Arnold Schwarzenegger’s favourite musical: “One of the movies I think the world of”
Whilst Arnold Schwarzenegger might be best known as a gun-toting, fast-quipping man of action, he isn’t entirely restricted to the world of blood and violence. He starred opposite Danny Devito in Twins, which was the first time many viewers got to see his comedic chops. He’s appeared in a range of film films, from Kindergarten Cop to Jingle All the Way, and he’s even lent his voice to an animated children’s TV show, PBS’ Liberty’s Kids.
One thing Arnie has never turned his muscular hand to is a musical. Given the nature of his speaking voice, that’s probably for the best. That’s not to say he isn’t a genre fan, however. When speaking to Rotten Tomatoes about some of his favourite films, he named an absolutely classic musical as one of his highlights.
“The Sound of Music is another one of the movies that I just think the world of. Very, very entertaining,” he said. “It’s Austria: the music, the look of it. I think it was really a movie that was a very interesting story but it sold my homeland visually in such a spectacular way. And I have gone, of course, to all of the various different locations that they shot the scenes and all that in Salzburg and around in the Alps and all that stuff. It’s a really spectacular, entertaining film. And it tells a lot about that era in Austria.”
Chris Pratt’s father-in-law is arguably one of Austria’s most well-known sons. He was born in the village of Thal, just outside of the major city of Graz, and lived there until he was 19 before he eventually ended up in the United States. The Sound of Music is set in 1938, less than a decade before Schwarzenegger’s birth, so he would have been very aware of the real life story of the von Trapp family and the impact of the Second World War on his homeland.
The rest of Schwarzenegger’s picks were just as unexpected. Alongside fellow action great Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven and the 1973 version of Westworld, he also chose E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Titanic. “I don’t get stuck in one genre or the other,” the former governor said of his eclectic taste. “The key thing always is, are they unique? Are they very entertaining? Are the characters really well written? And is it directed really well and interesting? So it’s all about how do they entertain you and suck you into the story. It’s really what matters.”
He admitted that musicals weren’t really his thing, but also revealed a more recent movie that had reminded him of his love of The Sound of Music. “When La La Land came out, I just loved that movie,” he said. “I thought it was truly – yeah, I thought it was the best movie of the year, without any doubt. So I am not really looking forward to kind of like, ‘I’ve got to see another musical,’ but when I see really well made ones, like La La Land, or Sound of Music – or something like that – I think they’re really fun to watch.”
Given his macho reputation, it takes a lot of courage for Schwarzenegger to admit his love for what is widely considered to be quite a fluffy musical. Although, nobody was ever going to laugh at him, were they? They wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale.
