The Croatian city of Zadar has a long and rich history, but when asked about the most famous people who were born or lived there, few would mention Captain Georg von Trapp (1880–1947), despite his importance for the history of popular culture in the 20th century. Initially, he earned his place in history books due to his service in the Austro-Hungarian Navy during World War I, where he excelled as a top submarine ace. It was during his post-war civilian life, when he lived on an estate near Salzburg, that he—with the help of the children’s governess and future wife Maria Kutschera—discovered the musical talent that would make the von Trapps a singing sensation in 1930s Europe. Their career was brutally cut short by Hitler's annexation of Austria. Von Trapp, a passionate anti-Nazi, was forced to leave his homeland, and his family continued their career in America.
After her husband's death, Maria von Trapp wrote a book about their adventures, which became a bestseller, was adapted into a popular West German film, The Trapp Family, in 1956, and most importantly, into the iconic 1959 Broadway musical The Sound of Music, written by the legendary team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Like many ultra-popular Broadway musicals, this one was also adapted for the big screen, but few could have predicted that the 1965 film would become the most popular and the most successful musical film of all time.
The plot is set in 1938 in Salzburg. It begins with Maria (played by Julie Andrews), a free-spirited young woman who is studying to become a Catholic nun at Nonnberg Abbey. The Mother Superior (played by Peggy Wood) thinks that her character would be better suited if she were to work as a governess for the seven children of Captain von Trapp (played by Christopher Plummer), a widowed former officer of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Maria quickly wins over the children, discovers their musical talent and, ultimately, wins the Captain’s heart and marries him. Their bliss is, however, short-lived due to the Nazi takeover, which forces the family to take a dangerous trek over the border.
The Sound of Music almost immediately entered the history books through its unprecedented commercial success, reflected in dethroning Gone with the Wind as Hollywood’s most popular film after a quarter of a century, and holding that record for a decade, until George Lucas’s original Star Wars. The film's triumph, which is also reflected in its numerous Oscars, can be explained in many ways. Robert Wise, who won an Oscar for his direction, was one of the most talented filmmakers of his generation, just like screenwriter Carl Lehman, who skilfully resolved the problems of adapting the stage play. The film represents a compromise between the glamour and glitz of Classic Hollywood and emerging trends of New Hollywood, which drew the best from both worlds—spectacular scenes from Hollywood studios were seamlessly integrated into scenes shot on authentic and charming Austrian alpine locations. The iconic “Do-Re-Mi” sequence, in which Maria teaches the children the basics of music, is a prime example, with Wise's dynamic camerawork and William Reynolds's seamless editing creating a joyous, kinetic sequence that perfectly encapsulates the film's spirit. The technical aspects of the film are equally impressive, with Ted McCord's lush cinematography, Dorothy Jeakins's impeccable costume design, and Irwin Kostal's masterful musical arrangements all contributing to the film's overall sense of grandeur.
The film's musical numbers, directed by Wise using an innovative approach that could be called a precursor to modern music videos, work well, among other things, due to the immense vocal and acting talent of Julie Andrews, who played Maria von Trapp and for whom this role is the most famous in a long and illustrious career, but also responsible for the stereotype of the saccharine heroine she has been plagued by ever since. She easily overshadows Christopher Plummer, who famously disliked the film, calling it “The Sound of Mucus”, but who nevertheless delivers a strong performance and has chemistry with Andrews.
The Sound of Music has, despite a few but fierce criticisms claiming that the film is an escapist fairy tale, managed to remain one of the most beloved films of all time. Even those who generally do not like Hollywood musicals should watch the film, at least to see who the citizens of Zadar should consider to be among their favourite sons.
RATING: 9/10 (++++)
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We are in 1938, just before the start of World War II. Maria (Julie Andrews), a probationary nun in a catholic monastery, has problems with some other conservative nuns because of her free spirit. Mother abbess, in order to calm the spirits, sends Maria as a nanny to the von Trapp family.
