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Actors: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Sound of Music |
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In 1930's Austria a young nun is finding it hard to adjust to her new life in the abbey. The Abbess decides that the best thing to do is to send the nun (called Maria) into the world to discover life. She is sent to the von Trapp family to work as a nanny for Captain v Trapp's 7 children. V Trapp is a widowed ex-naval capt who lost his job when Austria lost its coast after the Treaty of Versailles. He is a proud nationalist and is worried about the rise of the far right in neighbouring Germany and talk of a union. V Trapp runs his household like a ship because he knows no other way and is in deep grieving for his wife. When Maria arrives on the scene she is met with opposition from the children and is put-off by the captain's attitudes. In time however, she builds bonds with the entire family, especially Liesl, the eldest child, whom she guides into womanhood, filling the void of Liesl's absent mother.
The captain is engaged to the Baroness, a woman whom the children dislike and with reason - she loves their father not them! Gradually, however, over time Maria and the Captain fall in love, the Baroness realises this and fabricates a story to make Maria want to return to the abbey, but Maria has helped the v Trapps rediscover music, and through that, happiness. She returns to them and the Baroness finally accepts that Maria and the Captain are meant to be together. They marry, but on returning from their honeymoon are confronted with the awful new of the occupation of Austria. Capt v Trapp is summonned immediately to fight for the Nazi High Seas fleet, but he opposes the Nazis and will not conform, thus putting his beloved family in danger. The v Trapps decide to escape over the border to neutral Switzerland, but their plan is discovered and they are forced to escape in a very unconventional style.
--Elle, Resident Scholar
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Young Austrian Maria (Andrews) had always aspired to be a nun, but hasn't found the experience quite to her liking. She's too free-spirited and therefore always in trouble. So the convent's abbess sends her off to be governess for a retired and widowed Naval officer, Captain von Trapp (Plummer), whose seven children have proved too much for a series of previous governesses. But Maria tames them with love and music, falling in love with the Captain in the process. But he's already engaged, and she's still a postulant of the convent. More worrisome, the 1938 Anschluss makes Austria part of the growing Nazi empire, and the Captain is called back to active Naval duty. The new family will have to find a way not only to pull together but escape. Based on Maria Augustra Trapp's memoir and the resulting hit Broadway musical, this movie was a monster hit in 1965, taking big box office receipts and winning five Oscars.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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This musical is based on the true story of the Von Trapp family, who escaped Nazi-controlled Germany in World War II. They moved to Austria to start a new life there. The Von Trapp children are all talented singers, and they are entertained by a similarly talented woman. They eventually form a singing group called the Von Trapp Family Singers. Of course, there is a lot of singing involved, and familiar songs include The Sound of Music and My Favorite Things.
--Teddy, Resident Scholar
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This extraordianry film tells the tale of Maria, a young, restless nun in training. Noticing her restlessness, Mother Abyess sends her out into the real world, to be the governess of 7 children, whose ex-navy captain father lost his dear wife several years ago. Maria discovers that the mansion is a cold, desolate place because the captain shut out anything that reminded him of his wife. Slowly but surely, Maria touched the hearts of the children and the captain, bring back the sound of music to the mansion. Problems arouse when the captain announces his engagement with a corrupt, evil woman. The captain realizes his love for Maria and calls off his engagement. The captain and Maria get married. The film ends with the von Trapp family's exciting escape from the grasps of Nazis.
--DW, Resident Scholar
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This is a wonderful family oriented classic about a young nun who is sent to be a nanny for an ex-naval officer with 7 children. His wife has passed away, and he stays away from home and from anything that reminds him of her, including his children. The young nun treats the children as children, teaching them to sing and dance and play. This in turn helps to bring the traumatized father back close to his children and his family. He also realizes that his current fiance is a bit of a money hungry airhead; while he is falling in love with the new nanny.
--Gretchen Mitchell, Resident Scholar
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The Sound of Music is the story of a young nun, Maria (Andrews) struggling to find her calling in life. As much as she loves the abbey, she also loves Captain Von Trapp (Plummer) and his children very much. She brings joy into their lives through music, and they in turn fall in love with her. Not only must Maria decide what she wants do, but the Captain must also decide what to believe about the upcoming war with Germany. A touching, beautiful family story set to music.
--Lauren, Resident Scholar
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A young nun is thrown into a spiraling romance with an older, dashing naval officer whome she is assigned to work for as a governess.
The movie moves from stormy first impressions, marriage and finally a flight for security and freedom from Hitler's occupation of Austria.
--William Riser, Resident Scholar
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The hills certainly are alive with the sound of music as Robert Wise takes this
Broadway-winning musical and envelopes the cinematic world! Certainly one of the most
popular musicals of all time, this Rodgers and Hammerstein-scored film is the story of
Maria, who gives up her religious vows and becomes a governess to the children of the
Baron Von Trapp. She finds the early insurrmountable obstacles of taking care of the
children to be not so insurrmountable, as she plies her musical abilities and charm to win
over the entire family. Set in Salzburg, Austria, as the Nazis are fast engulfing the
European continent, the Von Trapps will have no part of this political and military
madness. And, of course, the climactic scene of their escape from the Nazis, too, is
unforgettable!
--Bill Hobbs, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Sound of Music |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Comedy, primarily
Yes
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
War impact on civilians/veterans
Yes
Kind of comedy
- musical
Kind of conflict:
- war, WW II
How much humor v. drama
- Lot of humor, but significant serious drama
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- religious figure
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair type
- (woman) short/butch/lez
Body type
- (woman) skinny
Events of movie makes character more...
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- German
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average build
Ethnicity/Nationality
- German
Main Adversary
Identity:
- an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 20%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- German
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Austria
Mountains/Cliffs
Yes
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Any profanity?
- None
If lots of song/dance...
- lot of singing and dancing
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Broadway musical
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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