Sound of Music (1965)

"A young novitiate is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer."

- IMDB

Growing up, the Sound of Music was an integral part of my childhood. I'd visit my grandmother every weekend & we must've watched the movie every visit for as long as I can remember. When I was in choir in elementary school, I was one of the few kids that already knew all the words to Do-Re-Mi & Favorite Things the year we performed them. Edelweiss & Sound of Music are also amongst my favorites, although every song is really good. And I should mention that the top thing on my bucket list is to travel to Salzburg and splash the Horse Fountain that Julie Andrews splashes during the Confidence song. 

This movie made me fall in love with Salzburg. I don't just want to splash the fountain, I wanna see the whole city. The country side is beautiful and the architecture (especially in the church) is stunning! I know the musical is slightly different from the original story of the real life von Trapps'. Either way, both the real story & its adaption are great stories. 

While there are some deep dramatic moments throughout given the Nazi climate, this movie has it's funny moments. Julie Andrews & Christopher Plummer worked really well together during comedic moments. The "you mean to tell me my children were running around Salzburg wearing nothing but some old drapes" scene is a classic. And I've definitely made the "it's been so cold lately they turned blue!" reference a few times when eating blueberries.

I'd probably site all the musical numbers as my favorite scenes. The dance duet between Maria and the Captain is also another great scene, and their wedding was gorgeous. These days I tie the wedding scene to the time Andrews returned to walk down the church to remanence during an anniversary special. I've also grown to appreciate Maria's arc as a whole as I've grown up. She was an outcast that "followed every rainbow til she found her dream," and as I'm in the process of doing the same, I relate to her story much more than I did as a kid.

I must end with Julie Andrews. She takes my breath away. This is definitively her greatest role. Of course her entire career is magnificent, but there's just something about her portrayal of Maria that stands out. And her voice... I could write a thesis as to why I love her. To be in her presence would leave me deceased. She's a queen. 

My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★