Strong on songs and location and charm; weak on passion!

Rating: 7/10 (3 December 2004)

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!