The Sound of Music Movie Review

The Sound of Music (1965)

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Written by: Georg Hurdalek (with the partial use of ideas by), Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse (from the stage musical book by), Ernest Lehman (screenplay by), Maria von Trapp (uncredited, book "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers")
Directed by: Robert Wise
Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Richard Haydn, Peggy Wood, Charmian Carr, Eleanor Parker
Rated: G
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Plot
In this musical, a young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer.

Verdict
It's overwhelmingly sweet and touching. A nun is just what a family needs to heal after a loss, using music to reunite them. She's carefree yet compassionate, a contrast to the militaristic father. He's channeled his grief into order and regulation at the expense of his children. No one has dared to make his mistake clear, that is until Maria is tasked with caring for the children. On top of that, this features several captivating songs.
Watch It. 

Review
This is based on the 1959 stage musical composed by Rodgers and Hammerstein and stage book by Lindsay and Crouse which was inspired by the 1949 memoir from Maria von Trapp.

The abbey doesn't know what to do with the young, spirited nun Maria (Julie Andrews) that loves to sing. When the von Trapp family needs a nanny to take care of seven children, the abbey hopes real world experience and the demanding task will teach Maria discipline.

The father, naval officer Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), seems like a difficult person as he contrasts with Maria's ideas of child care. He leads his children with military precision, while she believes they should get to be children. The Captain states she's the twelfth nanny, and that it's not his children but the fault of the nannies being unfit for the job. He wants her to answer to a whistle, like his children. Maria outright refuses, stating whistles are for dogs, not for children, and certainly not for her. She faces a tall order with an overbearing father and seven kids that want to driver her away.

Julia Andrews plays Maria 

While the kids try to sabotage her, Maria is too tenacious for that. She already sees that the children are lonely and need someone to pay attention to them. She's going to win them over with kindness. Through that, she quickly befriends them by caring for them instead of trying to be a disciplinarian. The father is grieving his wife, and it's the children that are suffering. They desperately want their father's attention. They want him to care about them and invest in them.

It's a cute movie, and it's clear Maria is just what this family needs to heal. She can be the one the children turn to as the father must address his own grief. Maria refuses to back down, standing up to the Captain. When the Captain hears the children singing, something he forbade, he's moved and joins in. While Maria and Georg seem like a match, Georg plans to marry the Baroness. When Maria and Georg share a moment while dancing, the Baroness's jealousy grows. She plants seeds of discord and Maria, embarrassed and confused, leaves at once. The Baroness also doesn't like children, and it's easy to see where this is going. Georg already cares Maria, and she's unlocked something in his children no one else could. The Baroness just doesn't have the connection.

Christopher Plummer plays Captain George von Trapp

With Maria's departure, the children are heartbroken and shocked she wouldn't even tell them goodbye. She's convinced by the mother superior to return to the children's delight. The Baroness willingly and amicably steps aside and cancels the engagement as she realizes Maria is a better fit for the family. I thought the movie was setting her up to be the antagonist but instead of exacerbating the situation she leaves. That's a surprise. In the play Georg and the Baroness differed on how to deal with the Nazis. What happens next? Maria and Georg admit their feelings, wasting no time getting married.

The Nazis annex Austria. The Captain, opposing their ideology attempts to flee with the family. They're caught but they have a cover story about a performance that night the Captain had initially stopped. They attend and perform, fleeing again after they sing, and then hide at the convent. With help from the nuns they escape the Nazis.

It's a simple story that's incredibly endearing, exploring loss, grief, and how to process that. That's in stark contrast to the Nazi occupation that casts a pall over this. That implies a lot without stating it outright. This doesn't detail the exploits of Germany. Despite what the family accomplishes, they still must flee their home for safety.