‘The Sound of Music‘ remains one of the most beloved movies ever made, receiving five Oscars and becoming a cultural phenomenon. However, one of the most surprising facts about the film is that Christopher Plummer despised many aspects of the movie while filming it, which paradoxically helped him make the character convincing and believable.
The late actor ridiculed ‘The Sound of Music‘ during numerous interviews throughout his career. Most famously, he coined the nickname “The Sound of Music” for the film, since he considered some of its parts excessively sweet and overly sentimental. In spite of this, that very skepticism became one of the reasons the character was believable.
Christopher Plummer Was Not comfortable
When Plummer joined the production, he was already established as an accomplished Shakespearean stage actor. Compared to the material he usually liked, ‘The Sound of Music’ seemed simple and straightforward to him.
Plummer feared the film would turn out to be overly sentimental due to singing children, the beautiful Alpine scenery, and romantic musical sequences.
Additionally, behind the scenes, Plummer was said to be unhappy for a significant part of the shooting process. This included filming in adverse weather conditions in Salzburg, repeatedly shooting musical numbers, and wearing costumes.
“Because it was so awful and sentimental and gooey. You had to work terribly hard to try and infuse some minuscule bit of humor into it,” the actor told The Hollywood Reporter in 2011.
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Plummer perceived the material to be emotionally unrealistic. Robert Wise and Julie Andrews took the movie seriously, but Plummer constantly sought to make his performance more realistic. As a result, his skepticism positively impacted the movie.
Captain Trapp’s Cold Demeanor Contrasts Maria’s Sweetness
Initially, Captain Georg von Trapp is cold, harsh, repressive, military, and emotionally distant. The captain runs his house like a naval base and does not let himself show emotions after his wife’s death. Plummer played these traits of the character very strongly.
Instead of making von Trapp lovable from the first moment, Plummer made the character emotionally vulnerable, intimidating, and resistant to happiness. That gave the film dramatic depth. Thanks to Plummer’s skepticism towards the film’s sentimentality, the transformation of the character did not seem superficial.
A gradual change of character allowed the audience to witness the evolution of a harsh and emotionally damaged man becoming warm and loving again, thanks to Maria and her children.
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His skepticism contributed to the emotional development of the character. Another important element that made the romance work was the contrast between Plummer and Julie Andrews.
Julie Andrews conveyed warmth, optimism, and sincerity as Maria. On the other hand, Plummer brought skepticism and restraint to his character. These contrasting energies created a balance throughout the movie.
Had Plummer played his role with the same sweet enthusiasm as Andrews, the film could have collapsed under its own weight or become a parody of itself.
Over time, Christopher Plummer’s attitude toward the movie changed. In his later interviews, Plummer appreciated the film’s craftsmanship, the directorial skills of Robert Wise, the brilliance of Julie Andrews, and the global adoration the film received.
Though he never fully embraced the film’s sentimentality, he came to understand its enduring legacy.
In conclusion, Christopher Plummer’s skepticism became the necessary ingredient that turned ‘The Sound of Music’ into a classic movie instead of just a sentimental fantasy.
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