Sunday, June 02, 2013

Day 2 - The Sound of Music - through the years

The Sound of Music is probably one of the first movies I ever watched.  And it is a movie that I have watched again and again throughout my life.  I'm sure that holds good for many of you.

- My earliest memories of the movie are just of those parts with the children.  At each watching, I understood more and more of the movie. Like layers of paint being applied to a canvas, each time with more detailing.

- At every age, different songs appealed to me.  Initially it was "Doe a deer."  In my teens, it was "You are sixteen" (I could sing it well too, and my friends kept asking me to sing it for them.)  Later, it changed very frequently, and has settled down to "Edelweiss" since the last few years.

- When we were young, all characters appeared black or white.  I would treat the Baroness like a wicked witch.  It was such a revelation when I watched the movie after a long gap and discovered that she was just, well, human!

- On my latest viewing (last month) I discovered that some of the songs and dialogues in the movie are totally at odds with the feminist ideas in me.  Over the last couple of years, I've become increasingly aware about social norms and patriarchy and misogyny, and I've repeatedly  discovered that many of my favourite songs and movies are so terribly chauvinistic.  It's not a good feeling - to find that something you loved before makes you uncomfortable now - but I'm not sorry. This new awareness has done me good.

- Every time I watch the movie, I view it differently. But one thing that has remained constant over the years, is my swooning over the elegance of Christopher Plummer.

- I watched the movie with Puttachi for the first time last month, and of course I had to keep up a constant explanation for her.  I had considered stopping the movie after the first half, but she would have none of it.  She even protested hotly when I insisted that we watch the second half the next day, for it is too long a movie.  I prevailed, of course, and she was restless until she got to watch the second half.

The highlight of the movie-watching with her, is this conversation:
(The song "My favourite things" is playing.)

Me: Puttachi, good idea, isn't it?  When you are scared, just like you think of your "happy place," you can also think of your favourite things and that will make you feel better.
She: Yes!
Me:  So, what are your favourite things?
She:  (thinks for a second)  You, Amma.

Didn't you see me floating with the clouds?

5 comments:

rk bellur said...

perhaps puttachi is the latest to join the feminist movement!

Radhika said...

I felt the same when Ananya simply came to me one day and hugged me and said you are my best friend! These little girls are so adorable.

Shruthi said...

I hope so - like they say, feminism is just common-sense :)

Radhika, aren't they :)

Anonymous said...

Love the movie


The song Edelweiss is stirring. The chorus at the end of the song is so moving and gives a great feeling.

Timeless, Classic , Beautiful , Favourite ...words which best describe the film

jm



Aditi said...

That's so adorable!!
'Few of favourite things' is and always will be an evergreen...lift me up songs...Incidently my first blog post was inspired from it :)

http://www.makeitbeayoutiful.blogspot.in/2013/03/few-of-my-favourite-things.html

I am a recent reader to your space...Loving it!!

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