The Sound of Music
Returning to theaters for the film's 60th Anniversary, the film adaptation of the stage musical The Sound of Music was a worldwide success on its release in 1965 and remains a cultural touchstone more than half a century later. Julie Andrews stars as the problematic nun turned governess who finds her place with the von Trapp family on the eve of Germany's march across Europe in what would become the Second World War.
Although it wasn't beloved by all critics, some of who felt the film was a tad too sugary sweet, the film took home five Academy Awards including Best Picture (but notably not one for Andrews). Filled from top to bottom with great musical numbers that help hide some of the story's deficiencies, Andrews is unquestionably the star of the show in a performance that defined her for a generation. And audiences adored the film. Adjusted for inflation, The Sound of Music is one of the top grossing movies of all time and was the first American film to be dubbed in multiple languages.
The film is very much told through its music which so perfectly introduces us to Maria through the nuns' rendition of "Maria," while she also uses music to bond with the precocious von Trapp children and eventually earn the heart of their father as well. Although a bit of a blissful daydream, things do get more serious in the final act with Captain von Trapp's (an underrated Christopher Plummer) refusal to bend the knee to fascism and the family fleeing their home in the dead of night.
Chosen by the AFI as the 55th greatest American film of all time, The Sound of Music has stood the test of time as one of the most beloved musicals ever made. I've seen the musical performed on stage, but there's just something magical about seeing the larger vistas the film employs while still hammering out hit after hit making me nearly impossible for me to pick a favorite song. When it's on the screen, the heart really is filled with the sound of music.
- Title: The Sound of Music
- IMDb: link
