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1965's "The Sound of Music" is everything a bad musical should be. Providing more sap than a forest full of Vermont maples, it has coy, silly songs, an inane, innocuous script, and unbelievably sugary characters. So why is it one of my favorite musicals? OK, go ahead. Shoot me at twenty paces. But after all this time, it still remains a guilty pleasure. I find myself going for a tub of rocky road ice cream and Rodgers & Hammerstein's immortal classic whenever the real world gets to be too much. I seem to play it a lot around tax time.

And I'm not alone. Why is it still considered the most popular musical of all time? Well, first of all they spared no expense. The extremely well-produced blockbuster has gorgeous, eye-popping scenery. From the first moment Julie Andrews flails her arms and circles around on that beautiful sunny hillside singing the rousing title song, I know I'm being swept away to another world. I'm not in Kansas anymore...or L.A., anyway. The panoramic Salzburg background complements and never intimidates or takes away from the characters or their story (like the other R & H extravaganza "South Pacific.") That in itself is an incredible feat.

Now about those songs. Almost every one of them is absolute drivel. So what makes them work? Easy. The utter joy and sincerity of the cast who sings the infectious, hummable tunes, which are backed by extremely moving orchestrations and an exceptionally beautiful score. It's hard to resist Maria prancing about, pillow-fighting with a bunch of knee-highs and gushing about her most favorite things. Or the austere Captain Von Trapp (the meticulous Christopher Plummer) turning to butter after hearing his brood sing in perfect harmony for the first time (with no prior lessons even) and joining right in. Or the Mother Superior's soaring number that unknowingly forewarns Maria to head for the hills (I mean, mountains) before the Nazis escort them elsewhere. Or the 16-year-old going on 17 squealing with delight after receiving her first kiss. Or the kids working up a clever little ditty to leave their formal party guests when its time for bed. Or two people declaring their love in a moonlit gazebo. The songs work because they come straight from and aim for the heart, not the head, which is exactly the place the viewer should be coming from when watching this movie. If the songs don't transcend the script (which they didn't prior to the 70s), they certainly transcend the mood.

The script is undeniably trite and probably the film's weakest link. But again, the characters play it straight all the way. Not one actor looks embarrassed. Every scene is done with total enthusiasm and total commitment, and the performers who are telling the story are pitch-perfect and picture perfect.

And as for the characters. Try and think of anybody better than jubilant, crop-haired Julie Andrews as a postulant nun who has gorgeous pipes, can make play clothes out of curtains, can set up and operate marionette shows at the drop of a hat, and is confident enough to convince a man that a failed nun is ideal marriage material. I certainly can't. Thank heavens for her Oscar-winning "Mary Poppins" the year before or we might have gotten Julie LONDON instead! After all, Andrews did lose out on "My Fair Lady" the year before. But now certifiably bankable, she proved she could handle this dream role. Andrews is cutely silly, cutely stubborn, cutely astute, cutely shattered and cutely...well, cute. She gives the most wholesomely appealing musical perf since Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz." To actually make you forget Mary Martin in the Broadway role takes some doing and she does it effortlessly. Christopher Plummer is all seriousness, handsomely patrician, and quite a catch for anybody...much less a nun. I can't think of anyone more suitable for this role either. As for the Seven Little Foys, I mean the Von Trapp children, they are adorable and perfect in their own ways too, whether they are marching or singing, creating their own individual personalities by film's end.

Richard Haydn as Max and Eleanor Parker as the flamboyant, haughty Baroness provide wonderful catty relief. Despite having their musical numbers snatched away from them, they make up for it with droll, sophisticated humor. The elegant, perfectly coiffed Parker is particularly delicious as Maria's chief romantic rival, getting some of the film's best zingers and delivering them with biting understatement. Parker developed a devout cult following after this role. Peggy Wood's Mother Superior is suitably reverent and inspiring.

For those who tear "The Sound of Music" apart for its shameless, sugar-coated manipulations, well, I can respect that. But to attack it for its political and historical inaccuracies is like attacking "Peter Pan" for being a subversive plot that encourages young children to run away from home. It's ludicrous. Despite the fact that it's based on a true story, we're not watching "The Sound of Music" for stark realism. Like a sparkling and lavish Ernst Lubitsch operetta, we want a feel-good movie, with feel-good songs, with a feel-good story, and a feel-good ending. Nothing more. If you want a movie that presents a potent depiction of pre-war Austria or anti-Nazi sentiment, rent "Holocaust" or "Schindler's List." Here, we want to believe that a group of nuns can tear out an automobile carburetor and save the world! Period.

I suppose the reality-based MTV generation cannot truly respect or relate to the relative innocence and pure escapism like "The Sound of Music." If this movie was made today I'm afraid the Von Trapp children would not be dangling out of trees for fear of drive-by shooters. It's a tough new world today, sad to say. The 50s and 60s are looking better all the time.

Anyway, for what it's worth, "The Sound of Music" is indeed schmaltz, but its QUALITY schmaltz at its very, very best.

Let me confess I'm not a Catholic, I don't have children, I can't stand schmaltz and yet I love The Sound Of Music. I've tried to explain this to myself, let alone to others, without ever finding a satisfactory answer. Yesterday I sat to see it again with a group of kids who hadn't seen it before. They all loved it even the ones who loved Transporters. I asked them afterwards why did they loved it so much and a 12 year old boy's reply was: "It makes you feel alive" Wow, I thought, Wow! Of course, that's what I felt too and a 12 year old found the perfect words to express my feelings. Julie Andrews is a the center of this little miracle. She is Sister Maria and her wishes, thoughts and fears are recognizable automatically, because they are, in many ways, my same wishes, thoughts and fears. Perfect. Thank you.

The Sound of Music (1965) is an all time classic family musical that has always been one of my favorites. Ever since I was child, I would watch this movie and just love every minute of it. This movie really was destined for greatness from the beginning, anyone at all could have seen that. Between the A list cast, great performances, top notch singing, and the enchanting story.... there's no wonder people still love it to death. Julie Andrews stars as Maria, who is a nun, but not a very good one, and she gets sent to be a governess to the Von Trapp family. The Von Trapp family is a very well to do family in Austria. The father is a former captain and the mother died some time ago. Christopher Plummer plays captain Von Trapp, and he does a great job. Every member of the cast does a great job with their performances, both singing and non. The singing alone in this film is just astounding, every single musical number is just as good, if not better than the previous one. If you do not care for musicals, then I wouldn't really suggest this movie to you. It really is a lot of singing, but it is great singing by talented artists, which is really why it will forever have a place in classic great cinema. 10/10 for The Sound of Music. Enchanting story with lovely entertaining music.

While many people agree that the Sound of Music is one of the best films of all time, some are at a loss to adequately explain why; they buckle under and admit that there are parts that are syrupy, etc. Well, I'll tell you why it's the best movie ever (and I DON'T agree that it's too syrupy). It simply has everything one could want in a movie. First of all, it has a REAL romance - one where you can watch the characters slowly fall in love. It's not like today's movies where two characters meet and the next scene is them waking up together. Secondly, it has humor. Not syrupy or corny humor, but very wry, dry tongue-in-cheek humor. For evidence, look at the quotes. Baronness Schraeder is especially well-done in this regard. Her comments simply drip with ice. "Good bye, Maria. I'm sure you'll make a fine nun." You want to smack her. Thirdly, it's got adventure. The Nazis are the ultimate villains in any movie - WWII was as clear a case of good vs. evil as you can find, making it great fodder for films - and so it's great to see Maria, the Captain and the kids outwit them. Fourthly, it's got great music. Fifthy, it's got great scenery. And the plot and dialogue are astounding. I find new things to admire each time I watch. Finally, is there a greater scene in any movie than the nuns revealing the stolen Nazi car parts??? "The Sound of Music" does not just succeed because it cheers people up with syrup or song. It succeeds because it is a wonderfully-constructed, wonderfully-written, wonderfully-acted, brilliant movie. For me, no other movie can compare. Not to be obsessed with it or anything. :)

Personally I'm not so crazy about musicals but this one I actually enjoyed. I thought that all the singing and dancing stuff is really carefully placed so it never took me out from the story, instead it did the opposite.

It's about a troublemaker nun who becomes a governess for seven children and accidentally falls in love with their super rich widowed father.

Song and dance is definitely not my thing. However I've seen this movie dozens and dozens of times overs the years. It never gets old... if you have never seen it it's well worth your time. They just don't make them like this anymore. Rent it or buy it, a true classic that is perfect from start to finish...

A movie made in a time when directors like Robert Wise who knew how to craft a musical were still around. Suffers terribly when viewed on a small screen since the brilliant cinematography is such an integral factor of the movie. Get the newer THX widescreen video version and you will see a glimpse of what the film would be like on a big screen. The movie still holds up well to nineties standards but may be a little sugary for hardened modern moviegoers, used to a diet of violence and profanity. Wise manages to make Julie Andrews look both virginal and alluring at the same time, which is essential for the plot to work. It is hard to imagine the movie with any other actress than Andrews playing Maria's part. Some may criticize Roger and Hammerstein as not being in the same league as other noted movie composers, but here the combination of composers/director/actors all comes together in a way seldom matched.

The Sound of Music has been, and probably always will be, one of my favorite films. While the historical discrepancies throughout the film are noticeable, and it does not correctly portray aspects of Austria during the time - that cannot be held accountable in the movie, because that is in fact what it is. A fictional movie based off of a Broadway musical. One cannot help but love the amiable and family-oriented film. Julie Andrews has a wonderful voice, and portrays the role of Maria as the optimistic nun who become nanny and then mother to the Von Trapp family well. Plummer, is not particularly my favorite character but he also portrays the captain in a decent manner.

Wise is a experienced director and his experience is seen through the popularity and wonderful clips and action of the film. The songs of the movie are playful and fun to sing along with, and easily get stuck in your head. Overall I like the film and would definitely consider it well deserving of all is Awards and nominations.

A good film but beware it's loaded with a very heavy dose of syrup. The characters are plastic and somewhat on the non-believable side. The scenery is perhaps the best part of the film. Based on a true story it wavers much from the actual true tale of the Von Trapp family. Yet to be a musical it would have to.

Has Julie Andrews ever appeared on film more beautifully than in this film? Has she ever sung with such richness and gusto as is captured here? As a big fan of hers, I can watch this musical over and over and just sigh.

Wise and his cinematographer have photographed Andrews in a manner that no other director has--even her husband. Watch the scene where Maria watches the Captain sing Edelweiss with the kids. Wise turns her into a gauzy angel. It is a fantastic moment among hundreds that this movie contains.

I am firmly in a camp that says Julie Andrews was completely, utterly, and regrettably robbed when the 1965 Oscars were handed out. She embodied Maria Von Trapp, wholly and with every fiber of her being (just watch the scene in which she races the boys in a segment of "Do-Re-Mi"; she runs at the camera with utter abandon here, no holding back. Or consider the shot at the end of this song, where she places her hand atop her head--it's as if even SHE can't believe she's hitting that note).

The Julie Christie performance that beat Andrews is now all but forgotton. "The Sound of Music," however, lives on and on.

"The Sound of Music" is a bit bittersweet for me, given that audiences tastes would soon turn away from big-budget musicals in general and Julie Andrews specifically. But what a legacy it (and she) have left!

Not many films can achieve the flat out beauty that you see in The Sound of Music. The mesmerizing European landscapes and Julie Andrews' voice, not to mention the cute performances by the children, especially in their goodbye song, make this film not only the best musical of all time, but one of the best films of all time.

Yes, I did say best musical. Singin in the rain is sewer water compared to this. Not that Singin is a bad musical, but not as good. The Wizard of Oz is learning how to make fire, The Sound of music is inventing the Flying car.

This film is timeless, beautiful, inspiring, and uplifting, but I would advise that anyone who watches this would be mature enough, for anyone under the age of 15 will brush this movie aside, saying it is lame so as to maintain their level of coolness. I saw this happen when I asked my little sisters to watch it with me. They rolled their eyes and said the movie was terrible and boring. If only they understood. You have to have an open mind, and forget everything every little kid has said negative about this film. I never wanted to watch this, but some fellow high school seniors RECOMMENDED it to me. Obviously they had open minds, and they didn't care if they looked cool or not. Please watch this movie. It will make you happy, and it is so beautiful, you will almost cry. I had never really liked musicals, and perhaps I still do not overly enjoy them, but this film in all its beauty cut right through that barrier and took me with it to heaven, which is where it should belong, not on this horrible place where people condemn a musical film for being almost three hours.

To simply conclude, you will never see a more heart-stopping beautiful movie in your life.

This has to be the greatest musical of all time. An amazing musical score and stunning choreography, no home should be without a copy of this timeless classic.

This musical is known by everybody and is suitable for all ages. A Happy family film with no sex, violence or bad language. The young actors playing the roles of the von Trapp children are amazing and Andrews gives a performance to be remembered for a lifetime as Maria, a young Nun who becomes a cheerful governess.

This is definately a family movie to be watched together on a Sunday Afternoon!!

The Sound of Music (1965)

For all the liberties made to historical accuracy, I think it goes without saying, a movie is being made, and without certain poetic license, the bird of genius cannot fly, so leeway must be given... and in so doing here, a truly important and beautiful result is made.

Captain Von Trapp's (Christopher Plummer) stone intensity as a disciplinarian who has forgotten how to love, who has lost his inner music after the death of his wife, is softened and freed through the inspiring lightness of Maria's (Julie Andrews) enchanting entrance into he and his seven children's life as the house's new Governess...

While the leads balance each other, the sweetness of the music is equally balanced by the sobriety of the situation in which they find themselves, during the Nazi occupation of Austria.

What intrigues me is that in the song "16 Going on 17" the young boy Rolf who appears to be in love with Leisl warns her of being seduced by men, but in the end it is he who is seduced, by the Nazis... and it is so often the case in life that while teaching others we grow cocky and forget that we too are still students, and capable of falling prey to our own folly...

We also must understand though, even as the Von Trapp family escapes over the Alps to Freedom (the truth is they fled by train during the day to Italy), that those who helped them may not get off so lightly even though it is unshown in the film... the nuns who would obviously be recognized as having helped them by removing the car's carburetor, the man at the festival would likely be found complicit in helping them escape, and I mention them because it is impossible not to think of those who gave their lives to help so many escape the Nazis tyranny, and now it is our turn to help new refugees escape tyranny... the more that things change, the more they stay the same...

I am an emotional person, and connecting emotionally with characters does help enjoyment, but also confirms bias and dilutes objectivity for sure... but ultimately, I believe The Sound of Music earns all five of its Oscars.

The Amazon film ends with a one-hour behind the scenes look into the film and the Von Trapp family hosted by Julie Andrews. A perfect way to end the film.

And like Maria, like Julie Andrews, my life is truly eased through singing my music, so perhaps as a singer, as a Jew, I relate quite intimately with the story.

And it is true as is sung in the movie, and I leave you with that idea now...

"My heart will be blessed with the sound of music. And I'll sing once more."

That 'The Sound of Music' (SOM) is a greatly changed version of the true story of the Trapp Family Singers doesn't really matter much. It does not claim to be an accurate documentary – what it is is one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's (R&H) finest musicals and like most of their work it has more to it than just the songs. From Oklahoma onwards R&H created a series of musical plays all of which had semi-hidden dark undercurrents. So whilst SOM is at times rather over sweet there is enough substance to the story to make it rather more than a good couple of hours of jolly escapism. Robert Wise's film version moves at a cracking pace until the rather long drawn out denouement after the Salzburg concert. The Nazis search for the family in the Abbey just goes on and on!

SOM is a love story and some may find that the falling in love of the Captain and Maria really does not fire particularly well. I realize that this is a family movie (and one made in 1965) so we cannot expect too much overt passion – but neither Julie Andrews nor Christopher Plummer really convinces as a character suddenly consumed with romantic fervour! Their eventual embrace seems improbable and rather stagy. You certainly don't get the feeling that they are in a rush to rip one another's clothes off! Far sexier is the superb Eleanor Parker who not only looks fantastic as the Baroness but manages to convey a much earthier attraction for the Captain. Similarly Charmain Carr as Lisl ('Sixteen going on Seventeen') is actually very adult and appealing in her feelings for the telegram boy Rolf. Ms Carr was in fact twenty-two going on twenty-three when she performed the role and you fell that she could give some tips to Maria rather than the other way around!

So although SOM is an unconvincing love story that does not seriously diminish its appeal as a movie. Julie Andrews is superb as the children's friend and the release from the straightjacket that she engineers for them is convincing. When she stands up to the Captain early on you feel that this is driven by a very genuine and almost innocent determination to set them free. There is no self-interest at play here - she does it because she thinks that it is right. Ms Andrews made SOM the year after Mary Poppins and frankly she continues the Mary Poppins character into Maria. Hence her performance works as the eccentric governess where it certainly does not as a portrayal of a young woman in love.

You will want to see SOM because of the wonderful music and lyrics, the marvelous scenery in the location shots around Salzburg and the collective performance of the cast. The Oscars got it about right. Best picture, best direction, best editing, best music and best sound. But there were no actors Oscar's (although Julie Andrews and Peggy Wood were nominated) and, in truth, none of the individual performances is particularly worthy of much more than a special mention. No disrespect to Ms Andrews or Mr Plummer but the roles did really call for a bit more than they were able to give if we were to be convinced of the love that was supposed to be developing between them!

Watching my Mother dancing and singing to the songs of "The Sound of Music" at the age of five was incredibly disturbing. It was seven years before anyone was able to sit me down in front of the T.V to the musical during the annual telecast in Sydney. Almost to my horror, I was falling in love with the musical. More than two years later, not a single movie has been able to pass it in my favourite movies stakes.

I have made judgemental mistakes with great movies. Greats like "Casablanca", "The African Queen" and "The Wizard of Oz" have originally also been frowned upon.

"The Sound of Music" expanded my horizons on the movie world. I eventually went on to view non-musical classics as a result of this single movie, and now old classic movies have become a genuine passion.

Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote their greatest work in the form of their last musical, despite the fact it was "Carousel" that was their favourite. Although the changes made from the original stage production have now been evident in the arrival of the excellent musical currently playing in Sydney, much have been for the better. Throughout their career, the duo created immortal musicals, but in story, song and film, "The Sound of Music" surpasses "The King and I", "Oklahoma!", "Carousel" and "South Pacific" in all aspects.

We all know the story. We know of at least one of the immortal songs from the musical, "The Sound of Music", "My Favourite Things", "Do-Re-Mi" or "Edelweiss". Julie Andrews was believable and unforgettable as the sweet, outspoken novice nun turned governess, who should have taken out the oscar that year. Christopher Plummer was dashing as the Captain, and the supporting cast was one of the best I have ever seen. Fond memories have been remembered from some of the unforgettable sequences of this film that deservedly made it the best picture of 1965.

Yes, there are sugary elements in the movie that cannot be denied. But this movie has never been reliant upon sex, violence or drugs to make it one of the best things to come out of Hollywood. It can be appreciated truly for what it is, pure art, talent and spirit. It is not a real perception of the world nowadays, but for all the joy it brings, who cares?

It was the last movie I expected to love as a fourteen year old. It was also the first movie I watched in seven years that could manage to make me shed tears, and view it in loving admiration which cannot be equalled.

"Singin' In the Rain" is the only other contender to the title of "The greatest movie ever made". Whatever its flaws, "The Sound of Music" is one of the worlds best loved treasures which keeps bringing generations of viewers to its attention.

Rating: 10/10

She runs, she sings, she prances! Julie Andrews is back as another nanny (or, governess) to rambunctious children (this time 7), but her magical powers are confined to a guitar and a lilting soprano. The romance between she and Christopher Plummer doesn't work because his haughty decadence seems more in tune with Eleanor Parker's ice-poison beauty than with Andrews' overeager tomboy. Cast as Maria, a novice hired away from the convent, Julie isn't always the jovial Mary Poppins here; she's rather stern and overly precise, and when she returns as Plummer's wife, there's an awkward chasm between she and the family, as if they're asking, "Who is this new person?" The songs are fine, and the kids aren't offensive, but I can see why some refer to this as "The Sound of Mucus". It's ladled with indifference. *** from ****

"The Happiest sound in all the world"? Quite possibly and easily the most famous musical film in Hollywood history. Most of us grown-ups still love it but at the same time we're also tired of seeing it over and over again (maybe that's why it's not rerun on NBC every single year anymore). Julie Andrews takes her MARY POPPINS success and adds even more to it with her delightful rendition of the role that Mary Martin originated on the Broadway stage in 1959 and ran even farther with it than Martin ever could. In my opinion, and I don't think I'm alone here, Martin was too old for the part (she was in her mid to late 40s in the stage version and Andrews was 30 when the transition came to film came around--a perfect age). As for the rest of the cast, it is just as talented: Christopher Plummer in the role he will be forever remembered for (even though he hated the part) is an achingly true Cap. Von Trapp with those "hidden talents" making subtle appearances throughout the film until blatantly bursting out into the open in the film's closing scenes; Richard Haydn makes for a comical and yet sincere "Uncle" Max, Peggy Wood is a starchy yet compassionate Reverand Mother and Charmian Carr as Liesl stands out as our perrenial favorite of the seven children. The locales are breathtaking as well (esp. the opening scenes which is probably the most beautiful aerial shot in all of film history and the cunning floral designs of the public Austrian gardens during the DO-RE-MI sequence). So let's all keep watching this most cherished of all musical films each year and never forget it's universal sentiment: to 'climb ev'ry mountain, ford ev'ry stream, follow ev'ry rainbow till you find your dream'.