The Sound of Music (film)
The Sound of Music is a romantic adventure musical film released on 1965-03-02. It was written by Ernest Lehman and directed by Robert Wise and is based on the 1959 musical The Sound of Music by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. That musical was based on the 1956 film The Trapp Family, which was based on the 1949 book, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers.
In the film, Maria, a postulate at a convent in Austria, can't seem to follow the nun's rules, is sent to be the governess for the seven children of a retired navel captain who runs his home like a naval ship ever since his wife died. Once there, Maria discovers that the children are so ill-behaved because their father refuses to parent them, and she teaches them how to sing and play. Through Maria's unorthodox approach, the captain learns how to once again be compassionate, but his newly found affection is cut short by the Nazis annexing Austria and demanding the captain serve in their navy. The whole family must leave their home and escape to safety.
Although there was a real Austrian family of singers, the film, like the musical on which it is based, is highly-fictionalized and nearly every event in the film was made up with only the general idea being based on historical events.
Contents
Personal
When I was around 8-10 years old, my mother borrowed this film on VHS from my grandparents. I remember being interested in it initially, but becoming bored before too long and leaving to play and returning throughout the film. Later on, my mother told me that she was going to start part two, which I assumed meant it was the sequel, not realizing that the film was so long it couldn't fit on a single VHS tape! At the time, I only remembered a little bit about the film, though it still left a positive impression on me. In elementary school, my choir sung the song Do-Re-Mi, and it strengthened my appreciation for the film. I saw the film again when I was older, around 18-19, and, with the patience to sit through it all and understand it, I appreciated it much more. In my 20s, I bought the film on DVD and watched it along with all the commentary that came with it. When I was in my 30s, I finally got to see the musical on which it was based and found the changes for the film to be superior.
I own the 2-disc 40th anniversary edition on DVD.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Julie Andrews | Maria |
| Christopher Plummer | Captain Georg von Trapp |
| Eleanor Parker | Baroness Elsa Schraeder |
| Richard Haydn | Max Detweiler |
| Peggy Wood | Reverend Mother Abbess |
| Charmian Carr | Liesl von Trapp |
| Nicholas Hammond | Friedrich von Trapp |
| Heather Menzies-Urich (as Heather Menzies) | Louisa von Trapp |
| Duane Chase | Kurt von Trapp |
| Angela Cartwright | Brigitta von Trapp |
| Debbie Turner | Marta von Trapp |
| Kym Karath | Gretl von Trapp |
| Anna Lee | Sister Margaretta |
| Portia Nelson | Sister Berthe |
| Ben Wright | Herr Zeller |
| Daniel Truhitte | Rolfe |
| Norma Varden | Frau Schmidt |
| Gilchrist Stuart | Franz |
| Marni Nixon | Sister Sophia |
| Evadne Baker | Sister Bernice |
| Doris Lloyd | Baroness Ebberfeld |
Review
Good
- The story itself is both romantic and dramatic: two unlikely lovers fall for one another despite one of them already being involved, but they eventually find out they're right for each other only to get swept up in a war.
- The lead actors (Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer) as well as the supporting adult cast are all fantastic.
- Most of the songs are very singable and stand well on their own.
- The various scenes filmed on location in Austria are breath-taking and the set designs look fantastic.
- The jealousy and manipulation of Baroness Schraeder is wonderful and I like that she's not really a villain.
- I like that the film depicts the whole of Nazism as evil, while also pointing out how individuals, especially their youth, are troubled by what the Nazis do.
Bad
- Austria was not pleased about this film, not just because the depiction of costumes and sets incorrectly depicted their culture, but also because the von Trapps weren't exactly heroes to many Austrians. They used their connections to flee Austria early in WWII by train (not on foot through the mountains) and waited out the war in various countries living in relative comfort compared to their fellow Austrians who couldn't escape.
- As with most musicals, the ability for people to suddenly start singing to lyrics they shouldn't know is ridiculous.
- While I love Charmian Carr's performance, she was far too old to play a 16-year-old.
- Most of the child actors are pretty awful and their lip-sync is usually quite bad.
- Liesl's thirst at the beginning is an accurate depiction of a teen, but the second act replaces it with childish innocence. Liesl would not cheerfully accept having to "wait a year or two" to get a boyfriend and Rolf would only be angered by being told he's "just a boy" by the Captain.
Ugly
- In commentary by Charmian Carr, she described falling through a plate glass window and spraining her ankle because the costume department forgot to add rubber soles to her dance shoes and then the set doctor injecting her with a stimulant so she would continue to dance on her sprained ankle. This abuse of workers was common for the era, but still highly immoral.
Media
Covers
BluRay - USA - 50th Anniversary Edition.
DVD - USA - 50th Anniversary Edition.
Posters
Modified original advertising awards.
Re-release poster.
Production Stills
The opening.
Teaching the children how to sing.
Found their love for each other.
Encore at the competition.
Quote Images
No Nazis!
Videos
Quotes
- "It's the dress. You'll have to put on another one before you meet the children." "But I don't have another one. When we entered the abbey our worldly clothes were given to the poor." "What about this one?" "The poor didn't want this one."
- "You are the twelfth in a long line of governesses who have come here to look after my children since their mother died. I trust you will be an improvement on the last one. She stayed only two hours." "What's wrong with the children, Captain?" "Oh, there's nothing wrong with the children. Only the governesses."
- "Excuse me, sir. I don't know your signal." "You can call me, Captain!"
- "I'm Brigitta." "You didn't tell me how old you are... Louisa." "I'm Brigitta, she's Louisa. She's thirteen years old, and you're smart! I'm ten, and I think your dress is the ugliest one I ever saw!" "Brigitta, you shouldn't say that!" "Why not? Don't you think it's ugly?" "Of course, but Fraulein Helga's was ugliest."
- "You're far away. Where are you?" "In a world that's disappearing, I'm afraid."
- "Only grown-up men are scared of women."
- "I've not asked you where you and your family are going. Nor have you asked me why I am here." "Well, apparently, we're both suffering from a deplorable lack of curiosity."
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