The Sound of Music

Title: The Sound of Music (1965)
Director: Robert Wise
Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer
Rank: 40

"If you have faith and persevere, you can follow every rainbow."
-Julie Andrews

Those are the words that introduce the Special Edition DVD of The Sound of Music, spoken by the star herself. Personally, I had been looking forward to seeing this movie for years, and never took the time to sit down at watch it. Now, I wish I would've watch it years ago, as it easy is now one of my favorite films.

There are so many reasons that The Sound of Music is on the list. First off, the production value is spectacular- beautiful sets, great script, and an excellent cast make this movie a joy to watch. Of course, the music is astounding! Add to that the worst kind of villians in history (the Nazis, which appear in several movies on the list, one of which being The Raiders of the Lost Ark) and a splendid story and it makes The Sound of Music easily one of the most memorable films of all times.

But what I particularly like about The Sound of Music are the bits of inspiration it has to offer. The character of Maria is so full of spirit. She has strength, courage, and a genuine lust for the beauty of life. When she enters into the Von Trapp household, she changes them. Bringing back music to their house is not just bringing back and art form, but bringing back the intimacy the family shared before their mother passed away. There is something truly magical about music, something that has the power to bring people together. My family shares a connection with music: each time we have a family reunion, we spend time singing old American folk songs together- TV off, cell phones silenced, and a couple of uncles playing the guitar as the rest of us sing along. To many people, this may seem a bit corny, but some of my fondest memories with that part of the family is when we're sitting around singing "Grandfather's Clock" or "Grandma's Feather Bed," songs that are all much older than I am. We may not be quite as musically inclined as the Von Trapp family, nor do we ever break out in synchronized dances while we sing those old songs, but the connection is the same. As The Sound of Music illustrates time and time again, family is of the utmost importance. The children all band together each time a new governess comes into the house, the family looks out for each other throughout their daily activities, and eventually Maria becomes a part of the family (literally- she married Captain Von Trapp). The most important time the family bond comes into play is when they are fleeing from the Nazis, heading towards an uncertain future in the hopes of keeping their safety and freedom. They know that no matter what they face, as long as they face it together, they can conquer even the hardest of situations.

Through Maria, we see that just as important as family is the tendency to be true to oneself. Life is too short to live it as someone the world expects you to be, and far greater things can be accomplished when we just be ourselves and stop worrying so much about "presentation." Maria starts the film as a nun, but realizes that this is not the path for her. There's nothing wrong about being a nun, but there's also nothing wrong with being Maria. Some of us may feel out of place, sometimes even a bit odd, but who isn't? And as Sister Margaretta says "After all, the wool from the black sheep is just as warm." Be yourself, no one else can do you as well you can.


Movies to Go: 80