The Hills Fill My Heart with "The Sound of Music" (1965)

I’m not too sure how many people in the world don’t thrill just a little to the image of Julie Andrews swirling atop an Alp and breaking into “The hills are alive with the sound of music…” If you know anyone, I put it to you now, that they are lying. Certainly amongst our generation it is one of the most successful and enduring musicals; the story of the love between a wannabe nun and a stern sea captain in the time of Nazis is as timeless as Rodger and Hammerstein’s specially written score. The original von Trapp’s musical selections were considered just a little too folksy for the wider audience and hence, the music we know and love today was created, “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”, “Favourite Things” and “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria”.

I knew this was going to be a difficult review to remain objective on – this movie revolves around some of my fondest childhood memories and I can’t help but feel happy when I watch it now. I did promise I would try and remain objective though, so here goes…

From the opening shot flying over the Alps you know you’re in for something different – apparently the downdraft from that helicopter nearly blew Julie clear off the mountain – but you would never know it from the shot. According to back stage rumours Christopher Plummer didn’t enjoy working with Julie Andrews, he likened it to “getting hit over the head with a Valentine” and didn’t care for any of the children, insisting that the child he carries up the mountain in the final scene be switched because the actor playing Gretal had put on too much weight on location. Here’s the thing though. You would never know it. The film immerses you completely in that changing world – the first half keeps you in engaged in the burgeoning relationship between Maria and the children, then Maria and the Captain. The second act is all about how those relationships are going to be affected by the charge of the Nazis into Austria and the sacrifices the Captain is willing to make to keep those relationships intact.

Mat thinks the second act drags as the focus shifts to the politics of the Anschluss and the family’s escape from Austria and the mood definitely shifts and the pace slows – in that way it almost becomes like a different movie. However I wonder if we were able to watch it fresh and not after 20 years of watching it with a child’s eyes and interpretations if we could enjoy the second half more because the first half invests us in the characters and what happens to them towards the end of the movie.

Or maybe it would still just drag! We may never know!

Regardless and with full bias in mind - I gave it an objective 79% and Mat a very generous 74%. We both really did try to watch with an open mind – but this film is so well-known to us and so pervasive in our culture we may not have quite succeeded – but then that speaks to the resonance of the film anyway and makes it a worthy Best Picture Winner in our blog!