Julie Andrews: from the myth of the androgyne to gender fluidity

Abstract

ABSTRACT Julie Andrews’s character in The Sound of Music (Robert Wise 1965) is in many ways the embodiment of an androgynous ideal that can be found in the mythical origins of numerous traditions. This is evident in the actress’s childish and clumsy body movements, in her ambiguous anatomy, and in the dialogue she maintains with the Alpine landscape, which she engages with repeatedly in the film as if it were a kind of primordial environment for her. This article explores the evolution of the idea of androgyny over the course of Andrews’s career, culminating nearly twenty years after the release of The Sound of Music with Victor/Victoria (Blake Edwards 1982), a film that foreshadows the contemporary notion of gender fluidity. Adopting a methodological discourse related to star studies and drawing on concepts from feminism and queer theory, this article dives into Andrews’s filmography in an effort to clarify this narrative line and its development on the basis of key elements of her performance, such as the use of her body, gestures and the gaze.