The Sound Of Music

Production year: 1965

Musical G   Running time: 2:54 

IMDB rating:   8.0     Aspect: Wide;  Languages: English, French, Spanish;  Subtitles: English, French, Spanish;  Audio: DD 5.1

When Julie Andrews sang "The hills are alive with the sound of music" from an Austrian mountaintop in 1965, the most beloved movie musical was born. To be sure, the adaptation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's Broadway hit has never been as universally acclaimed as, say, Singin' in the Rain. Critics argue that the songs are saccharine (even the songwriters regretted the line "To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray") and that the characters and plot lack the complexity that could make them more interesting. It's not hard to know whom to root for when your choice is between cute kids and Nazis. It doesn't matter. Audiences fell in love with the struggling novice Maria (Andrews), the dashing Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), and, yes, the cute kids, all based on a real-life World War II Austrian family. Such songs as "My Favorite Things," "Do Re Mi," "Climb Every Mountain," and the title tune became part of the 20th century Zeitgeist. In addition, The Sound of Music officially became a cult hit when audiences in London began giving it the Rocky Horror Picture Show treatment, attending showings dressed as their favorite characters and delivering choreographed comments and gestures along with the movie. So why resist, especially when the 40th Anniversary Edition is the best DVD yet.

Director

Features

Audio commentary
Featurettes/Behind-The-Scenes/Documentaries
Photo gallery
Trailers/TV spots

Special features

Introduction by Julie Andrews
Commentary by Robert Wise
Commentary with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer
Retrospective Documentary: A Few Of My Favorite Things
From: Liesl to Gretl: A 40th Anniversary Reunion
Storyboards
Lobby Cards & Posters
Mia Farrow Screen Test
Restoration Comparison
"The Von Trapp Family: Harmony and Discord" as seen on Biography
All-New Featurettes Created Exclusively for this DVD Release
The Sound of a City: Julie Andrews Returns to Salzburg
The Sound Of Music