It took decades to bring "Song of Norway" from Broadway to the screen and what we get is a glorious mish-mash. Now, first and foremost, the star of the film is the scenery. Norway is an exceptionally beautiful country and never has it looked better on film. It must have looked even better on the huge, Cinerama screen for which it was designed. The editing, before the era of MTV, is a forerunner of a music video to Grieg's heady music. The editing flubs here and there but the opening credit sequence and the song "Song of Norway" is astounding. Next, many of the musical numbers are the most corniest ever directed which drags the film down tremendously. While the lyrics have a hard time keeping up with the incredible beauty of Grieg's music, they can be quite beautiful. Now, "Song of Norway" shines in its dramatic moments much better than its musical moments (a bad thing for a musical). And, the second half improves over the first. The dramatic acting is very good. Toralv Maurstad was Norway's premier actor at the time and he is good in the dramatic scenes, but sadly, he could not carry a note in a bucket. But on the large screen, barely detectable on video, his eyes are rimmed with tears as Rikard Nordraak sings the glory of their homeland. It is a moving moment. Florence Henderson is very good dramatically and musically, proving that there is more to her talent than just being the mother of "The Brady Bunch." Frank Porretta, an opera star, is classically trained. He displays the unbridled enthusiasm of Rikard and is inspiring with his singing of "Song of Norway." Christina Schollin is also very good as Theresa Berg, Grieg's patron and former lover. What is very disappointing is that this film had the opportunity to reach the heights of "The Sound of Music" with exceptional music and scenery but it required more ingenuity when it came to writing and direction. The talents of an Ernest Lehman and a Robert Wise would have been a great addition. SPOILER ALERT! Although the film ends with Grieg returning to Nina in a happy ending, the real-life ending is far from happy. Grieg was so heart-broken from letting down those closest to him that upon his return, he never wrote another note of music.
Review of Song of Norway
