Professor Pamela Mitchell-Legg No Juarez, Spring 2010

Transcription

1 Union-PSCE, Charlotte Theology and Film Professor Pamela Mitchell-Legg No Juarez, Spring 2010 Faith Review of Films 1 Film Title: The Sound of Music Year: 1965 Director: Robert Wise Original Release Form: Originally released for viewing in Theaters. Current Availability and format: Currently available in DVDs and VHS. Genre: Biography/Drama/Musical Story Elements: Atmosphere: Undoubtedly, music is the main window through which the audience enjoys the film. It is hard even to tell which comes first, the music or the story? But it does not matter because both the music and the story tell us the setting in a beautiful way. Characters: Julie Andrews Maria Christopher Plummer...Captain Von Trapp Eleanor Parker..The Baroness Peggy Wood Mother Abbess Charmian Carr..Liesl Heather Menzies Louisa Nicholas Hammond..Friedrich Duane Chase.Kurt

2 Angela Cartwright.Brigitta Debbie Turner Marta Kym Karath.Gretl Daniel Truhitte Rolfe Richard Haydn Max Plot: Maria, the novice nun (Julie Andrews) sets the theme of the film by singing on the Austrian hills near the Nonnberg Abbey, The hills are alive with the sound of music, with songs they have sung for a thousand years, the hills fill my heart with the sound of music, my heart wants to sing every song it hears. But Maria s spirit is not settled in the Abbey, she is searching for more. The Reverend Mother (Peggy Wood) searching for Maria s discernment decides then to send Maria to take care of seven children of the widow Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). From the first moment Maria walks in, she gets shocked by the way Captain Georg treats the 7 children: Whistle, yelling at them and rigid discipline where there is no place for joy, music nor intimate relationship between the father and the children. This joy, music and intimate relationship becomes with Maria the heart of the film. Soon, Maria starts singing with the children and takes them out of the house for field trips over the hills of Austria where the children have a space to be children and to re-discover that music was part of the Von Trapp family. After a long trip, Georg comes back accompanied by her girlfriend Elsa (Eleanor Parker) whom he intends to marry. To captain Georg s surprise, his children were outside climbing the trees, singing, riding

3 bicycles and enjoying a ride on the boat. Captain Georg is indignant when he realizes that his children were outside playing and singing and even worse he sees them in the boat, the children got very excited and fell into the water. Captain Georg asks Maria to go back to the abbey for he thinks that she is incapable of keeping the children under discipline. To his surprise, he overhears his children singing the sound music inside the house for the Baroness Elsa. Touched by the music captain von Trapp comes into the house and his spirit transforms completely, joins them in the lyrics I go to the hills when my heart is lonely, I know I will hear what I ve heard before, my heart will blessed with the sound of music, and I ll sing once more. When the children heard and saw their father singing, they shout of joy and rejoice and all the children kiss and hug their father. When Maria is getting ready to leave the house, Georg tells her: You brought music back into the house. Soon, Maria and Georg fell in love and got married, but just when joy was back home, tragedy and persecution start affecting the Von Trapp family. From now on, music is going to lift and cheer the life of the von Trapp family, in spite of the tragedy that is about to come once more. The Nazis are invading Austria and are forcing everyone to join the Third Reich group. Georg, as a good Austrian, refuses to join the Nazis and decides to escape with his family to Switzerland. But the Austrians who are supportive of the Nazi Party saw the Von Trapp family trying to escape. The only way the von Trapp family is liberated is by participating in the Festival where they sing, along with the whole audience, the most patriotic Austrian Song: Edelweiss, every morning you greet me. After the Festival, the von Trapp family escapes and they take refuge in the abbey. The Nazis started looking for them, but with the help of the Nuns at

4 the abbey, the Von Trapp family accomplished to escape and climb every Austrian mountain with the sound of music seeking freedom and peace. Film Language Elements: Mise-en-scene: There is an artful combination between the natural sights such as the mountain, rivers, flowers, the buildings in Austria with the characters and especially the music. Music: There is perfect amalgam between the voice of Maria, her story and the lyrics itself. For example when Maria begins the film singing on the mountains what she is singing really touches our hearts because the view is beautiful but so are the lyrics. Audience/Cultural Context Elements: The movie is directed to Elementary level children and to families in general. Theology is Found: Theology is found indirectly. The story and the character don t speak about God and faith directly but through music and the mountains we see how God brings joy and hope to the Von Trapp family even in the midst of tragedy when the Nazis are persecuting them. My favorite scene # 25, where after Maria confronts the Captain outside, there is singing inside the house. When the captain hears his children singing the sound of music he is touched. The captain s face changes from grouchy to happy and radiant and he joins his children singing. At that moment everybody is transformed and hugs and kisses are seen for the first time between the father and the children. God has used music to bring joy in the life of the family.

5 Theological themes for Conversation: 1. Mountains. What do mountains represent in our lives, what are some of your mountain top experiences? 2. Music, how powerful is music in this movie. It seems like all tragedies and challenges are overcome through music. The Book of Psalms and many parts of the Old and New Testament are filled with hymns, songs and poetry. How does the music help us to connect our hearts with the heart of God? 3. Maria goes to the mountains with the sound of music, what are some examples we see in the movie that can be similar to the biblical narrative such as Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the hills, from whom does my help come? 4. Let us think of times where life was difficult, tragedies where overwhelming but a hymn, a poem a favorite music brought joy back into the house. You brought music back into the house ; what are the moments when God used to move you and to transform you? Suggested type of conversation: - How does music and poetry affect you in your daily life? - Can you think of a time you felt down and destroyed, but by hearing your favorite song, or if you are a musician by playing a guitar or piano you were transformed?

6 - How does God use music and poetry to transform us and brings joys back into our house? For example the book of Psalms in the Bible. - What similarities do you see between the opening scene of Maria singing I go to the hills with the sound of music and the lyrics of Psalm What similarities do you see between the scene 25, where Captain Von Trapp is transformed through music and your personal experiences? - How can we apply God s gift of music and poetry in our daily lives? Recommended ways to view and engage the film: - In a retreat, I would encourage to watch the whole 3 hour movie. Then after a break, have a discussion on God s gift of music and poetry in our lives. - In a short hour Sunday school class or youth group I would use the scene 25 to discuss how God uses music to transform us, as is in the case of Captain Von Trapp. - If the facilitator of the conversation is a musician I think it would be beautiful to re-play some of the lyrics such as the sound of music during the session. Concluding or summary remarks: The movie The Sound of Music is appropriate for children from elementary school age up to elderly persons. If the leader of the session is a piano or guitar player the class can re-play and sing some of the lyrics of the movie along with some Psalms.

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