | Citizen Kane | Kill Bill Volume I | Terminator 2 Judgment Day | Titanic | Heat | Home alone | Jerry Maguire | Short encounter | The Truman Show | The deer hunter | The shining one | Clueless | Ferris Bueller’s day off | Blue velvet | Taxi driver | The Lord of the Rings I | Zero Dark Thirty | The godfather | Say everything | Warm body | Bright star | Malcolm X | Stardust | Red eye | Notting Hill | Fargo | The virgin suicides | The breakfast club | Enchanted | Walk the line | Blood diamond | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Mortal Kombat | Madison County Bridges | Edward Scissorhands | Breakfast at Tiffany’s | You must have it | Always after | The devil wears Prada | The matrix | Creed | Mulan | Ratatouille | Shutter island | Your | Society of Dead Poets | Sleepless in Seattle | Waitress | Pride and Prejudice | The dark knight | Before sunset | Rock school | About a boy | Some good men | 50/50 | Start over | Brooklyn | Drive | Chocolate | Batman begins | 10 things I hate about you | The deceased | Freedom writer | Pretty woman | Dan in real life | Jurassic Park | Jumble | Meet Joe Black | Monster Ball | Eternal sunshine of the flawless spirit | You have mail | Half Nelson | Fight Club | Doubt | American Psycho | Julie and Julia | Forrest Gump | The silence of the lambs | Find Neverland | Roman holiday | American history X | Tropical thunder | Before sunrise | Scent of a woman | Find Forrester | Sixteen candles
The Sound of Music is not only well acted, but also a well filmed film. Take the opening sequence, for example – this wide opening shot of Maria running through the green of a meadow, surrounded by ice-blue mountains on either side. Frolicking around in the center and turning, the camera then zooms in on Julie, who takes her audience on a short journey to the picturesque places of Salzburg. This now iconic shot of Andrews with arms outstretched as if hugging nature was captured with the help of a large helicopter.
“This opening shot is really the quintessential picture poster shot. We had terrible trouble filming this scene. This shot was filmed walking across the field from one end and a helicopter coming down from the tree at the other end. A cameraman hung on the side of the helicopter to shoot me. But every time the helicopter took off to its base (the scene was shot many times), I was completely exhausted from its downdraft, ”Andrews had said during an earlier recording for the American Film Institute. And thanks to their willingness to let themselves be pushed to the ground again and again, we have now reserved a great cinematic moment for eternity. Guess that’s called ‘for the sake of art’.
You can watch The Sound of Music on Google Play.