《音樂之聲》：歌聲飄過50年

2015-04-29 00:00:00ByNicholasBarber阿諾

新東方英語 2015年7期

Never mind Neil Patrick Harris1）’s underpants or Patricia Arquette2）’s politics； the show-stopping moment at this year’s Academy Awards came when Lady Gaga sang a medley3） to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music. Who would have predicted it？ There on the stage was the avant-garde electro-pop star who once wore a dress made of raw meat swishing4） around in a white ball gown， belting out5） “My Favourite Things6）” in a cut-glass7） English accent.

It was a testament to Gaga’s ability to reinvent herself. But The Sound of Music is just as adept at moving with the times. The events that inspired the film took place in Austria in the 1920s and 1930s. Maria von Trapp8）’s memoir of those events was published in 1949， and was turned into a stage musical by Richard Rodgers9） and Oscar Hammerstein II10） 10 years later. Then came the film. It premiered in 1965， just a few months before The Beatles’ second film， Help！ But although we think of The Beatles as dominating the Swinging ’60s， it was The Sound of Music that was the Oscar-winning smash11）—and its soundtrack album was the UK’s best-selling LP12）， not just in 1965， but in 1966 and 1968.

In an effort to understand the film’s eternal appeal， I thought I should rewatch it on DVD. But then a question struck me： Had I ever actually watched it in the first place？ I knew I’d seen excerpts from it on clip shows over the years， and I had hazy memories of catching some of it on television on a rainy Sunday afternoon， but I wasn’t sure that I’d ever watched it from start to finish. And I suspect I’m not the only person in that position. We’ve all seen so many snippets13） and parodies that The Sound of Music is a part of our lives whether we’ve watched it or not. We can hum along to the title song， not to mention “Do-Re-Mi14）” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.”

Most of us can have a stab at15） summarising the plot， too. A hearty trainee nun called Maria （Julie Andrews） is hired to look after the seven von Trapp children in a Salzburg schloss16）. She goes on to thaw17） the heart of the children’s widowed father （Christopher Plummer）. But what else happens？ Apart from the few scenes and the many songs that are burnt into our brains， what exactly does The Sound of Music entail？

The short answer is： not a lot. What surprised me when I finally watched the film last month was that if you’ve seen bits and pieces of it， then you’ve pretty much seen the whole thing. True， the von Trapps have to flee from the Nazis in the last half-hour—a sequence which is almost entirely separate from everything beforehand—but otherwise， there’s not much that happens.

Going for a Song

It’s certainly not a film to watch for its narrative twists and turns. How does Maria win over the hostile von Trapp children？ With one rendition18） of “My Favourite Things.” What convinces Captain von Trapp that she is a positive influence on his offspring？ A performance of “The Lonely Goatherd19）.” And what convinces the audience that the captain has been influenced by Maria？ A recital of “Edelweiss20）.” Compared to the elaborate musicals that made Andrews a star of stage （My Fair Lady） and screen （Mary Poppins）， The Sound of Music is more of a concert than a film—a series of catchy Rodgers and Hammerstein numbers linked by some crisp repartee21）. But that isn’t a criticism. The fact that The Sound of Music resembles a greatest hits album could be the key to its record-breaking success.

“In many ways， The Sound of Music follows the classic musical structure that highlights its musical numbers over plot，” says Professor Caryl Flinn of the University of Michigan， author of a new British Film Institute guide to The Sound of Music. “Cinema scholars in fact have grouped musicals along with horror films for that reason—storylines aren’t generally what draw people in to watch these genres. In horror， it’s all about getting to the next scare； and in musicals， it’s all about getting to the next song. With The Sound of Music， songs are the real anchor for audiences’ feelings.”

It’s the film’s concentration on its peerless22） songs which accounts for the Sing-a-long Sound of Music phenomenon. In 1999， London’s Prince Charles Cinema started screening it every Friday evening， and encouraged audiences to dress up as the characters. The format has since been exported to cinemas all around the globe. The song-based structure also helps to explain why the film is a television fixture. From a TV station’s point of view， the songs make The Sound of Music easy to chop up into advertising-friendly chunks. From the viewer’s perspective， you can switch it on halfway through， and you won’t have any difficulty picking up the story.

“Restraint and Reserve”

And it isn’t just the plot that has been stripped back to basics. The film’s director and screenwriter， Robert Wise23） and Ernest Lehman， made West Side Story24） in 1961， but while that musical bursts with heightened colours and balletic dance routines， The Sound of Music has almost no choreography25） beyond some decorous waltzing， and no visual flair beyond the scenic shots of sunny Salzburg. “There is so much restraint and reserve in The Sound of Music，” says Professor Flinn. “I think it reflects the production team’s desire to go for simplicity and sincerity， and not risk courting anything too over-the-top or kitschy26）.”

Given that Plummer has spent decades decrying the film’s sickly sweetness， it might seem strange to hear it described in terms of simplicity and restraint， but Professor Flinn could be on to something. The Sound of Music may feature a goat-based puppet show and a gaggle27） of children in matching clothes made out of curtains， but Wise and Lehman actually diluted28） the stage play’s syrupy29） sentimentality： They skip from song to song without dwelling on any of the von Trapps’ triumphs or tragedies. None of the children gets the chance to be too annoying； none of the romance is allowed to become too cloying30）. Andrews yomps31） through proceedings with no-nonsense briskness； Plummer stands back and observes them with a wry32） twinkle in his eye. Even the ending is restrained by today’s standards. We see the von Trapps hiking over the mountains and away from the Nazis， but there are no captions detailing what happened to them next， and no photographs of the real family. You can bet that if The Sound of Music had been made in 2015， it would have had both.

Plummer himself has come to acknowledge that the film is less mawkish33） than it might have been. As he says in an interview in the current issue of Vanity Fair， the director “did keep it from falling over the edge into a sea of treacle34）.” He’s right. The Sound of Music may be on the very edge of that treacly ocean， but it never quite falls in， and it’s this miraculous balancing act that keeps us watching， even after 50 years. Just ask Lady Gaga.

不必關注尼爾·帕特里克·哈里斯的內褲，也不必在意帕特麗夏·阿奎特發表的政治性言論。在今年的奧斯卡頒獎禮上，Lady Gaga獻唱時才是最引人注目的一刻：為了慶祝影片《音樂之聲》上映50周年，她演唱了片中的歌曲串燒。誰能預料到這樣的一幕呢？舞臺上，這位曾以一身“生肉裝”亮相的前衛電子流行樂歌星如今身著一襲窸窣作響的白色禮服長裙，用清晰的英國口音大聲演唱《我最心愛的東西》這首歌。

這段表演證明了Gaga變換風格的能力。但《音樂之聲》也同樣歷久彌新。影片的靈感源自20世紀二十與三十年代發生在奧地利的一段往事?，旣悂啞ゑT特拉普記錄這段往事的回憶錄于1949年出版。十年后，書中的內容被理查德·羅杰斯和奧斯卡·漢默斯坦二世改編成音樂劇搬上舞臺，之后又被拍成電影。影片于1965年首映，只比披頭士的第二部電影《救命！》早上映幾個月。雖然我們認為披頭士是“搖擺的60年代”的主宰者，但在當時，引起轟動并摘得奧斯卡桂冠的卻是《音樂之聲》。這部電影的原聲專輯是當年英國銷量最高的密紋唱片，不只是在1965年，1966年和1968年也是如此。

為了了解其恒久魅力究竟何在，我覺得自己應該用DVD再重溫一下這部影片。但此時我突然想到一個問題：首先，我到底真正看過這部電影沒？我知道，很多年來我都是在片段集錦中看到過這部電影的選段。我也隱約記得，在某個下雨的周日午后，我曾在電視上看過影片的一部分。但我無法確定自己是否曾經從頭到尾看過。而且我懷疑，不止我一個人屬于這種情況?！兑魳分暋返牧阈瞧魏蛻蚍卤硌菸覀兌伎吹锰嗔耍詿o論我們是否看過這部電影，它都已經化作了我們生活中的一部分。我們能隨著影片的主題曲一起哼唱，更別說《哆來咪》和《攀越群山》了。

而且，我們大多數人都能試著總結出影片的故事情節。一位名叫瑪麗亞的熱情友好的見習修女（朱莉·安德魯斯飾）受雇來到薩爾茨堡的一座城堡，照顧馮特拉普家的七個孩子。在此期間，她逐漸融化了孩子們那鰥居的父親（克里斯托弗·普盧默飾）的心。但除此之外還有什么嗎？除了烙印在我們腦海中的少數鏡頭和大量歌曲之外，《音樂之聲》到底講了些什么呢？

答案簡而言之就是：沒講太多。上個月，當我終于看完這部影片之后，我才吃驚地發現，如果你零零星星地看過電影的片段，那你差不多已經看完整部片子了。沒錯，在影片最后的半小時里，馮特拉普一家必須逃離納粹的掌控—這段插曲與前邊的所有情節幾乎完全割裂—但除此之外，影片沒有多少情節了。

我為歌狂

這部電影的看點顯然不是情節的跌宕起伏?，旣悂喪侨绾乌A得對她懷有敵意的馮特拉普家孩子們的喜愛的？因為演唱了一首《我最心愛的東西》。是什么讓馮特拉普上校相信她會給孩子們帶來正面的影響？通過一場《孤獨的牧羊人》的演出。又是什么讓觀眾相信上校受到了瑪麗亞的感染？憑借一曲《雪絨花》。比起那些使安德魯斯成為舞臺明星和電影明星的情節復雜的舞臺?。ā恶厚皇缗罚┖陀捌ā稓g樂滿人間》），《音樂之聲》不像一部電影，倒更像是一場音樂會—用簡潔干脆的機智妙語將一首首由羅杰斯和漢默斯坦創作的朗朗上口的歌曲串聯起來。不過，這可不是對它的批評。《音樂之聲》就像是一張最受歡迎的暢銷專輯，而這或許正是它取得空前成功的關鍵。

“在很多方面，《音樂之聲》遵循了音樂片的經典結構—重音樂，輕情節，”英國電影協會新版《音樂之聲》電影指南的作者、密歇根大學教授卡瑞爾·弗林說，“事實上，電影研究者們將音樂片和恐怖片歸為一類—因為吸引觀眾前去觀看這兩種類型片的通常不是它們的故事情節。對于恐怖片，觀眾期待的就是下一個嚇人的場面；而對于音樂片，觀眾期待的就是下一首歌?？础兑魳分暋窌r，片中的歌曲才是觀眾真正寄托情感的所在?！?/p>

正是由于片中匯集了多首無與倫比的歌曲，所以才出現了“《音樂之聲》大家一起唱”的現象。1999年，位于倫敦的查爾斯王子影院開始在每周五晚放映該片，并且鼓勵觀眾扮成片中角色的樣子。此后，這種形式被全球多家影院效仿。該片以歌曲為主的架構也有助于解釋其為何經常在電視上播出。從電視臺的角度出發，《音樂之聲》中的眾多歌曲使得它很容易被分成幾個段落，方便插播廣告。而從觀眾的角度看來，你即便是從中間開始看，也可以毫不費力地跟上故事的節奏。

“克制兼含蓄”

影片中被簡化處理的不只是故事情節。該片導演羅伯特·懷斯和編劇歐內斯特·雷曼曾在1961年拍攝音樂片《西區故事》。那部電影色彩濃烈，片中有很多優雅的舞蹈段落。而在《音樂之聲》中，除了幾段端莊、優美的華爾茲之外，幾乎沒有什么舞蹈場面；除了薩爾茨堡陽光明媚的風景鏡頭，也沒有華麗的視覺效果?！啊兑魳分暋贩浅？酥坪秃睿备チ纸淌诒硎荆拔艺J為，這反映了制作團隊追求樸素、真誠的愿望，而不是冒險謀求過于夸張或矯揉造作的風格?！?/p>

鑒于普盧默幾十年來一直批評這部電影甜得發膩，現在聽到有人用樸素和克制這樣的詞來形容它似乎有些奇怪，但弗林教授也許說到點子上了。雖然《音樂之聲》中有一場山羊木偶表演，還有一群穿著用窗簾做的相同花色衣服的嘰嘰喳喳的孩子，但是懷斯和雷曼確實對舞臺劇中過于煽情的內容做了淡化處理：他們沒有過多著墨于馮特拉普一家的悲喜，而是很快地從一首歌跳到另一首歌。孩子們沒有機會變得太煩人，片中的愛情也沒有機會變得過于甜膩。安德魯斯明智又輕快利索地處理著每一件棘手的事，普盧默則在一旁用啼笑皆非的眼神看著他們。按照今天的標準，就連影片的結尾也表現得很克制。我們看著馮特拉普一家徒步翻越群山，逃離納粹的魔爪，但是并沒有出現字幕詳細說明他們接下來遇到了什么，也沒有任何現實中馮特拉普一家的照片。如果《音樂之聲》拍攝于2015年，上述兩項內容一定都會在影片中出現。

普盧默本人后來也承認，比起其他可能出現的結果，《音樂之聲》不算太煽情。他在接受最新一期《名利場》雜志采訪時表示，導演“的確避免了讓影片跨越界限，墜入一片甜膩膩的海洋”。他說得沒錯。《音樂之聲》也許正處在那片甜膩膩海洋的邊緣，但它從未真正陷入其中。正是這種對平衡的神奇拿捏才讓影片在問世50年之后依然吸引著我們。問問Lady Gaga就知道了。

1.Neil Patrick Harris：尼爾.帕特里克.哈里斯（1973～），美國演員、主持人，第87屆奧斯卡頒獎典禮主持人，曾在頒獎禮上只穿一條白色底褲上臺，惡搞電影《鳥人》（Birdman）中的情節。

2.Patricia Arquette：帕特麗夏.阿奎特（1968～），美國演員，憑借其在電影《少年時代》（Boyhood）中的表演獲得第87屆奧斯卡最佳女配角獎。在發表獲獎感言時，帕特麗夏發表了幾句關于女性權益和同工同酬的言論，其中的某些不當言論引起了邊緣群體的爭議。

3.medley [?medli] n. 歌曲集錦；音樂串燒

4.swish [sw??] vi. 唰地快速移動

5.belt out：大聲唱

6.My Favourite Things：《我最心愛的東西》，《音樂之聲》中的著名插曲，歌曲風格活潑、跳躍，富于親和力。

7.cut-glass：發音清楚的

8.Maria von Trapp：瑪利亞·馮特拉普（1905～1987），《音樂之聲》女主人公Maria的原型。

9.Richard Rodgers：理查德·羅杰斯（1902～1979），美國作曲家，代表作為《音樂之聲》。

10.Oscar Hammerstein II：奧斯卡·漢默斯坦二世（1895～1960），美國著名音樂人、音樂劇制片人、導演，曾同理查德·羅杰斯合作，兩次獲得奧斯卡最佳原創歌曲獎。

11.smash [sm??] n. 轟動的演出（或劇目、歌曲等）；巨大的成功

12.LP：密紋唱片