Historical Revisionism Masked as a Musical

Rating: 4/10 (1 August 2005)

Recently I had an opportunity to watch "The Sound of Music" and within minutes I was wondering: "Why am I watching this movie?" This movie is corny, contrived, and deals with a story that not only I could not relate to, I couldn't care less what happened to the characters. When a movie suggests that non-Jewish Austrians were also victims of the Nazis, then that movie loses all credibility. The fact is that the Jews were the special targets of Nazi rage; other groups at least had the choice of conforming to avoid being targeted. The Jews did not have that choice. It's too bad the Von Trapps had it rough, but that's because they made it rough on themselves. And by the way, who told the Austrians to invite the Germans into their country? The Austrians welcomed Hitler as their savior and salvation. That is a matter of historical fact. So please don't tell me about an Austrian family that has to flee Austria, and is singing their way through the movie in the process. The Jews in Austria had to get out and so I can understand a movie about, let's say, a Jewish family having to flee for their lives. But a non-Jewish Austrian family, in which the father is a naval officer, having to flee? That's really missing the mark for gaining any kind of empathetic response. And although the musical numbers are catchy, they do not suffice to rescue this movie from the corniness that renders it suitable only for young children who want to learn catchy songs. But if you want to learn what really happened in Austria in 1938, and how Austria openly embraced Nazism, read any credible book on European history during the inter-war years, or better yet, read up on the life and times of three well-known Austrians associated with World War Two - Adolf Eichmann, Adolf Hitler and Kurt Waldheim - and then tell me about the "plight" of the Austrians. Indeed, one can only wonder what J. S. Bach or J. Strauss would have thought if they had been around to witness their country's pitiful decline.