Primarily based on the memoir by Maria von Trapp, The Sound of Music is a musical drama that follows Maria’s (Julie Andrews) time in Nazi-occupied Austria, the place she serves as a governess to the seven youngsters of the widowed naval officer Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), with whom she finally falls in love.
For followers of the movie, one of many peak highlights is its opening—Maria’s introduction, set towards the sprawling hills, singing “The Sound of Music,” as she claims a merger of her existence with nature.
On this article, we’re going to investigate how this one scene did a lot for your entire movie.
The Scene
The opening sequence of The Sound of Music stays one in all cinema’s only character introductions, instantly establishing Maria’s essence via each visible spectacle and symbolic which means.
The digital camera glides via clouds above snow-covered alpine peaks, descending progressively towards the valleys beneath. Because the digital camera descends in direction of the bottom, a complete completely different world is unveiled earlier than your eyes.
The snow is now changed with lush inexperienced forests, and a blue river flows quietly between the hills. Beneath the intense solar, every thing glistens like gold, and the air is full of the comfortable chirping of birds.
The digital camera sweeps via forests and meadows with fluid, purposeful motion, drawing viewers into the panorama. Quickly, you attain an abbey—it is an archaic architectural magnificence. You whiz previous it, dashing towards the luxurious inexperienced meadows.
As you squint your eyes, you see that there’s any individual already there: a younger nun. Her arms are unfold extensive as if she is making an attempt to hug the hills and the wind. She begins singing in bliss:
The hills are alive with the sound of music,
With songs they’ve sung for a thousand years.
As she sings joyfully, it strikes you that Maria resides our dream. (On the time, I used to be hell-bent on turning into an actress, all set to journey round to lovely locations and shoot lovely sequences, till I found I’m profoundly camera-shy.)
Whereas the opening is momentous, the tune holds a deeper which means, because it reappears within the movie at a heart-warming second. We’ll get to that shortly.
‘The Sound of Music’Credit score: twentieth Century Fox
Behind The Scenes
Whereas the situation within the story is Austria, the scene was really shot about 10 kilometers into Bavaria, Germany.
At the moment, the land was owned by non-public farmers. As we speak, a well-known mountain climber owns the place and doesn’t actually respect outsiders (particularly followers) on his property, in keeping with ABC Information.
Robert Sensible had deliberate a six-week shoot, however infamous Salzburg rains prolonged manufacturing by 5 weeks. The climate delays considerably impacted the funds as a result of substantial prices of housing and transporting the crew.
Taking pictures the tune “The Sound of Music” was not a cakewalk. In her memoir, Residence: A Memoir of My Early Years, Julie Andrews reminisces about how the long-lasting scene was shot.
She recalled how they might go as much as the situation, hoisted atop huge open ox-pulled carts, and he or she would sit atop the digital camera tools. The climate was dangerous, it was freezing chilly, and there have been no loos for miles.
Even technically, the scene was demanding. It needed to be shot from a helicopter, and the timing needed to be completely excellent. It was extraordinarily tough for Andrews to carry out towards the robust downward drafts of the helicopter. The robust wind from the helicopter blades would throw her to the bottom every time the helicopter stooped low to take its place.
Moreover, it was extraordinarily hazardous for the digital camera operator, as the one option to shoot with out casting shadows was to rig the digital camera to the operator outdoors the helicopter, utilizing solely straps. When the unique digital camera operator refused to take the shot attributable to security considerations, with nobody else to fill the place, DP Paul Beeson stepped up.
Regardless of his vertigo, even within the absence of security protocols, the passionate cameraman rigged himself to the digital camera to shoot a scene that made historical past.
The birch timber have been introduced as much as the mountain for the scene, and the flowing brook was synthetic. Lastly, on the final day of the shoot in that location, the crew managed to seize Andrews’ iconic shot in slightly below 20 minutes of daylight.
Themes and Symbolism
What fascinates me about this opening, and the tune, is that they collectively paint a crystal clear image of Maria for the viewers.
To me, it is without doubt one of the most iconic character introductions—not solely visually liberating however a honest peek into the guts and thoughts of the character. I like how the digital camera stays static whereas solely she, the wind, and the brook circulation within the scene. One tune and scene later, you’ll haven’t any questions on Maria’s essence.
Later, Maria appears to be an irresponsible and negligent novice nun who’s not minimize out for the life she has chosen for herself.
However whenever you place her on this scene, you notice she is a type of who imagine in grace and divinity past the constructions of faith. She reveres the divine via its creations and prefers connecting with it within the Alps fairly than inside an abbey.
‘The Sound of Music’ Credit score: twentieth Century Fox
The scene was handled so powerfully that it leaves an indelible impression on our minds till the top of the musical. When Maria is launched to the seven motherless youngsters as their governess, each events are battling their points.
The kids are defensive, craving for love, whereas Maria, a troubled nun, struggles to decide on between her spiritual duties and her want for a lifetime of her personal. Georg von Trapp is a chilly and distant man who runs the family with strict self-discipline.
Over time, with love and using music to heal them, Maria wins over the kids and brings them collectively as a household. By this time, she’s grown near them and began considering of them as her personal youngsters.
The reappearance of the tune “The Sound of Music” at this level within the movie marks the completion of the character arcs. Every character within the film has reached their full potential.
Georg walks into the home, following “the sound of music”. He sees his youngsters, standing in a choir, singing “The Sound of Music.” His coronary heart is full. Quickly, he joins in; Maria walks in from the opposite room, listening to the captain’s voice. She watches him end the tune together with his youngsters from the edge.
The tune ends, and the children hug their father. The picture is easy however highly effective—the household is lastly reunited. Their love transcends the display screen, amplified by the music. The second additionally reveals how a lot she has fallen in love with this man.
I watch this musical typically after I’m unhappy, however I do not know why. The blissful ending all the time makes me really feel higher afterward.
Whereas most individuals tear up when Maria and Georg lastly get married, I often cry at this cathartic “The Sound of Music” scene, the place the kids are lastly again with their father—the von Trapp household turns into entire once more.
Which is your favourite scene from the musical?
