tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post4200358448085617134..comments2024-03-16T05:27:55.183-04:00Comments on Java's Journey: The Sound of Music (1965) on the Big ScreenJavaBeanRushhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-2951849170753851422015-05-03T12:39:21.662-04:002015-05-03T12:39:21.662-04:00You're welcome, Java. But, to be fair, even th...You're welcome, Java. But, to be fair, even though it takes substantial liberties with the storyline, the plot of THE SOUND OF MUSIC is based on fact. In the Broadway original, the Captain finds he can't marry the baroness because she believes in compromise with the invading Nazis, but the movie deep sixed this plotline to concentrate exclusively on the love story. It also turned the character of "Rolf" into a "villain" who betrays the Von Trapps to the Nazis, something he doesn't do in the original stage production. As one critic said, "It made for a more exciting finale, but went against the code of Rodgers and Hammerstein, who believed in the basic goodness and redeemable qualities in people." Thanks for your response. I enjoyed it.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-90000733278980668932015-05-02T12:11:29.468-04:002015-05-02T12:11:29.468-04:00Anonymous,
You raise valid points about the abuse...Anonymous,<br /><br />You raise valid points about the abuse Baroness suffers as a guest in the house. As a kid, I didn't understand the complications of adulthood; she was presented as a villain and that's how I understood her until this screening.<br /><br />A signal that classic movies sometimes give to the audience that the match between the available male parent and the new woman in his life is not suitable is when the lady mentions boarding school. This strikes terror into the hearts of children who simply want to be with dad.<br /><br />The Baroness is a convenient plot device to create tension. In a film that significantly involves children, the prospective step-mother will be prickly and will be showcased as an evil person. If there is a more maternal alternative to her, one accepted by the children (like Maria), the alternative will marry dad with the blessing of the children.<br /><br />This unfair storyline is left over from fairy tales (Think CINDERELLA and her wicked step-mother). Legend has it that authors needed a cruel authority figure in their fairy tales but didn't want it to be the mother, so they decided that using someone of no blood relation would make the stories less harsh and easier to take. Enter the wicked step-mother.<br /><br />This fictional trope eased its way into movies as well. You'll also see it in MY FAVORITE WIFE, THE PARENT TRAP, CORRINA,CORRINA, IT TAKES TWO, THE BEAUTICIAN AND THE BEAST, AU PAIR and MOVE OVER, DARLING, to name a few.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by.JavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-90938910208873793482015-05-02T09:33:20.597-04:002015-05-02T09:33:20.597-04:00I always felt sorry for the Baroness, ever since I...I always felt sorry for the Baroness, ever since I first saw the movie as a child. I have a hard time understanding why anyone wouldn't. She's an invited guest in their home and they treat her with utter disdain and contempt unless they feel compelled or forced to interact with her. At very least, the Captain, Maria and the family are impossibly rude to her, ignoring her completely while they sing about goats, goatherds and mountain greenery. The kids are openly hostile and curt toward her when she tries to join them in their game, etc., etc. I sympathize completely with her funny aside to Max: "Why didn't you tell me...To bring along my harmonica!" She also strikes me as the only honest one in the group. All my life people have hissed at the scene where she helps Maria choose a dress for the party, but all she does is point out to Maria that she's falling in love with the Captain, and she does so very graciously, when she could (justifiably, considering the times) openly berate her for ignoring her vows as a nun-wannabe. I think Eleanor Parker does an excellent job playing the role, and her (literal) kiss off to the Captain is beyond considerate. Also, as lively and appealing as Julie Andrews' "Maria" is, as a few of my sisters have pointed out through the years, Parker, one of the most beautiful women in movie history makes Andrews look like "a dropout from Boys Town" by comparison.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-38886598055750909152015-04-24T05:03:17.267-04:002015-04-24T05:03:17.267-04:00Thank you.
Maybe we can project the movies onto t...Thank you. <br />Maybe we can project the movies onto the side of the house and try to duplicate the experience more often than once in a lifetime. :)<br /><br />-- JavaJavaBeanRushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653117187583244224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22615056.post-77630202311135561442015-04-23T07:13:58.999-04:002015-04-23T07:13:58.999-04:00I loved this post, fantastic. I regret not being ...I loved this post, fantastic. I regret not being able to catch the movie this time around, but I want to sometime. Your attention to the detail of their attention to detail is great.Jacqueline T. Lynchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047941886908178350noreply@blogger.com