When I heard Charmian Carr had passed away, I immediately went to Youtube to watch this scene. "The Sound of Music" is one of my all-time favorite movies. I even traveled to Salzburg last summer for a bicycle tour around the shooting locations of the film, including the famous gazebo where the scene takes place. Though the gazebo was not actually on the grounds of the home where the movie was filmed, it retained a magic all its own. It was a little like being in the presence of a celebrity.
There's something so incredibly magical about this number. The lighting, the dress, the choreography - it all works in tandem to make you feel like you're falling in love. And you do fall, a little. It's hard not to be charmed by the scene. The best kinds of art make you feel something, and this song makes me feel like I, too, am falling in love. It's probably Taylor Swift's "rosebud," the kind of song she'll spend her entire career trying to top. If this song were a food, it would be cotton candy. It's sweet, light and airy, and dissipates long before you have a chance to get bored.
But don't mistake me: this number has far more substance than spun sugar. At the surface, this song reinforces gender roles of the time (the late 30s or the mid 60s, either way). Rolf the Nazi (Y'all haters lay off Jess Mariano, obviously Rory could do much worse) sings: "Totally unprepared are you
/To face a world of men/Timid and shy and scared are you/Of things beyond your kin/You need someone older and wiser/Telling you what to do/I am seventeen going on eighteen/I'll take care of you."
But read into the scene even slightly and you'll see Liesl holds all the power in the situation. She knows what she wants. She's the one leaning in for a kiss, pursuing him throughout the song. It's the older, allegedly wiser Rolf who is hesitant and nervous. She plays into his machismo, letting him think he's the one in charge. But we - and Liesl - know different. This subtle wink makes the scene all the more charming. Feminist hero? Maybe not. But Liesl is no innocent rose.
In a way, this scene embodies what I love so much about "The Sound of Music" overall. It's pretty and fun and romantic and whimsical. But while you're getting swept away by the beauty of the setting and the incredible soundtrack, the movie diverts into something more substantive. Less fun, maybe. Certainly not as captivating. Pretty much everyone agrees that the second half of "The Sound of Music" is inferior in nearly every way when compared to the first. But that first half is so enchanting, you're willing to revisit it any time. In that way, it really is like the rush of first love.
But don't mistake me: this number has far more substance than spun sugar. At the surface, this song reinforces gender roles of the time (the late 30s or the mid 60s, either way). Rolf the Nazi (Y'all haters lay off Jess Mariano, obviously Rory could do much worse) sings: "Totally unprepared are you
/To face a world of men/Timid and shy and scared are you/Of things beyond your kin/You need someone older and wiser/Telling you what to do/I am seventeen going on eighteen/I'll take care of you."
But read into the scene even slightly and you'll see Liesl holds all the power in the situation. She knows what she wants. She's the one leaning in for a kiss, pursuing him throughout the song. It's the older, allegedly wiser Rolf who is hesitant and nervous. She plays into his machismo, letting him think he's the one in charge. But we - and Liesl - know different. This subtle wink makes the scene all the more charming. Feminist hero? Maybe not. But Liesl is no innocent rose.
In a way, this scene embodies what I love so much about "The Sound of Music" overall. It's pretty and fun and romantic and whimsical. But while you're getting swept away by the beauty of the setting and the incredible soundtrack, the movie diverts into something more substantive. Less fun, maybe. Certainly not as captivating. Pretty much everyone agrees that the second half of "The Sound of Music" is inferior in nearly every way when compared to the first. But that first half is so enchanting, you're willing to revisit it any time. In that way, it really is like the rush of first love.
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