Loosely based on the real-life exploits of the Von Trapp singers, a family of folk performers who attained worldwide prominence before, during, and after World War II, The Sound of Music fictionalizes all but the bare-bones details of the historical record. This caused a clash between Wise and the real-life Maria Von Trapp (played in the film by Julie Andrews), who wanted there to be ‘more truth’ in the movie. Wise declined, saying he was making the film he wanted to make and, because she had sold the rights, she had no claim on how the story was told.
The film opens with Maria living in a convent in Salzburg. The Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood), recognizing that the young woman may not be suited for a cloistered life, decides that she should take on a position as a governess, caring for the seven children of the widowed Captain Georg Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). Although initially nervous about the prospect, Maria quickly grows to love the children, from the oldest, 16-year old Liesl (Charmian Carr), who proudly declares that she doesn’t need a governess, to the youngest, five-year old Gretl (Kym Karath). In between are the two boys, Friedrich (Nicholas Hammond) and Kurt (Duane Chase), and three other girls, Louisa (Heather Menzies), Brigitta (Angela Cartwright), and Marta (Debbie Turner). The new governess clashes with the captain about discipline, playtime, and music. When she teaches the children to sing, he is initially outraged but his anger dissipates and he unexpectedly joins in. Although he seems destined to marry the haughty Baroness (Eleanor Parker), he and Maria fall in love and are wed. Shortly after their honeymoon, the Nazis come into power through the Anschluss (which happened on March 12, 1938) and the anti-Nazi Captain Von Trapp is forced to flee the country with his family in the dead of night.
The Sound of Music is intended to be a feel-good extravaganza – one that sweeps aside considerations of logic and intelligence in a tide of exuberance that crests with an emotional high. The songs, which have become part of the American musical lexicon, are immediately recognisable and eminently hummable. Then there’s Julie Andrews. Coming to The Sound of Music off Mary Poppins (which hadn’t yet been released), Andrews immersed herself in the role. Her sunny disposition, powerful voice, and pure charisma dominate the movie and, at least during the musical sequences, dispel the cynical impulse. The cinematography is beguiling, the songs are uplifting, and Andrews deserves the praise and adoration she has received through the years.
It’s not hard to understand the movie’s appeal during its initial four-year run. The Sound of Music represented a bastion of uplifting serenity during a time of social upheaval. Released 18 months after JFK’s assassination and in the midst of the civil rights turmoil, it offered escapism in its purest form. By imprinting such positive impressions on those who saw it during the 1960s as a child, the “rose-colored glasses” phenomenon ensured that it would cling to an entire generation and, through family viewing, to their children and grand-children. More than 50 years after its American premiere, the film is not only remembered but has settled into the number 3 slot for all-time (inflation-adjusted) box office receipts. For many years after its theatrical run, The Sound of Music was a television staple, a guaranteed ratings-grabber. In the home DVD era, it has become a perennial best-seller, with new releases every 5-to-10 years (to capitalise on anniversaries). It carries the label of a ‘beloved classic’ – a designation no one, not even the most curmudgeonly critic, is going to dispute.
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