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When Julie Andrews sang "The hills are alive with the sound of music"
from an Austrian mountaintop in 1965, the most beloved movie musical was
born. To be sure, the adaptation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar
Hammerstein II's Broadway hit has never been as universally acclaimed
as, say, Singin' in the Rain. Critics argue that the songs are
saccharine (even the songwriters regretted the line "To sing through the
night like a lark who is learning to pray") and that the characters and
plot lack the complexity that could make them more interesting. It's
not hard to know whom to root for when your choice is between cute kids
and Nazis. It doesn't matter. Audiences fell in love with the
struggling novice Maria (Andrews), the dashing Captain von Trapp
(Christopher Plummer), and, yes, the cute kids, all based on a real-life
World War II Austrian family. Such songs as "My Favorite Things," "Do
Re Mi," "Climb Every Mountain," and the title tune became part of the
20th century Zeitgeist. In addition, The Sound of Music officially became a cult hit when audiences in London began giving it the Rocky Horror Picture Show
treatment, attending showings dressed as their favorite characters and
delivering choreographed comments and gestures along with the movie. --David Horiuchi
Product Description
Experience the world's most beloved family film as never before with
this 3-disc 45th Anniversary Edition of Rodgers & Hammerstein's® The Sound of Music, Winner of five 1965 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture!
In this true-life story, Julie Andrews lights up the screen as Maria, a spirited young woman who leaves the convent to bring love and music to the home of Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and his seven children.
In this true-life story, Julie Andrews lights up the screen as Maria, a spirited young woman who leaves the convent to bring love and music to the home of Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and his seven children.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
410 of 426 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: Magnificent! The definitive release of "Sound of Music",
By
This review is from: The Sound of Music (Three-Disc 45th Anniversary Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (Blu-ray)
"The Sound of Music", the 1965 20th Century Fox musical which would
capture the world with its memorable music and it's touching storyline
and continues to have thrived through various generations and will
continue to thrive for many generations hereafter.The film is an adaptation of a popular Broadway play which is based on the memoir "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" written by Maria von Trapp. The von Trapp family are known for escaping from the Nazis in Austria after the Anschluss (the annexation and occupation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938). The original musical based on the book featured music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II (both Rodgers and Hammerstein were known for their music for "Oklahoma!", "Carousel", "State Fair", "South Pacific", "The King and I" to name a few) which led to the book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The Broadway production began in 1959 starring Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel and would later inspire a film adaptation in 1965 which was loosely based on the Broadway production and memoir. The film would become an ultimate success as director Robert Wise (known for "West Side Story" and "The Haunting") would win five Academy Awards for Best Director, William Reynolds for Best Film Editing, Irwin Kostal for Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment, Best Picture and Best Sound. The film would be best known for its wonderful location of Salzburg, Austria (which has inspired an actual "Sound of Music" tour which has been functional for the last 30-years) but most of all, known for its music which include "The Sound of Music", "Edelweiss", "My Favorite Things", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and "Do-Re-Mi". The film which was budgeted at $8.2 million would go on to gross $163 million worldwide. The film would break the record held by "Gone with the Wind" for box office revenue and would also be a film that would be in circulation in theaters for three straight years. "The Sound of Music" would also continue to become a hit on video as it was released as a five star DVD release in 2000 to celebrate the film's 35th Anniversary, released in 2005 to celebrate the film's 40th Anniversary and now in 2010 on Blu-ray, a limited edition box set and a digital iTunes release to celebrate the film's 45th Anniversary. VIDEO: "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" is presented in 1080p High Definition (Widescreen 2:20:1), AVC@22 MBPS. This is where "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" literally looks amazing. For those who have owned previous versions of the film on DVD, back in 2005, the film went through restoration using a backup negative of the original 70 mm print. At the time, the original 70mm 6-Track print was so damaged, there was no way to even use the original negative at that time and most of us who watched the 40th Anniversary Edition felt that the film looked absolutely beautiful compared to it's earlier 2000 DVD release. With that being said, technology has changed within the last five years since the release of the 40th Anniversary. The damaged original 70 mm print that couldn't be used in the restoration of the film in 2005 can now be used for the film with new hardware and software and is now receiving 8K digital scanning by 20th Century Fox for perfect restoration. No longer is the film hazy, no longer is the film more on the pinkish side. "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" is vibrant. The grass...you can see the various grains of grass, the strands in green, yellow and detail of the mountains over looking Salzburg. I was amazed! Another example, Maria splashing the water before she heads to the von Trapps, you can see the water droplets flying in the air, another one is the von Trapp's uncle and his coat, you can see the wool in his jacket. There is so much detail in this latest version of "The Sound of Music", it's incredible! I am literally speechless because I own previous versions of this film on video and never before have I seen this much clarity in the film ever! And I find it quite funny for each review I have done for the film, I mention of how the cinematography of William Reynolds was captured perfectly but watching it on Blu-ray, the cinematography... may it be the shots of Maria on the mountain, Maria with the kids on the mountain, the wedding ceremony, etc., I just feel that the cinematography as seen on the 45th Anniversary Edition via the new restoration really captures the beauty of "The Sound of Music" than ever before. Absolutely breathtaking! Once again, the crew who restored this film...I give your crew a standing ovation...what you were able to accomplish with this film on Blu-ray is absolutely fantastic! AUDIO & SUBTITLES: "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" is presented in English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 4.0 Dolby Surround, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and French 5.1 DTS. Because the film was shot with a 6-track and because they were provided with the audio without the dialogue, for this 2010 edition, they were able to remove all noise but also making sure to utilize a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track and as mentioned, I've owned several versions of this film and I even own the soundtrack to this film. The way this music was handled through the surround channels was amazing. The music and the instruments playing on individual channels was well done. The first thing that came to my mind during sequences of the sisters singing "Maria" to the wedding sequence, the sounds that were utilized through those channels were amazing. Also, they were able to isolate the sound of Salzburg up the hills, the sound of wind, the birds... I was in awe with the lossless soundtrack. I absolutely love the soundtrack for this film and this is the best I have ever heard of it. If you have a 7.1 setup (center speaker, two fronts, two surrounds, two rear surrounds and your subwoofer), you will definitely be impressed with how alive the music comes as it really sounds beautiful via the soundscape in the home. Once again, I was in awe when I heard the music and I'm sure many people will be just as impressed by it. Similar to the video restoration, the audio restoration for this 45th anniversary is fantastic! And the crew responsible for the audio restoration for this release should be proud because they did an outstanding job! Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. SPECIAL FEATURES "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" comes with the following special features from the 35th and 40th Anniversary DVD versions of the film but also newer special features that just literally packs this 45th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release: DISC 1: * Your Favorite Things: An Interactive Celebration - A new way to watch "The Sound of Music". If you select this option for viewing the movie, you have four categories which you can select interaction with the viewer. One is behind-the-scenes images, the other is viewing with on-screen lyrics, the other is trivia and location quiz. You can select one or all four. * Audio Commentary: Director Robert Wise - The following audio commentary was originally included in the Five Star Collection (2000) for the 35th Anniversary DVD release. Informative commentary by Wise who gives details on the challenges they had in shooting this film. It's important to note that Wise doesn't do much talking and only does when it is necessary. * Audio Commentary: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Charmian Carr, choreographer Dee Dee Wood, and the youngest son of Maria von Trapp, Johannes von Trapp - A lively commentary by the five individuals. Although these are separate commentaries recorded in separate times but Julie Andrews definitely gives us a good idea of the sets and various shooting locations. Also, hearing from Plummer of how he doesn't like to work with children but in this case, he got a long with the children quite well. Charmian Carr who plays the character of Liesl talks about playing the oldest teenage daughter at the age of 21. * Music Machine Sing-Along - Sing-along subtitle tracks which can be seen while watching the film or giving the viewer the ability to select various tracks with the sing-along subtitles. DISC 2: * Musical Stages: Creating the Sound of Music - This first special feature is actually an interactive "backlot tour" with plenty of in-depth featurettes on the songs, the stage show, the movie, the film and sound restoration and getting to know the real life von Trapp family. Included are: 1. Music in the 21st Century - (8:52) A featurette on the popularity of the film and how the film has influenced pop culture from pop artists such as Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguillera to shows like "The Family Guy" and how many various interpretations of the film have made it onto stage and children's books. 2. Restoring a Classic: Bloom & Grow - (5:44) A featurette on the 8K digital restoration of the film. How during the 2005 45th Anniversary Edition, they were not able to use the original 70 mm negative but in 2010, with new technology they were able to. Before and after scenes and more. Awesome featurette! 3. Edelweiss - (2:28) How the song was created and how Christopher Plummer wanted to sing the song and not be dubbed. We get to see footage of Plummer singing and the dubbed over version. 4. I Have Confidence - (8:06) How the lyrics were changed from the original Rodgers & Hammerstein version by Saul Chaplin and constructing it for the film adaptation. 5. My Favorite Things - (2:47) Why the song was fun and the popularity of the lyrics. 6. Sixteen Going on Seventeen - (2:20)... Read more ›
159 of 162 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blu-Re-Mi!,
This review is from: The Sound of Music (Three-Disc 45th Anniversary Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (Blu-ray)
After years and years and years of watching The Sound of Music on VHS
and DVD, I thought I knew every blade of grass and every gust of wind
visible in the movie. How wrong I was! You don't realize how much
picture is lost with standard 480p releases until a monumental blu ray
transfer like this comes along and provides a home viewing experience
that literally feels like seeing the movie for the first time.As far as I'm concerned, this is the best blu ray I own - and not just because The Sound of Music is probably the greatest movie ever made, but because the picture quality is truly that beautiful. And that makes sense, considering the movie was filmed in 70mm and could contain so much more data than ordinary 35mm. Also, from what I understand, the restoration process was taken extremely seriously and done with the highest technology possible. There's a reason why so many artists are pushing blu ray, and it's because for the first time people can experience their creativity and attention to detail, as it was meant to be seen. There is SO much detail in this movie. Seriously, if you loved this movie before you will have your mouth dropped open the entire time you sit through it in high definition. And the Audio quality! I didn't even know it was possible to make ancient audio files sound brand new, but it clearly is. Every song sounds 1000000x better than my old CD soundtracks. Add in surround sound... heavenly. OVERALL: I don't care how many VHS or DVD copies you have of this movie sitting around, you NEED this blu ray. It's not just a restoration, it's a transformation. You cannot have truly experienced The Sound of Music at home until seeing it in 1080p. Not to mention it's cram packed with amazing extras that are actually watchable. In case you can't tell, this BD just makes me so happy. If you appreciate the movie (or bless you, never seen it before) you MUST experience it on BD!
75 of 75 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Hills are Alive in Blu,
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