There are few movie musicals more beloved than The Sound of Music (1965). In its day it was a massive success, and if you adjust its earnings for inflation, it remains the most successful movie musical of all time. It seems fitting then that this adaptation of the Broadway hit of the same name has a grand scale, complete with incredible shots of the striking Austrian countryside and of the large mansion in which most of the story takes place. But its epic charms pale in comparison to what really makes this film shine: the beautiful songs and intimate story.
Director Robert Wise sets the tone for his adaptation in the first five minutes. Long shots of the majestic Austrian countryside, filmed from the perspective of a helicopter, fill the screen. The natural settings have a great beauty which is almost overwhelming. Eventually, the camera settles on a hill and tracks forwards to a single figure: a young woman named Maria (Julie Andrews). She sings the titular song with all of the passion that comes from the pure joy of being alive, before realizing that she needs to get back to the abbey where she is studying to be a nun.
This opening establishes the two main things for which people remember the movie adaptation of The Sound of Music. The first is the epic scope, which expertly translates the musical’s grand emotions into cinematic terms. But the more important one, and the reason why this film has endured for so long, is that it establishes this film’s primary, more intimate purpose: to express beautiful emotion through song.
Those feelings mostly come from the joyful end of the emotion spectrum. They cover the necessity of believing in yourself (“I Have Confidence”), the power of memory to get you through scary situations (“My Favorite Things”), and even the joy of intergenerational friendship (“The Lonely Goatherd”). The memorable melodies and sparkling lyrics from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II have a youthful joie de vivre which is even more astonishing when you realize that this was the last musical they ever wrote.
This is not to say that The Sound of Music lacks depth. Its setting — 1930s Austria — leads to a depiction of how Fascism can cause division and hatred amongst people. But its roots in the optimistic side of human nature serve it well in depicting how people can resist authoritarianism, even if it is only through a group of people singing a song (“Edelweiss – Reprise”).
The Sound of Music is going to endure for a long time. It remains so popular that, when I saw it for the first time a few years ago, several of my coworkers at IU Cinema couldn’t believe it when I had told them that I had never seen it before that day. But its spectacular visuals, incredible songs, and touching faith in the lyrical beauty of the human spirit make it a treat that can charm first-time viewers as well as lifelong fans into adoring every shot and singing along to every note.
The Sixth Annual The Sound of Music Quote-Along will be screened at IU Cinema on December 12 as part of the CINEkids International Children’s Film Series. This is an interactive screening. Patrons are encouraged to wear costumes and to sing and talk along to the film.
Jesse Pasternack is a graduate of Indiana University. During his time at IU, Jesse was the co-president of the Indiana Student Cinema Guild. He also wrote about film, television, and pop culture for the Indiana Daily Student. Jesse has been a moderator at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival and is a friend of the Doug Loves Movies podcast. An aspiring professional writer-director, his own film work has appeared at Campus Movie Fest and the Anthology Film Archives in New York City.