Product Description
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Julie Andrews in the heartwarming true story that has become a
cinematic treasure. Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of
Music." Julie Andrews is Maria, the spirited, young woman who
leaves the convent and becomes a governess to the seven unruly
charm and songs soon win the hearts of the children and their
her but when Nazi, Germany unites with Austria, Maria is
forced to attempt a daring escape with her new family.
.com
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When Julie Andrews sang "The hills are alive with the sound of
music" from an Austrian aintop in 1965, the most beloved
movie musical was born. To be sure, the adaptation of Richard
Rodgers and O Hammerstein II's Broadway hit has never been as
universally accled as, say, Singin' in the Rain. Critics argue
that the songs are saccharine (even the songwriters regretted the
line "To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to
pray") and that the characters and plot lack the complexity that
could make them more interesting. It's not hard to know whom to
root for when your choice is between cute kids and Nazis.
Read our interview (
../exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/594483/ref=d_ap_som_1 ) with
Charmian Carr, who played
Liesl von Trapp in The
Sound of Music. It doesn't matter. Audiences fell in love with
the struggling novice Maria (Andrews), the dashing Captain von
Trapp (Christopher Plummer), and, yes, the cute kids, all based
on a real-life World War II Austrian family. Such songs as "My
Favorite Things," "Do Re Mi," "Climb Every ain," and the
title tune became part of the 20th century Zeitgeist. In
addition, The Sound of Music officially became a cult hit when
audiences in London began giving it the Rocky Horror Picture Show
, attending showings dressed as their favorite
characters and delivering choreographed comments and gestures
along with the movie. So why resist, especially when the 40th
Anniversary Edition is the best DVD yet.
The DVDs
As if the direct involvement of Julie Andrews weren't enough,
the 40th Anniversary Edition of The Sound of Music is a must-have
for fans because of the fond sense of nostalgia that will touch
all but the worst cynic's heart. Andrews introduces both discs
and contributes a commentary track on the film. It's a joy to
hear her speak about the film (for example, she explains how she
solved her dislike for the lyrics of "I Have Confidence"), and
also heard are remarks by Christopher Plummer (who at one point
refers to his being 48, which if true would mean his comments
were made in about 1975), Charmian Carr (Liesl), choreographer
Dee Dee Wood, and Johannes Von Trapp (the real-life Maria Von
Trapp's youngest son, who admits that his her did have a
whistle but cls that he was not as stern as portrayed in the
film). Even with all those people involved, there are still
significant gaps of silence, however. Retained from the previous
two-disc editions is the commentary track by director Robert
Wise, which during the musical numbers becomes an isolated score
with no vocals. Also new are sing-along subtitles in English,
Spanish, and French, which allow you to have your own sing-along
at home. In addition, the film's remastering shows off a truer
and much warmer sense of color.
On the second disc, Andrews participates in a new 63-minute
documentary "My Favorite Things: Julie Andrews Remembers." But
it's really a general making-of documentary with contributions
from a number of principals, including director Robert Wise, who
died in mid-2005 (not surprisingly, some stories are repeated
from the commentary track and from the 87-minute documentary on
the previous DVD). Andrews also shares a warm 19-minute sit-down
with Christopher Plummer. Carr, who over the years has become the
film's biggest advocate, narrates a new 22-minute documentary,
"On Location with The Sound of Music," in which she revisits the
places in Salzburg where the movie was filmed, and even joins one
of the "Sound of Music tours" that have become a booming
industry. And acknowledging another big industry, there's a
12-minute featurette on the sing-along phenomenon, focusing
specifically on the audience, costumed and otherwise, that
attended a sold-out Hollywood sing-along in 2005. Making
special appearances at the event are four von Trapp
great-grandchildren and all seven of the actors who played the
children. Thankfully, those actors also appear in a 33-minute
documentary "From Liesl to Gretl: A 40th Anniversary Reunion," in
which they explain what they do now (many are still in show
business) and share stories about the film, who was afraid of
Christopher Plummer, and what they feel is their responsibility
to the film's passionate fans. What's touching is how the group
still considers themselves a family so many years later. Other
material includes an A&E documentary on the von Trapps, Mia
Farrow's screen test for the Liesl role, and a restoration
comparison.
What's Missing?
If you already own the previous two-disc editions, you'll want
this 40th Anniversary Edition as well, but you might not want to
toss those versions. Probably the most significant omission from
this edition is the original 14-minute documentary Charmian Carr
made in 1967, "Salzburg and Sound." Carr's new documentary
includes only a couple clips from the vintage piece. It's not a
great work of art, but it's a notable loss and would have made a
good contrast with the new documentary. In addition, the new
making-of documentary is about 24 minutes shorter than the old
one. Also missing are the audio-only features--the interviews,
the radio programs, the Ernest Lehman spotlight--and the
historical still gallery examining the history of Salzburg and
the film. Granted, this material probably got the least play of
any of the old features, but completists might want to hold onto
their old discs for it. It would have also been nice to have
screen tests other than Farrow's. Tests for all the children and
for Christopher Plummer (including singing in his own voice
before he was dubbed for the film) were included on Hollywood
Screen Tests and Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Sound of Movies.
Again, they're not critical but it would have been nice to have
them all in one place. So maybe the 40th Anniversary Edition
isn't the complete package on The Sound of Music, but it's the
most satisfying edition yet, with enough new material to please
even the veteran SoM DVD watcher. --David Horiuchi
Stills from The Sound of Music (Click for larger image)