Plot: What’s it about?
Maria (Julie Andrews) tries her best to be a good nun, but her works at the convent just don’t seem to be enough to keep her in the superior nuns’ good graces. So when the Mother Superior sends her to function as the governess to some children in the hills, she looks forward to the change of environment. Once she arrives at her new home, Maria discovers she is the newest governess in a long line to try to control the children and that their father, Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) runs the place with a military strictness. Despite all that, Maria tries to teach the children to sing and dance for fun as well as appreciate the beauty in even the smallest of things around them. As she bonds with the children and they begin to become more civilized and well behaved, Maria finds herself drawn to Captain von Trapp and he seems to feel the same way about her. Maria now realizes that being a nun isn’t for her and she agrees to be the wife of von Trapp, which of course pleases the children also. But this paradise will soon come to an end, when the German rulers issue a statement that demands von Trapp return to his military position whether he wants to or not.
You might not like this movie, but chances are you’ve heard of it and you realize how popular it has become. After winning five Academy Awards (including Best Picture), The Sound Of Music has steamrolled through the years picking more and more fans as time passes. I am not a huge fan of this movie by any means, but I have been known to watch it on occasion so here I am to review the DVD. Even if this were a bare bones disc I would have added it to my collection, but with a tremendous two disc offering from Fox I can’t imagine why fans wouldn’t want to own this classic. As has been the case with previous double disc releases from Fox this one is loaded with goodies, including a terrific eighty-seven minute documentary about the production. As far as the movie goes I know many people have an extreme dislike for it, but many more love the film and will leap at the chance to own such a fantastic version. This is a musical of course so there’s singing and dancing around many corners, but the songs aren’t that bad and even non musical fans will want to at least give this one a rent. I think this film is required viewing for film buffs and musical nuts and I recommend a rental to skeptics, but if you have the slightest inkling of wanting this title I recommend that you purchase it as soon as possible.
This classic family musical was directed by Robert Wise, who has a resume loaded with terrific and memorable films. In this movie Wise captures the musical portions of the picture very well and really boosts the impact of the impressive choreography and dancers involved. The compositions are fantastic and allow the graceful movements to achieve full desired effect, which is of course crucial to those sequences and the film as a whole. This trend continues in the non musical scenes as well, with the landscape shots coming to mind right off the bat of course. The locations used are gorgeous and Wise manages to create incredible backdrops and such for the events with his camera, very impressive work all around. If you want to see more of Wise’s movies I recommend Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Andromeda Strain, The Sand Pebbles, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Helen Of Troy, and Run Silent Run Deep. The lead in this film is played by Julie Andrews, who gives the performance of a lifetime as Maria. Andrews (Mary Poppins, Relative Values) doesn’t miss a step in this role and I think this is one of the finest performances in all of musical cinema. The terrific supporting cast includes Christopher Plummer (Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead), Peggy Wood (A Star Is Born), Richard Haydn (Young Frankenstein), Eleanor Parker (Of Human Bondage), and Daniel Truhitte.
Video: How does it look?
The Sound Of Music is presented in a 2.20:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a thirty-five year old movie, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that from this amazing visual transfer. The source print looks pristine with few nicks or dirt marks and the compression is flawless, save a few very minor issues. The colors look so bold and rich they seem to flow across the screen, with no smears at all and flesh tones also appear warm and natural. Just as impressive is the contrast, which boasts complex shadow layering and a very high level of visible detail. Simply put, this is a reference quality transfer and the very best this classic film has ever looked on home video.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a musical after all, so we need a solid audio track right? Well this release contains a very solid one in the form of a Dolby Digital 4.1 track that handles all the audio without a hitch and delivers the finest sounding version of this film to date. While this is a terrific audio track some problems emerge and these issues stem from the fact that the movie is over thirty years old and you can only do so much with the source material. Since this is a newly minted surround track the audio lacks the punch and range of a true surround track, but it still sounds very good. As much as I wanted to give this the full points, I just couldn’t do it in this case. The surrounds come to life when the music starts and the songs come through very well, with no volume or separation issues at all. Aside from the musical numbers there is little surround use, but this is cool since there doesn’t really need to be. The dialogue sounds crisp and clean, with no problems at all. This is a superb audio track, but it lacks that punch needed to be considered a five out of five choice.
Supplements: What are the extras?
On the first disc you’ll find an audio commentary track with director Robert Wise, who reveals all sorts of information about the film and production. This track is consistent in pace and tone and you’ll notice some of the musical underscore is presented whenever Wise isn’t giving his thoughts, which is a nice touch. This isn’t the most exciting commentary I have heard, but I feel fans of the film owe it to themselves to give it a spin and learn more about the movie. The supplements on the second disc are divided into five sections which are discussed below.
Audio Supplements
1. Location Interviews– Here you will find audio interviews with three cast members, which might be brief but are still worth checking out. A twelve minute piece with Julie Andrews, five minute interview with Christopher Plummer, and a seven minute piece with Peggy Wood have all been included here. As the audio plays the screen displays a still of the featured interviewee, which is a welcome gesture.
2. A Telegram From Daniel Truhitte– This thirteen minute audio piece features Truhitte as he discusses how he became a part of this film and his feelings on the process. This is an informative piece and it gives us an idea of what it was like to attempt to join this cast. A still photo of the cover art is shown as the telegram plays.
3. Ernest Lehman: Master Storyteller– This an extended take of Lehman’s thoughts and anecdotes about writing this screenplay and is quite a joy to listen to. Lehman discusses all aspects of this writing process as well as his career and success as a writer in other projects. The cover art is used again to serve as a visual presence as the thirty-six minute interview plays.
Broadcast Promotions And Interviews
1. Previews and Tv Spots– This section contains the teaser trailer, theatrical trailer, Academy Awards preview, 1rst Anniversary preview, and 1972 reissue trailer, which means a lot of trailers can be found here. It’s always interesting to watch trailers for the same film from different time periods and this is no exception. Also in this area are two Tv spots, one thirty seconds and the other one minute in length.
2. Radio Spots– Hmmm…I wonder what is in this section? You’ll find two sixty-second radio spots as well as two thirty-second ones. In each case, one is a reissue piece while the other covers the original release which is cool.
3. 1973 Reissue Interview With Julie Andrews and Robert Wise– This eight minute interview covers some basic points on the film and makes for an interesting listen. Once again the cover art is shown while the audio rolls.
Gallery
1. This is a comprehensive guide to all things Sound of Music and contains so much material, I can’t even begin to list the contents in this review. This is a text filled area that covers all the topics you can imagine about the film and all the text is well organized and very easy to access. As you explore each topic you’ll notice it usually opens up into multiple subheadings which offer even more information. Just a small taste of the topics covered includes costume design, preproduction diary, location scouting, and so much more. It’ll take a while to navigate all this material, but it is well worth the time and effort to uncover so much information about this movie.
Documentaries
1. Original 1965 Documentary: Salzburg Sight And Sound– This fourteen minute piece is hosted by Charmian Carr (Liesl) and is basically a light promotional featurette. Not a bad piece by any means, but when you compare it to the next one…
2. The Sound Of Music: From Fact To Phenomenon– This is the focal point of the supplements and stands as one of the finest documentaries I have seen to date on this format. This eighty-seven minute documentary covers every aspect of the movie from preproduction to the eventual worldwide success, without skipping over any important information. Interviews with many cast and crew members have been included and of course Julie Andrews is present, but what good would it be if she was missing? This wonderful documentary also includes rare behind the scenes footage and still photos.
