Review of Sound Of Music, The

Introduction

There can`t be many people who have missed seeing this movie during one Christmas holiday or another. Every year it appears alongside the likes of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory" and often bears the brunt of many unfortunate comments and ridicule.

"Why then", I hear you ask, "are you reviewing this ancient, dog-eared movie?"

Well, simply put, I purchased this double-DVD set for my wife, and decided to bite the bullet and give it a spin (in my own time too!). I admit to approaching it with some trepidation and a good degree of cynicism, but fortunately all my fears and doubts soon passed as the titles rolled and the instantly recognisable music kicked in. The clarity of the digital image and the wonders of Dolby Digital sound put this 35-year-old movie in a new light.

And what do you know, pretty soon I was hooked in the story of the von Trapp family and their struggles during the beginnings of World War II.

Video

What a fantastic job Fox has made at transferring the ancient 65mm master stock to DVD. The THX-enhanced image is extremely detailed and involving and the 2.20 anamorphic transfer is almost reference quality. There are some moments were the scene becomes slightly blurred, but this is apparently due to the director wanting a romantic look in these particular scenes. There were no compression problems noted. Colours were superbly reproduced with the lush beauty of the Austrian countryside plain to see. It really is quite amazing to see how the digital process can improve a movie of this age and I intend to watch it on TV when it`s next shown to look at the differences.

Audio

Presented in DD4.1, this is a very good example of how a movie soundtrack should be done. Dialogue is accurately positioned in the soundstage and tracks the on-screen action very well. Instead of using modern-day techniques whereby the dialogue is fixed into the centre channel, here you will notice the vocals moving around the front soundstage with the movements of the actors. The musical numbers have transferred well with good audio range and a good degree of bass. Again, considering the age of the original, full marks to Fox for their efforts here.

Features

Starting with disk 1, the first thing that impresses is the interactive menu (presented with animation and sound). Here can be found the scene selection menu, the various set-up choices and an audio track containing a commentary by director Robert Wise. This thoroughly informative track is made all the more enjoyable by his comments being interspersed by various passages from the film`s score. As you can imagine, the thought of 3 hours worth of talk is not particularly attractive at first, but the end result is very effective and the musical interludes serve to break up the chatting (the standard of which, by the way, is very high). It also shows what a good memory Wise has as he reminisces on occurrences that happened during production some 35 years ago.

Disk 2 is where the majority of the extra features are to be found. To make them easier to navigate, they have been split into several sections: Documentaries, Broadcast Promotions and Interviews, Audio Supplements and Gallery. Each of these five sections contain a wealth of information and never-before-seen material.

The Documentaries section include a 1965 featurette entitled "Salzburg: Sight and Sound" which is hosted by the eldest of the von Trapp children, Charmian Carr. Running at 14 mins, it is quite interesting and informative. Next up is "The Sound of Music: From Fact to Phenomenon" running at over 85 minutes. This is an in-depth look at the actors and crewmembers (then and now) and follows the progression from stage to big screen. It also contains rare music outtakes, photos and much more.

Broadcast Promotions contains five (count `em) theatrical trailers, some TV & radio spots and a short interview with Robert Wise prior to the re-release into cinemas in 1973.

Audio Supplements has on-location interviews with the key players: Christopher Plummer, Julie Andrews and Peggy Wood, each running about 8 minutes each. These are quite enjoyable while they last.
There are also some other interviews with various other cast members, all of which offering some valuable behind-the-scenes gossip and information.

Finally (phew!) is the Gallery where a wealth of text and images can be found. The sheer quantity of material here will keep you occupied for quite some time and includes storyboards, sketches and some production stills.

Also worthy of mention are the DVD-ROM features that include a link to the official website, and some games.

Conclusion

This is yet another example of how good a DVD can be. I can thoroughly recommend this title to everyone, even those who may despise the thought of watching it. Having sat through the whole movie and the vast majority of the extras, I am now a converted fan.

Praise must be lavished at the feet of Fox, who have produced a magnificent product and have shown others how Special Edition sets should be done. It is a fitting tribute indeed to what must rank as one of the greatest cinematic achievements of the 20th Century.