OMG! Last year I rewatched The Sound of Music, after some 30 years, since when I was a kid and my mom played often since it was her favorite movie (from also her childhood).
My perception was exactly that. Lot's of "new" meanings, although they were there all along and probably shaping my world without me even realizing it. As a kid I've never noticed the backdrop of the Nazi occupation, just like you wrote. It was powerful to put these extra layers on top of something that was already powerful for me in my oldest memories!
How deep the art is able to reach us, to remind us about what humanity is. The good, the bad, the ugly.
(And how amazing is that 60 yrs later this movie still can be a topic of conversation??)
Isn't it wild how much was layered in that we didn’t see as kids? It’s like the movie was subtly planting seeds in us all along. And yes, the fact that we’re still talking about it decades later says so much. I’m really glad this sparked something for you.
April, you have once again captured my heart with your wise observations and brilliant writing. "The Sound of Music" has always been my favorite film, but for someone who prides herself at understanding hidden meanings, I never noticed that "What Maria disrupts in the home mirrors what the family eventually must confront in the world." (!) Brava. 👏👏👏
Your examples are spot on, and we even see these themes in the human psyche, embedded deep in our unconscious. No wonder this movie speaks so deeply to my soul. Thank you for showing me another reason why. 🙏❤️🙏
Hi Cynthia, I'm so grateful that this piece spoke to you! I love that this film has been a longtime favorite of yours too. It’s amazing how stories we’ve known for years can keep revealing new layers. I didn’t know what was going to unfold as I wrote this. Those deeper themes just seemed to pop out on their own, as if they’d been there all along just waiting to be seen. Thank you! ❤️
Yes, to those deeper themes are there all along! How cool that you didn't know exactly what you were going to say until it came through you. I love the beauty of that process.
I also wanted to say that I am so sorry you lost such a good friend a few months ago. You are right about the connection between grief and love... it doesn't make it easier, but somehow brings more sense into the nonsensical, and as you said, breaks our heart open into even more love.
If this helps at all, I once heard while praying with a friend who had just lost her beloved cat that the depth of our grief is equivalent to the depth of our love. And while we grieve, it creates a bridge of love from our heart to our loved one on the other side. So while we writhe in the pain, it releases the love to travel across that bridge to their heart on the other side. So while we have the courage to feel the depth of our unbearable grief, they feel the depth of our everlasting love.
About a month later I was turning the greeting card rack in a nature shop looking for a birthday card when a simple card caught my eye. On the front was a picture of a rainbow and a quote from a 6-year-old girl: "When someone dies, they create a rainbow from here to heaven."
Absolutely beautiful piece, April. You provide such clarity to a shared observation about the movie, especially here: “What Maria brings isn’t a lesson. It’s an allowing.”
We must find our way through. I was avoiding things for a while as I grappled with the stark reality of my world. Now, I'm starting to find a way, to find my voice, to find joy within darkness. Great article!
OMG! Last year I rewatched The Sound of Music, after some 30 years, since when I was a kid and my mom played often since it was her favorite movie (from also her childhood).
My perception was exactly that. Lot's of "new" meanings, although they were there all along and probably shaping my world without me even realizing it. As a kid I've never noticed the backdrop of the Nazi occupation, just like you wrote. It was powerful to put these extra layers on top of something that was already powerful for me in my oldest memories!
How deep the art is able to reach us, to remind us about what humanity is. The good, the bad, the ugly.
(And how amazing is that 60 yrs later this movie still can be a topic of conversation??)
Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Isn't it wild how much was layered in that we didn’t see as kids? It’s like the movie was subtly planting seeds in us all along. And yes, the fact that we’re still talking about it decades later says so much. I’m really glad this sparked something for you.
Totally 🤯😌
Thank you for this outward ripple of positivity, let’s all keep singing.
🙏🏼💖
April, you have once again captured my heart with your wise observations and brilliant writing. "The Sound of Music" has always been my favorite film, but for someone who prides herself at understanding hidden meanings, I never noticed that "What Maria disrupts in the home mirrors what the family eventually must confront in the world." (!) Brava. 👏👏👏
Your examples are spot on, and we even see these themes in the human psyche, embedded deep in our unconscious. No wonder this movie speaks so deeply to my soul. Thank you for showing me another reason why. 🙏❤️🙏
Hi Cynthia, I'm so grateful that this piece spoke to you! I love that this film has been a longtime favorite of yours too. It’s amazing how stories we’ve known for years can keep revealing new layers. I didn’t know what was going to unfold as I wrote this. Those deeper themes just seemed to pop out on their own, as if they’d been there all along just waiting to be seen. Thank you! ❤️
Yes, to those deeper themes are there all along! How cool that you didn't know exactly what you were going to say until it came through you. I love the beauty of that process.
I also wanted to say that I am so sorry you lost such a good friend a few months ago. You are right about the connection between grief and love... it doesn't make it easier, but somehow brings more sense into the nonsensical, and as you said, breaks our heart open into even more love.
If this helps at all, I once heard while praying with a friend who had just lost her beloved cat that the depth of our grief is equivalent to the depth of our love. And while we grieve, it creates a bridge of love from our heart to our loved one on the other side. So while we writhe in the pain, it releases the love to travel across that bridge to their heart on the other side. So while we have the courage to feel the depth of our unbearable grief, they feel the depth of our everlasting love.
About a month later I was turning the greeting card rack in a nature shop looking for a birthday card when a simple card caught my eye. On the front was a picture of a rainbow and a quote from a 6-year-old girl: "When someone dies, they create a rainbow from here to heaven."
I hope this helps in some small way. 🙏❤️🙏
Thank you so much for your words and care. I really do feel held by what you shared, and that image of the rainbow will stay with me 🙏🏼❤️
Absolutely beautiful piece, April. You provide such clarity to a shared observation about the movie, especially here: “What Maria brings isn’t a lesson. It’s an allowing.”
Good to know the piece and that particular line spoke to you. Thanks, Gregory.
We must find our way through. I was avoiding things for a while as I grappled with the stark reality of my world. Now, I'm starting to find a way, to find my voice, to find joy within darkness. Great article!
Beautiful piece. Just what I needed
Thank you, Eddie.
This is fantastic. I randomly stumbled across it and I’m sure glad that I did.
So glad it found you, Breck. Thanks for reading and sharing.
Thank you! I appreciate the honesty in your words. I’m glad this piece could walk alongside side you even for a moment.