Visiting Classics | The Sound of Music

Despite always telling the world how much I love movies and topics related to the seventh art, I am a bit of a failure when it comes to classic films.

I have little memory of acclaimed and well-known films that I have seen, which leads me to believe that I must not have seen any of them.

During my postgraduate studies in cinema, the idea of ​​creating a list of classic films that everyone has reviewed came up. And, just like that, I would have a guide of what to watch to earn my official cinephile card (just kidding, lol).

Starting with The Sound of Music (1965), I can say that, fortunately, I chose a great film to start my marathon.

What’s the story?

In the late 1930s, Maria (Julie Andrews) is a mischievous young woman who lives in a convent and intends to become a nun. Due to her lack of commitment and her “free spirit”, she ends up being relocated to work in the house of Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and take care of his seven children.

The Von Trapp family is a very peculiar family. The children are raised under the strict rules of their father. Each child answers to a military whistle, they do not have a set time or permission to play, and they must obey all the rules of the house.

The film has intermediate plots that directly interfere in the development of the relationship between Maria and the Von Trapps, such as the eldest daughter’s passion for the mailman and the Captain’s relationship with a Baroness. However, there is no way to focus on these details without revealing too much of the plot.

Little by little, we see this relationship and this rigidity dissipate and we learn that, beneath so many rules, what remains is love and concern for each of his children.

The film is set against the backdrop of the Second World War and Nazism. These two elements have a direct impact on the course and ending of the film, but they are not treated in such depth or detail. Our minds fill in the gaps with what we have learned over the years in history classes.

Is it worth watching?

First of all, I think it’s important to point out that this movie is a musical, so if this isn’t one of your favorites, it might not be such a great experience for you.

The Sound of Music is the kind of movie that talks through music, and it couldn’t be any different, after all, the story is based on the true story of the group “The Trapp Family”.

From my point of view, this is a film in which we cannot consider the story, its beauty and its details, without considering the songs inserted here and there.

I believe it is worth watching, to contemplate the film in its purest form of art and to get a taste of old cinema.

BUT if you are the type of person who gets irritated when the couple starts singing before kissing, this film is definitely not for you.

It is very interesting to see how the relationship between Maria and the children develops. As well as the love between her and the captain growing.

The Sound of Music is a sigh of relief in the midst of crises, a film full of positivity that conveys a message that everything will be fine if you face life with joy.

It may not be clear, but this message is there. Even in the most tense moments, the family remains united and happy.

The story may sound cliché and may refer to many other films that came later, but it is important to remember that these films were the ones that built or helped to build the vast universe of today’s cinema.

One thing that amuses me when I watch a classic film is the “click” that my brain makes when it identifies a scene that served as a reference for something contemporary.

For example, the setting of The Kissing Booth (Netflix, 2018) is “inspired” by the Gazebo where Liesl (Charmian Carr) and Rolf (Daniel Truhitte) have their first kiss during The Sound of Music.

The structure is quite similar: a couple is having a moment, it starts to rain. They run to hide from the water in a beautiful gazebo and after some dialogue (or music) they finally kiss.

If I hadn’t watched the film, I might never have caught this reference.

Details like these always make my experience more fun and make me want to look for other works to watch.

And that’s why the next film in this new adventure of mine has already been decided.

But for now, I’ll say goodbye in the best style: So long, farewell, Aud wiedersehen, adieu.