Review of The Sound of Music (1965) by Rachel H — 06 May 2011

This is a movie that is absolutely impossible not to like, at least a little bit. While I was watching this film, I was thinking, "Feel that? that's a cavity, right there" even though I haven't had a cavity in years. This movie is incredibly syrupy-sweet, and even the most cynical of moviegoers will be won over by its unapologetic warmth. This can be kind of an endurance test, what with its nearly three-hour length and many musical numbers, but it's an enjoyable endurance test nonetheless, and is an instant classic and one of the most, if not the most iconic movie-musical of all time.

For those of you who don't know, The Sound of Music is about Maria (Julie Andrews), a nun in training who is encouraged by the Reverend Mother to leave the Abbey and be a governess to Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer)'s seven children to see if the nun life is really for her. She meets the Captain and his children, and finds that the Captain has raised his children very strictly since the death of his wife, and they have been through many governesses. It only takes a little while for the children to fall in love with Maria and it only takes a little while for their combined forces to loosen up the captain and get him to allow music in the house once again.

The first half of the movie ends with the marriage of Maria and the Captain, and then it takes a bit more of a serious tone. Despite that, it still has the sweetness, although it now has to share the story with Nazis. More specifically, Nazis wanting the Captain to join their navy, and his Austrian pride making him not want to do so. Even though the family is not Jewish, they find themselves under scrutiny by the Nazis and figure the only way out is to escape over the Swiss border. But they are ambushed, and must go sing at a festival under heavy Nazi supervision. However, they do manage an escape and it's up to Maria, Georg, and all the power of the nuns and the kids to evade the Nazis and escape over the border.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this movie, and I have loved this movie ever since I first saw it as a child. The story is perfect, from the beginning to the end, even though it has a somewhat soggy middle. This film has one of the most iconic beginnings and one of the most iconic endings in a movie ever and the last twenty minutes are quite suspensful because you want the von Trapps to elude the Nazis and escape safely into Switzerland. The characterization is perfect, and the film is very well-paced, despite its length and oddly paced middle.

The film also has over 20 musical numbers, pretty much all of them getting reprised in the second half, and they are all terrific. The majority of the songs, like "Do Re Mi" and "So Long, Farewell" have engrained themselves in pop culture so hard that a lot of kids have heard the songs without seeing them in context or even knowing where they're from. The rest of the songs are absolutely terrific, and even if this review doesn't encourage you to watch the movie, I hope you check out the soundtrack because it is wonderful. Needless to say, every single song in this film is great and extremely memorable.

The performances are also great. Julie Andrews kicks ass in everything she's in, and one of the best actresses and singers of all time. Her performance in here is terrific, and she has the sweetness, but also the passive agressiveness that makes this character perfect. Christopher Plummer is very badass in his role as the Captain, but is still very likeable. His performance is terrific, and he was quite the dish in his time. That's probably why the Baroness is after him in this movie. I mean, she doesn't want the kids and she's already rich so she doesn't need his money. That's the only explanation. The children are all fantastic in their roles and Liesel's boyfriend Rolf (played by an actor who I can't remember at the moment) is terrific as well, so strong performances all around.

This is a movie so sweet and unapologetically sappy that it will give you cavities. However, that does not stop it from being a wonderful moviegoing experience that is a must-see instant classic. That's right, I don't care if musicals are not your thing, you have to see this movie. Strong acting, a great story, memorable songs, and a surprisingly suspenseful ending makes for a fantastic movie. So in short, see it. YOu will not be disappointed, unless you have no soul. No offense to soulless people, but this is one of the movies that requires one.