Earns every Oscar

Rating: 10/10 (1 January 2016)

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."