What more can be said about a movie that continues to be - as Fox publicity of its day heralded - "the happiest sound in all the world"? Quite simply, Robert Wise’s The Sound of Music (1965) is required viewing – a perennial ‘feel good’ of everyone's 'favourite things' made more sentimentally meaningful with each passing year. The story of the Von Trapp family and their harrowing escape from the Nazis - had been told several times in foreign language films prior to Broadway composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's monumental musical undertaking, though arguably never with such adroit and frothy accoutrements.People today forget that the stage musical was not as towering a success as the other Rodgers and Hammerstein's smash hits that preceded it; Oklahoma!, The King and I and South Pacific. And, while the motion picture incarnations of these aforementioned titles were successful at the box office, they never quite equalled the Broadway originals. The Sound of Music, however, was different. A property brought to R&H's attention by Mary Martin and expressly written to suit her talents, the Broadway derivative steadily grew in prominence during its stage run - enough for 20th Century-Fox to acquire the film rights by 1960.
Yet, the property languished on script shelves throughout the early 1960s, primarily because Fox was in dire financial straits following their disastrous efforts on Cleopatra (1963); a weighty 'would be' epic more infamous for its back story of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's illicit love affair. For a while, it seemed as though The Sound of Music might never get off the ground. By 1965 the Hollywood musical was in its final death throws - occasionally yielding an expensive masterpiece that gelled with public tastes, but more often than not coming up empty handed and over produced.
After Oscar Hammerstein’s death in 1960, Richard Rodgers agreed to go it alone and write several new songs for the film when producer Saul Chaplin and director Robert Wise were finally given a green light to develop the project. Rodgers eventually penned two of the film's best remembered songs, the romantic ballad Something Good and Maria's bombastic intro to the Von Trapp family, I Have Confidence. Timing, as they used to say, was perfect.
Fresh from her Oscar-win in Mary Poppins the year before, Julie Andrews assimilated the part of Maria Von Trapp as a sugary-sweet Austrian governess with aplomb and pert exuberance that convincingly translated into romantic longing for the Captain. To see Andrews high atop those picturesque hills, deliriously spinning and belting out the opening strains of the title track, is to be magically teleported to some alternate universe where goodness and light are always in vogue and fashionable.
Shot mostly on location, the story evolved from a simple romance into a stunning snapshot of old world charm and serene pastoral beauty, though studio brass did cut short director Wise’s stay in Austria after inclement weather slowed production.
The powers that be at Fox had warranted concerns and misgivings, but there was little to fear. Despite tepid box office response during its opening weekend, over the next few weeks The Sound of Music’s reputation steadily grew with overwhelming repeat business and word of mouth that indeed made it "the Happiest Sound in All the World!” for Fox as well.
Plot wise: young Maria (Andrews) is proving an embarrassment to the nuns and Nonnberg Abbey. To ease their tensions and ‘solve their problem’ that is Maria, the Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood) decides to send her novice away for the summer to the sprawling estate of Captain Georg Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) as a governess to his seven children: Liesl (Charmaine Carr), Freidrich (Nicholas Hammond), Louisa (Heather Menzies), Kurt (Duane Chase), Brigitta (Angela Cartwright), Marta (Debbie Turner) and Gretl (Kim Karath).
At first, this move proves just as awkward for Maria as her life behind the abbey walls. The Captain is a tyrannical patriarch with few patience and the children play practical jokes on her that backfire when Maria makes them all feel guilty for their belligerences. Gradually, Maria works her charm on this rigid household. Before long, she has the children stepping in line but with music filling their hearts. It helps that the Captain has departed for Vienna to woo Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Eleanor Parker).
However, upon his return with Elsa and her chaperone, Max Detweiler (Richard Hayden) in tow, Georg discovers that his children have been transformed through love and proper musical training into a formidable singing group – one that Max would relish the opportunity to promote and/or exploit. At a lavish party, Georg comes to the sudden realization that he has fallen in love with Maria, much to Elsa’s jealous chagrin.
Meanwhile, Austria has become a part of the German Reich. Georg is ‘instructed’ to join Hitler’s naval forces, but opts instead to escape with his family across the Alps. The ending of the film is dramatically superior to the historic record. In reality, the Von Trapps boarded a train without incident and traveled in relative style and obscurity on the eve before the borders were closed – not after, as the film depicts.
Nevertheless, the film’s alternative reality has eclipsed the facts. Is it little wonder that this lighter-than-air confection of nuns, Nazis and good natured children retains its freshness and vitality today? With Rodgers and Hammerstein’s score a myriad of instantly recognizable memories including the buoyant ‘Do-Re-Mi’ the whimsical, ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?’ and rambunctious ‘Lonely Goatherd’ The Sound of Music springs forth like "a lark who is learning to pray." It instantly filling our hearts with "something good" and encourages the human spirit to "climb every mountain" until we all find our dreams.
Home Video has hardly been kind to this perennial classic. Early VHS and laserdisc incarnations were faded and worn. In 1999 Fox debuted a 'Five Star' edition on DVD that left much to be desired. Three years later, Fox repackaged the same shoddy transfer in an equally shoddy cardboard slipcase - then 'remastered' the film for its anniversary reissue. In all cases, the image was moderately impressive at best.
But now we really do get our favourite things with Fox's exemplary Blu-Ray incarnation. The Sound of Music bursts forth with renewed clarity and a gorgeous colour print that lives up to the film's original 70mm road show engagement. This is Austria as it might have - or must have - been; at least at the time Robert Wise and his film company visited it, with every blade of grass as green and fragrant and each bluer than blue sky positively glowing off the screen.
Image detail takes a quantum leap forward as does colour fidelity. The audio has also been freshened up with a 7.1 remix that truly adds sonic dimension to the visuals. The songs have never sounded better and dialogue more than ever sounds natural and impressively clear. Truly, for lovers of great movies everywhere, The Sound of Music is this holiday season's must have Blu-Ray purchase.
Disc One contains the entire 178 minute feature film with an interactive feature that allows you to go behind the scenes and experience the making of the film. We also get the original Robert Wise commentary track as well as another featuring Julie Andrews and Chris Plummer at their fawning best, plus a sing-a-long track that personally, I'll never play. Disc 2 is jam packed with featurettes, some new, but many vintage that cover the film's gestation, the stage play and the enduring success and restoration from every conceivable angle. Disc 3 I could have easily done without - a DVD copy of the film; presumably to convince me why the Blu-Ray is superior in all aspects. Oh well, it'll make a nice Christmas gift for a friend I know who loves this film so well.
To make matters even more enticing, Fox has padded its deluxe box set with a gorgeous brochure, some beautifully reproduced lobby cards, an original screenplay and a music box with a mini Julie Andrews perched atop.
Bottom line: The Sound of Music is a must own Blu-Ray event. Fox has at long last done the film and its fans proud!
FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)
5+
VIDEO/AUDIO
5
EXTRAS
4
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