A novice nun (Julie Andrews) becomes a governess for a large family of children. And she transforms them (and their stern, widower father) with her godly love and gentle grace. There’s drinking and light peril in this story—depicting the changes happening in late 1930s Austria. But the music, cinematography, involving characters and sweet love story at the film’s core make this a memorable moviegoing experience.
Maria loves God and His creations.
In fact, it’s that overpowering and sigh-worthy feeling of God’s embrace that drove her to the Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg. As a girl she’d peek over the abbey’s walls and long to be among the faithful nuns in the garden there, women giving their all in service to God. And in time, she became a postulant in their ranks.
But a nun’s life is regimented and structured; they follow a strict schedule of prayer, mass, work and meals. And though Maria is no shirker of work, she far prefers absconding from the abbey for time to muse in the beautiful hillsides. She dances there and sings of the glory around her.
And that, frankly, doesn’t sit well with her fellow nuns.
So, the Reverend Mother gently lets Maria know that her skills and loving spirit might be perfect for a nearby family with a short-term need. A naval officer, Capt. Georg von Trapp, desperately needs help with his seven (yes, seven)young children. Since his wife passed away, the poor man hasn’t been able to keep a governess employed—they’ve gone through 12 already.
Maria has no experience with such things. But if the Reverend Mother believes it’s God’s will, she will do her best.
Upon arriving at the massive, intimidating manor, however, it quickly becomes clear that it’s not just the children who have sent the previous nannies running for the hills. It seems the captain is a man of strict military habits. He commands his young marching charges about like miniature soldiers. And he makes it clear that he will settle for nothing less than a rigorous regimen of education and hard work.
However, being something of a regimen-rebel herself, Maria soon bonds with the kids and determines to teach them to be children first. Along with their studies, she shows them the joys of playing, dancing, singing and experiencing the wonder of God’s handiwork.
This, of course, raises the ire of Capt. von Trapp. And when he returns from Vienna with his romantic interest, Baroness Schroeder, he’s ready to send Maria packing. But then the children welcome the captain’s beautiful guest with a song. It’s a lovely tune.
It’s also the first music to grace the manor’s halls since the death of the captain’s wife. And it plucks a chord within him that he hadn’t realized he so desperately missed.
Maria’s carefree, joyous heart has indeed followed God’s will. And she’s helped begin the process of transforming the captain’s large, lonely house … into a home.
Maria laughs, plays and teaches the children joyously—even when they play tricks on her. And they in turn respond by loving her back without reserve. Gradually, even the stern Capt. von Trapp is touched by the changes he can’t help but notice in his home, and he begins to soften and become more tender himself. Maria encourages him to love his children more openly.
When the Nazi forces demand the captain’s service, he is willing to give up his freedom if it means that his family can go free. And the nuns of the abbey are also willing to put themselves in harm’s way to protect the von Trapp family.
Maria sings on a hillside about all the glorious beauty around her. And she repeatedly declares her desire to follow God’s will. When that will appears to take her in a difficult direction, she declares that she will show confidence in herself and follow His guidance. She also subtly nudges the von Trapp family to think of God and his creations. She asks them to pray before their meal.
In those ways, Maria embodies a person who is very well aware of and appreciative of all that God has blessed the world with. She truly wants to serve Him, even though she isn’t really nun material. And so, she funnels all that love and godliness into whatever job she takes on.
When meeting Capt. von Trapp for the first time, Maria tells him that when novice nuns first enter the abbey, they give all their worldly attire to the poor. He asks about the rather plain frock she’s wearing, and she replies, “The poor didn’t want it.”
Later, when faced with the suggestion that her loving actions may actually hurt a person she cares for and run counter to God’s desires, she willingly walks away from a situation. Though sad, she then secludes herself away in prayer. Ultimately, Maria’s prayers are answered.
The abbey’s Reverend Mother repeatedly encourages Maria to follow God’s will and to seek out where He wants her to be. And even though Maria isn’t the most disciplined novice nun she’s ever worked with, it’s obvious that the Mother Abbess admires the loving spirit that God has given this young woman. When Maria fears that her feelings for someone may interfere with her desire to serve God, the Reverend Mother assures her with, “My daughter, if you love this man, it doesn’t mean that you love God less.”
When other nuns grumble over Maria’s contradictory actions in the Abbey, they sing, “She’s a darling, she’s a demon, she’s a lamb.” When Maria and the von Trapps are heading off into dangerous places, the Reverend Mother encourages her to look to God and realize that she’ll never be alone. She quotes the opening verse of Psalm 121: “I lift mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help”
We hear two different choirs singing “Alleluia.”
The oldest von Trapp sibling, Liesl, has a crush on a young, local delivery boy named Rolfe. They attest to their feelings and kiss. But later, the movie uses that moment and other choices to illustrate to Liesl that she didn’t know Rolfe as well as she thought. In that, the story declares that love requires so much more than a handsome face and excited feelings.
Capt. von Trapp’s romantic relationships illustrate that fact as well. He and Maria dance and eventually kiss. Their love story is earnest, sweet and innocent. During a puppet show and song, a male and female goat are “married” and then a young goat child appears, making the couple a trio.
[Spoiler Warning] Capt. von Trapp and Maria eventually profess their love for each other, and we see them marry. The kids all call Maria “mother” after the wedding. Maria also wisely guides Liesl’s thoughts in matters of love.
During the German Anschluss, Nazi troops march in to take control of Austria. They threaten Capt. von Trapp and his family. And in a tense sequence of scenes, Maria and the von Trapps flee and hide from the Nazi enforcers. The soldiers track them to their hiding place behind large gravestones. Eventually, the captain is discovered and held at gunpoint.
During a violent lightning storm, Maria comforts the frightened kids.
None.
A party/dance at the manor showcases guests drinking glasses of wine and champagne. We see adults drinking wine and beer in other settings as well. (The baroness and another guest named Max repeatedly sip alcoholic drinks.) And Capt. von Trapp talks of people in Vienna “soaking” themselves in champagne. Liesl asks to have her first sip of champagne, but her father says no.
When Maria first arrives at the von Trapp manor, the children haze her by putting a frog in her pocket and a pinecone in her chair. But she takes it all in stride and pushes back with a joyful and contagious attitude. (In fact, her positive approach even makes some of the younger children weep guiltily over their mean choices.) And when Maria asks the children why they played awful tricks on the nannies, one replies: “How else can we get father’s attention.”
The Sound of Music returns to theaters again for its 60th anniversary rerelease. Despite its wonderful reputation, some have accused it of being altogether too cloyingly sweet for modern sensibilities. In fact, it’s been reported that director Robert Wise also thought the story was rather saccharine before finally agreeing to take on the musical project.
However, if we take the time to slow down and ease into this Academy Award winner’s simple story, beautiful cinematography and incredibly memorable music, we suddenly realize that it’s the kind of sweetness our hearts long for.
The movie brilliantly balances its various cinematic and musical elements: Every one of the Rodgers and Hammerstein-penned tunes is a joyously uplifting winner. The character development, charming humor and story transitions are all perfectly pitched.
Oh, and on top of all that, star Julie Andrews is delightful in her role. In fact, she so flawlessly captures the godly and kind-hearted character of Maria that the actress spent a good part of her latter career trying to prove that she wasn’t quite as nice as the public was convinced she was.
As far as the negative content side of things goes, there’s very little here to make note of, even for the youngest in the crowd. We witness a few youthful fibs and acts of disobedience. But even those small misbehaviors still illustrate good and bad choices. There’s also some romance and kissing in the mix. But in both instances, the romantic interactions demonstrate that there’s a healthy and not-so-healthy approach to that natural occurrence.
Some may be concerned about the dark cloud of Nazism hovering over the film’s late 1930s setting. But it’s handled deftly. And the movie uses the German regime’s evils to laud the love of God and family while making subtle but poignant statements about the world’s encroaching evil.
All in all, this is a film worth seeing, even if you know it well. I’d even say it’s … one of my favorite things.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
