Background story more compelling than the musical comedy

Rating: 10/10 (14 September 2006)

Sound of Music is an almost universal favorite, even with he-men or liberal sophisticates who "don't like musicals." I'm not wild about musicals either, especially since popular culture began a whispering campaign that said all guys who like musicals are gay. The splashy, funny story about a postulate Catholic nun who leaves her convent for a trial-run at being a regular adult, and then finds love with a suitable leading man who happens to have 8 very talented children is a good adaptation of boy meets girl, and there's lots of hilarious lines and situations to carry a lesser story to box-office success. What really makes this movie compelling is the background drama showing a definite conflict between good and evil. The anti-nazi stand that Capt. Von Trapp takes against the forces arrayed against Christian decency in 1930's Europe is both admirable and dangerous. The Capt. has lots to lose: he's very rich, socially prominent and he's courting a sexy Countess who's wealthy too. His friends council to be politically-correct, go with the flow and just bend a little to the new National Socialist overlords who've just seized control of his country; "compromise and be wise." Von Trapp is outraged that his inner-circle is both so greedy and so cowardly. The background plot is serious like West Side Story is serious, but has enough of a frivo- lous front story in it that you may not notice the moral that Sound of Music teaches.