Sound Of Music
Year: 1965
Grade: B
Country: USA
Director: Wise
Reviewnot as cheesy as i had remembered it. it’s a bit long, but it is an epic film and when you take into account the songs and the intermission, it’s a more manageable length. robert wise (west side story, the day the earth stood still, set-up) was a great director, but i don’t really share his love of musicals. because he’s a good director, though, he is able to make even a musical resonate with me. it’s an undeniably poignant story so it all comes down to character and execution. wise and his cast hold up their end of the bargain so you’re left with a solid work. as far as musicals go, this one’s pretty good. of course all the songs are classics as well. it’s amazing how little of the story i remembered while the songs were as fresh as ever in my head. as good as the musical pieces are, the score may be even better. steiner does an excellent job of incorporating leitmotifs from the musical pieces into the score. listen to the nazi chase scene for the most creative example of this.