The Sound of Music (1965)

The Sound of Music
Directed by Robert Wise
Written by Ernest Lehmann from the stage musical book by Russell Crouse and Howard Lindsay and the book by Maria von Trapp
1965/USA
Robert Wise Productions/Argyle Enterprises
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

[box] The Baroness: Somewhere out there is a lady who I think will never be a nun. Auf Wiedersehen, darling.[/box]

I had forgotten just how beautiful Robert Wise made Austria look.

As the film begins, Maria von Trapp (Julie Andrews) is a novice nun in an Austrian covent.  Although she is a thoroughly good person, discipline is not her strong suit.  Her impulsive love of life causes her to be late to everything, for example.  Mother Superior (Peggy Wood) decides she needs a trial of life outside the convent to discover if she has a true vocation as a nun.  She is sent to be the new governess to wealthy widower Captain Von Trapp’s brood of seven children.

Initially Maria and the very strict and stern Captain don’t see eye to eye about child-rearing.  But eventually she wins over his mind and heart.  The entire story is played out against the background of the Nazi anschluss, which the Captain vehemently opposes.  With Eleanor Parker as the Captain’s fiancee and Richard Hayden as an impresario.

As a travelogue, this musical works wonderfully well.  It’s a classic musical and though some may find it a tad too saccharine, the songs are good and Andrews was born to sing them.  Recommended particularly as a family film.

The Sound of Music won Academy Awards in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director,  Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment.  It was nominated in the categories of Best Actress; Best Supporting Actress (Peggy Wood); Best Cinematography, Color; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color; and Best Costume Design, Color.