The Sound of Music

I want to talk a little about my experience with The Sound of Music this week, because it was one of my most pleasurable film experiences in recent memory. I very humbly and sincerely like this movie, and this was quite an astounding discovery as the movie progressed this Tuesday.

For about a year until recently I had a very important person in my life, to whom I was considerably close, and this person introduced me to the simple pleasures of the classic American musical. There's a kind of joy, for the somewhat aged soul in the modern era, in watching talented people dance well and sing well and play characters, that's nearly unparalleled. I don't think I appreciated this until introduction by this important relation in my life, but during The Sound of Music I found myself utterly happy whenever an actor revealed his or her dancing prowess, or sang a melody particularly skillfully. Few things in life I would say induce happiness; I tend to be extremely conservative in my use of that word that I consider so universally idealized or misunderstood.

Indeed, I felt totally borne out of the Silent Generation in my enjoyment of these themes, and I felt wonderful at that feeling.

The two lead actors in the musical have instantly become two primary objects of affection for me, within the film medium. The performances were brilliant and true, passionate, joyous, full of love. Both actors emanated this kind of love and goodness, and both exhibited tremendous skill. Julie Andrews as a voice is utterly phenomenal, and her acting otherwise impressed me greatly. I loved her completely. And Christopher Plummer is strong, cool, deep and sincere --- he as Capt. von Trapp instantly becomes one of my favorite performances/people in film I have ever witnessed.

My experience here is on that plane of whose occupants I am extremely protective. I'm anxious about hearing other people relate themselves to the movie -- anxious to change in any way the fantasy world in which this movie lives in my mind. I also feel a distinguished melancholy in referring back to the movie now; this is probably me living in my thoughts for too long, romanticizing everything to unrealistic degrees... But the love is there, of that I am sure.

Yes, "Edelweiss" and the image of Plummer with that guitar started overriding my thinking, and I started wanting to 'be' that. That wasn't what my experience of the movie was like. Mostly I just thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I smiled a lot, laughed some, loved much, watched it as an external world, did not try to become it. Just appreciated it from the outside, sat in amazement and sheer joy at the talented people, the quality of the writing, the quality of the execution. I haven't mentioned yet the writing, so I should do that.

The quality of the writing blew me away. I've heard Rodgers/Hammerstein stuff I'm not enthusiastic about, but this amazed me. Not only did I like the music a lot, against my expectations -- I was also considerably impressed by it. Musicians must do a lot to impress me, in the way of artistry, emotion, and originality. Rodgers and Hammerstein impressed me.

So did the actual writing of the movie. This is much better a movie than most of these musicals that lay aside consistency and maturity and like things for shallow displays of talent. I recall Singin' in the Rain, I believe...?

I should also mention an entirely individual impact the movie had on me. Just a few minutes in Maria runs into the Abbey late and has a talk with the Mother nun who questions wisely Maria's decision to join the sisterhood. It was a beautiful revelation for me. Later when the conversation is reprised more insight comes and it is joyous and full of love and hope. I had a seriously meaningful experience of these discussions.

I also cried at one point during this movie, and that is a special occurrence.

I love The Sound of Music, and can't wait to go back to it soon.