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Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, Spanish
Widescreen: 2.20:1
16:9-Enhanced: Yes
Macrovision: Yes
Disc Format: 2 * DVD 9
Price: $29.98 (US), $37.98 (Canada)
Extras : Scene Index, Commentary with Director Robert Wise and Isolated Score,
"Salzburg Sight and Sound" Featurette, "Sound of Music from Fact to Phenonemnom"
Documentary, Audio Supplement with Screen Writer Ernest Lehman, Interviews with
Julie Andrews and Robert Wise.
Director:
Robert Wise
Cast:
Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Rochard Haydn, Peggy Wood, Eleanor Parker
I have a friend, one of my movie-going compatriots, who recently told me that
he considers The Sound of Music the best movie ever made. Now, I honestly
don't know how Sound of Music fares on the AFI Top 100, but when he said
this I hardly batted an eyelash. Sure, maybe it's not actually on top, but
it certainly must be in the running!
Beside the plain and simple fact that it's a Classic (capital 'C'), The Sound
of Music really has a lot of elements that make it one of the great movies
of all times.
Start with the infectious singing voices of Julie Andrews and cast, add in
the musical genius of Rogers and Hammerstein at their finest, mix in romance,
humor, drama, and suspense - and make it believable! - and you simply cannot
lose. Of course, it being a true story helps too. And then there's the
cinematography, with dazzling shots in and around Salzburg, framed beautifully
for widescreen (something modern movies can, but seem unwilling to
accomplish these days). Oh yes and did I mention great acting across the
board? And.. and...
Oh, you see? I could go on forever. The Sound of Music is just a wonderful
movie all around. A Classic amongst Classics. And better yet, Fox has chosen
to give this masterpiece the royal treatment it deserves on DVD!
Never before have I been struck by such cinematography. The
widescreen presentation lends so much to the dazzling vistas of the Salzburg
countryside. And this is on TV! Equally dazzling are the colors. One
brief moment makes the point perfectly. During the "My Favorite Things" Salzburg
Montage, Maria and children end up in a market. Purple flowers, red tomatoes,
and green attire, all had me fishing my pocket for spare change.
The sound mix too, arguably the most important aspect of this film, lives up
to the musical grandeur that historic Austria is so famous for. I may
not have a clue what they mean by "4.1 Surround" (my three front speakers
and two rears all worked fine!), but I do know that
I can't stop tapping my toes or resist the urge to sing along with my
favorite "The Lonely Goatherd" (okay, I admit I still lose it on the yodels).
Put simply, the whole Sound of Music experience was a complete joy!
And it doesn't end with the film, either. There's a second disc
full of supplemental material, all adding to the splendor that is The Sound
of Music.
I must admit to a bit of trepidation every time I hear the word "featurette,"
but when it came to "Salzburg Sight and Sound," I had no reason. While I'm
sure it served primarily as a marketing vehicle for the movie, it's still
captivating. It follows Charmain Carr's experiences around Salzburg
when not performing her duties as eldest Von Trapp, Liesel. I think it's
the authentic innocence of Carr, and the mixture of brief behind-the-scenes
vignettes that make this featurette so appealing.
But don't stop there, because a full-fledged documentary awaits you on
this supplements disc, almost 90 minutes worth! Anything you wanted
to know about the movie must surely be revealed here. From disclosing
that sweet sixteen-going-on-seventeen Carr was really twenty one, to discussion
of celebrated voice-double Marni Nixon's appearance as a nun in the film.
Better yet, you are hearing it from the very people that experienced it.
Yes, that was Carr and Nixon themselves that let you in on these titbits.
You'll also hear Andrews and Christopher Plummer reminisce about the ups and downs
inside the set (popping lights) and outside Salzburg (rain, rain, rain!),
while Screenwriter Lehman and Director Wise give the ins and outs of
getting the movie to the theater.
All this, and that's still not the best part! The documentary actually
tells the real story of the Von Trapp family. It's a bit different
than the film, but certainly no less courageous or inspiring. I won't
ruin it by giving away the details, but while watching the documentary,
I was constantly reminded of an old saying: "God is on his thrown and all
is right with the world." If anything ever bears witness to this fact,
it's the lives of the real Von Trapps.
One drawback I want to note is that the Documentary froze up
three times on me. A friend of mine - same friend as before! - actually
called me to ask about these very freeze-ups on his DVD player. So
I know it wasn't only my disc. If your player stalls, the solution is to simply
scan back a few seconds, push play again, and everything should run through
just fine.
There are actually several other features, including interviews, isolated score
and commentary track, but I don't have time to go into these.
Suffice it to say that they are like extra EXTRA features - you've
gotten way more than your money's worth long before hitting them!
While I do have to forego a top-10 list this time around, I want to
wholeheartedly recommend this DVD. It's certainly risen to become the
crown jewel in my collection. And why is that? Well, I think Julie Andrews
says it best: "These Rogers and Hammerstein's Musicals are the Classics,
the popular classics of their day, and they stand as important as any opera or
any great play."
And if DVDs themselves will ever be given such distinctions,
certainly The Sound of Music - Five Star Collection will garner equal praise.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.