Musical Medicine: A Movie Review of Robert Wise's "The Sound of Music"

I go to the hills when my heart is lonely. I know I will hear what I heard before. My heart will be blessed with the sound of music! And I'll sing once more. These are the last lines of the song "The Sound of Music." In the late 1930s, Austria was undergoing radical changes as the German Nazis were quickly gaining a political foothold of the country. For the von Trapp children, they found refuge in singing with their governess Maria.
The Sound of Music is ranked as one of the greatest films of all time. It passed Gone with the Wind as the highest-grossing film ever (at the time). It won five Academy Awards, among many others. The film stars Julie Andrews as Maria, Christopher Plummer as Captain Georg von Trapp, and Eleanor Parker as Baroness Elsa von Shraeder.

SUMMARY

   Maria is a "nun-in-training" (I suppose would be the term) at an abbey in Salzburg, Austria. She is immediately portrayed as a little wild, tardy, and quite the free-spirit. The Mother Abbess tells Maria that she has a new job for her. Captain Georg von Trapp is a widower with seven children, and he has had a hard time keeping a governess for them. The Mother Abbess chooses Maria for the task.

   So Maria is off on a life-changing adventure. Once she arrives at the von Trapp house, she witnesses the strict (and almost uncaring) attitude of the Captain. Though he loves his children, he treats them like crew members of a naval ship. 

   While Georg is away visiting his friend Baroness Shraeder, Maria develops a close friendship with the children and gives them many chances to have fun and enjoy themselves. Things seem to be going very well, but then Maria leaves (for reasons I won't explain, due to spoiling the movie). The film eventually ends on a bittersweet "note."

CONTENT

   There is not really much violence in the film. Nazi soldiers are seen chasing people and holding guns. One young soldier says that he will shoot/kill a man, but that is the extent of the violence.

   There are several kisses. Also, some of the songs indicate romantic love between people ("Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "Something Good"). There isn't anything in this area that would cause this to not be a family film.

   There is no language used in the movie.

   I thoroughly enjoyed The Sound of Music. With great acting, excellent music, and a family-friendly story, this is a rare movie that all families can watch together and enjoy. I recommend this for all families who enjoy clean films or musicals.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 174 minutes

Rating: G

Director: Robert Wise

Producer: Robert Wise

Music: Richard Rodgers (music and lyrics), Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics), Irwin Kostal (film score)

Year of release: 1965

Primary audience: Family