Musical Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (22 November 2002)

I can not add much to all the other praiseworthy comments, except to point out Eleanor Parker's (The Baroness) subtle performance. In reaction scenes at the party, she appears convincingly distracted, since she saw her fiancee, The Captain (Christopher Plummer) dancing warmly with the nanny Maria (Julie Andrews). The sultry character is commonly labelled the villainess, but she traveled all the way from Vienna to marry her beau, only to be pushed aside by a (younger) charmer; of course the Captain was a willing participant, too. Acting, script, direction, score, photography still exemplary.