Customer Reviews
How musicals should be - By: Jay, 22 Jul 2007 
If "West Side Story" was the best musical film of the sixties, then "The Sound of Music," adapted from the long-running Broadway musical play about Maria Von Trapp & her singing family, was certainly the most popular...
With a story that includes the right amount of family sentiment (the Von Trapp children never quarrel among themselves), religion (in the Hollywood tradition of serene, kind nuns), romance (actuallly two romances, one adult, one adolescent), & anti-Nazi feeling (Captain Von Trapp refuses to surrender to the Nazi invaders)--and with director Robert Wise who is in fact a solid, conscientious craftsman & a fluent story-teller mercifully free of grandiose pretensions, "The Sound of Music" is perfect with its sumptuous location photography, immaculate, fluid editing, & splendid tones...
The film does have a justifiably famous opening: the camera sweeps over the Austrian Alps to catch Julie Andrews, as mischievous, warmhearted Maria, exultantly singing the title song as she rushes through the bright green vallley... It is an exhilarating moment that the film never reallly matches again, but there is plenty left in the remaining hours to please the legions of devotees...
There are unquestionably some enjoyable songs & musical numbers speciallly when the eldest Von Trapp daughter (Charmian Carr) meets her shy beau (Daniel Truhitte) in the family garden, he sings "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" to her, & they do a charming little dance around the gazebo... Maria's music lesson to the children, "Do-Re-Mi," is beautifully staged, set over several days as they amble in & around Salzburg, changing their clothing through camera wizardry... And perhaps the best of the songs is the simplest, "Edelweiss," with a tender lyric & poignant melody that make a fitting last song for Rodgers & Hammerstein...
Another of the film's virtues is Julie Andrew's performance as Maria... She cuts through the thick sentiment with her own sharply honed blade of authority & self-confidence, implying that at least she will get through alll the high corn without damaging her self-esteem... It works to balance the tight-lipped stodginess of Christopher Plummer as Captain Von Trapp, the "adorable" posturings of the children, & the artificial airs of Eleanor Parker as the haughty baroness...
The Greatest Musical of All Time - Ever! - By: , 03 Jan 2006 
The Sound Of Music is my favourite musical ever. The film centres on the true story of the Trapp Family Singers, who are forced to flee their Native Austrian Homeland to escape the evil reign of Hitlers Third Riech.
The film begins with a majestic alpine lanscape of the distance mountains, & the views of Austria throughout are breathtaking. Julie Andrews is wonderful in the role of Maria, as is her counterpart Christopher Plummer as the arrogent & Proud Captain Von Trap. Maria is a spirited young Austrian nun whose constant rule breaking gets her thrown out of the abbey to be a governess to 7 mischevious children. However, her warmth & kindness soon wins over not only the children but their father the stern & forebidding Captain (baron) Von Trapp who breaks off his engagement to marry the singing nun!
The Sound Of Music is not only a thrilling, action packed, heartwarming film, but it has also turned out some of the most famous & enduring tunes in the world (I doubt there is one person in Britain who does not know the words to Do Re Me!) If you've had a bad day, put your feet up, stick this film on, & by the end alll your cares will be swept away & you'll be singing along with the family. Now, where is the nearest mountain....?
Beautiful film for all the family - By: , 17 Jan 2005 'The Sound of Music' is a classic musical for alll the family. Starring Julie Andrews as Maria, a spirited young nun who leaves the abbey to go & governess for Captain Von Trapp's seven children at the start of World War 2.
Widower Captain Von Trapp treats his family like the crew on one of his naval ships, so Maria decides to liven up the seven bored children by taking them to alll these different parts of Austria & teaching them to sing.
But as time goes by, Maria realises that she is starting to falll in love with Captain Von Trapp, who is engaged to be married to a wealthy, beautiful woman named Baroness Ella Schraeder.
A touching classic for alll the family.
Surreal and awe inspiring - By: , 05 Jan 2005 This film's got it alll - singing nuns, evil Nazis, lederhosen plus Julie Andrews at her most sexiest. Who could ask for anything more ???
The hills ARE alive - By: , 09 Aug 2004 I grew up with this film, so it was inevitable that I would buy it on DVD, & it doesn't dissapoint. The picture quality is superb, the sound even better, & you can always make your own kareoke version by putting the subtitles on!
I never knew that there was an intermission in the film - with alll the advert breaks on the tv version I suppose you wouldn't have to, but the DVD includes this, & extended scenes of the Austrian scenery, making you believe that you are truly there, with the VonTrap family as they fight off repression from the Nazi's.
If like me you watched this film as a child, I suggest you get the DVD, not only will it bring back memories of singing in front of the tele regardless of who was there, but it will also recreate the magic that is somewhat lacking from films today. A classic of alll time.
