"The Sound of Music" is an impressive musical that stands above other films of the genre because of interesting characters,top-notch direction,and a truly inspired screenplay.Julie Andrews (Oscar-nominated) stars as the young nun who leaves the convent to become the governess to a large family.She is instantly at odds with the children's father (Christopher Plummer),but they soon fall in love and get married.However,evil forces lurk overhead as the Nazis invade their homeland of Austria.Somewhat based on a true story,"The Sound of Music" is one of those rare musicals that works because there is a sense of fear and drama in the film's final act.This makes the film believable and none of the musical numbers take away from the story or the film's direction.
The story in the film is an adaptation of the real life story of Maria and the rest of the Van Trapp Family,who became a quite popular singing group in the '40s and '50s.Their tale of meeting and marrying,of facing Nazi aggression during the Anschluss or annexation of Austria by Hitler's Third Reich,was first published as an autobiography,then adapted by Rodgers and Hammerstein for a successful Broadway musical,and ultimately turned into the feature film.In the beginning Maria was applying to become a nun,but her irrepressible nature and predilection to burst into song at a moments notice made her Mother Abess decide perhaps she should try being a governess,and find out more about herself first.She is placed in charge of the seven Von Trapp children,whose mother has died and are being kept under some military boot camp existence by their father,who is a retired naval officer.The joyful Maria quickly changes things and brings music into the house and hearts of the children,and bringing life and love into the home.This is all under the umbrella of impending Nazi occupation,which is vocally and publicly opposed by Captain Von Trapp,played by Christopher Plummer.