The Sound of Music

Name: The Sound of Music
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance, Family, Musical
Released: March 2, 1965
Duration: 172 min
Rating: 63
Cast: Angela Cartwright, Charmian Carr, Christopher Plummer, Duane Chase, Eleanor Parker

1965

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 71 Ratings

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8.5

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8.5	User Score Universal acclaim based on 71 Ratings

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The Sound Of Music

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox | Release Date: March 2, 1965 | Approved

Starring: Angela Cartwright, Charmian Carr, Christopher Plummer, Duane Chase, Eleanor Parker, Heather Menzies-Urich, Julie Andrews, Nicholas Hammond, Peggy Wood, Richard Haydn

Summary: A young woman (Julie Andrews) leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower.

Director: Robert Wise

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Romance, Family, Musical

Rating: Approved

Runtime: 172 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

James Powers

The 20th-Fox release will be one of the movies' all-time hits, one of the all-time great pictures. It restores your faith in movies. If you sit quietly and let it take, it may also restore your faith in humanity. It does this with infectious wit, with consistent gaiety, with simple and realistic spirituality, with romance of heartbreak and heartmend. This is set against the most beautiful scenery you have seen in your life. The Sound of Music is quite a picture. Read full review

100

Whitney Williams

The Robert Wise production is a warmly pulsating, captivating drama set to the most imaginative use of the lilting R-H tunes, magnificently mounted and with a brilliant cast headed by Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer which must strike a respondent chord at the box office. Read full review

100

The Telegraph Sarah Crompton

As for Andrews, she is just a joy, conveying enough doubt beneath that brisk, clean exterior to stop her character becoming a prig; her comic timing and the way in which she convinces in her relationships with the children are so understated they can be underrated. Read full review

The Guardian Xan Brooks

Robert Wise's adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical still has a little soul in its bones, with its reactionary nature tempered by Ernest Lehman's supple screenplay, and its elephantine running-time eased by a set of songs that lodge in your system like hookworms. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

It's so perfectly contrived and mechanical and fresh as a daisy, it's infuriating. Read full review

Bosley Crowther

Miss Andrews, with her air of radiant vigor, her appearance of plain-Jane wholesomeness and her ability to make her dialogue as vivid and appealing as she makes her songs, brings a nice sort of Mary Poppins logic and authority to this role, which is always in peril of collapsing under its weight of romantic nonsense and sentiment. Read full review

Pauline Kael

Whom could this operetta offend? Only those of us who, despite the fact that we may respond, loathe being manipulated in this way and are aware of how cheap and ready-made are the responses we are made to feel.

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User Reviews

pressbooks

Jun 4, 2019

Simply the best motion picture ever made, every ingrediant that went into this film I rate a 10, this was one of those rare "perfectly made movies."

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

FilipeNeto

Mar 17, 2020

A cultural icon.

This is probably one of the most iconic musical films of all time. It is not just a film, it is a reference for those who like cinema, it is a cultural landmark of indisputable value, which has been copied, parodied, praised, admired, satirized, repeated and remastigatedA cultural icon.

This is probably one of the most iconic musical films of all time. It is not just a film, it is a reference for those who like cinema, it is a cultural landmark of indisputable value, which has been copied, parodied, praised, admired, satirized, repeated and remastigated over and over again in the cinema, in the theater, on TV, in advertising, in literature, on the radio ... It is the film that forever immortalized Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, two actors who made great cinematographic careers afterwards. The impact of this film on culture and cinematographic art is immense and difficult to calculate. It has become a huge box office and critical success, and is still regularly shown on TV, especially around Easter.

The story of the film, based on real events and a family that exists in real life, couldn't be sweeter and is known to most people, so I think it is very difficult to spoil here: a young novice is sent to a mansion in an Austrian aristocrat, a former naval officer from the First World War, as the tutor of his seven children. The cheerful and understanding way she presents conquers the little ones and ends up, in time, also conquering the rigid military, for whom discipline was fundamental. All of this happens, however, in the late Thirties, with Austria on the verge of annexation by the Third Reich. Captain Von Trapp's exacerbated nationalism will eventually conflict with the new order of things and motivate the family to flee.

The film is dominated by Julie Andrews. She is great in every way and does everything in an almost perfect way. Not to mention he has a beautiful voice and sings very well. Children are equally good and do everything very well, especially Charmian Carr and Kym Karath. Plummer is impeccable and makes an excellent pair with Andrews. Good dialogues help. In the secondary cast, I would highlight the good performance of Peggy Wood and Richard Haydn.

At a technical level, the excellent choice of filming locations, all or almost all in the Salzburg region in Austria, stands out. It doesn't matter the reality here. The film did not seek to be a documentary about the real Trapp family and therefore did not want to go to the real places where everything happened, but wanted to tell a story with glamor, with sweetness, based on their lives. And the film uses very beautiful and charming places to acquire great visual beauty. But even more interesting are the songs in the film. Almost all of them are worthy of memory and can be heard very easily, but I would especially highlight the title song "Sound of Music", as well as "So Long, Farewell", "How to Solve a Problem like Maria", "Edelweiss" and "Sixteen going on Seventeen". They are incredible.

Nominated for ten Oscars, he won five statuettes (Best Film, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Edition and Best Adapted Soundtrack), but the best award will certainly be the status of cultural icon that he has acquired over time.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Dostoyevsky3

May 5, 2020

The Sound of Music is one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of cinema through its undeniably charming music and grand musical story brought to film in the best way to imagine.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

r96sk

Jan 6, 2021

Heard great things, got great things.

I've said it before, but musicals aren't my favourite genre - I don't dislike them at all, but if I were to rank my favourite genres they would probably be down low. Therefore, I always feel uncertain before watching them, knowing they could go eitherHeard great things, got great things.

I've said it before, but musicals aren't my favourite genre - I don't dislike them at all, but if I were to rank my favourite genres they would probably be down low. Therefore, I always feel uncertain before watching them, knowing they could go either way.

'The Sound of Music', though, is a delight. As alluded to, I have obviously heard countless positive things about this film down the years so I'm glad it didn't disappoint. Despite a potentially damaging 175 minute run time, it absolutely flew by - superb pacing. I will say the last 30-40 minutes do feel like a possibly unnecessary add-on, but it all still makes for entertaining viewing.

How about that soundtrack? So many songs that have seriously passed the test of time in terms of relevance, I had practically heard of them all before despite never setting eyes of the film until now. "My Favorite Things" is the standout in my opinion, but all the music is excellent.

Julie Andrews is terrific in the role of Maria, I will say early on I thought she might've been annoying given how excitable she is, but she quickly becomes great to watch throughout. Christopher Plummer is impressive, also. Those two are the clear stars of this, but all the other cast members do worthy jobs too.

It's, so I read, not completely true to the real life story of Maria von Trapp & Co. However, all I care about is whether it's an entertaining film - which this undoubtedly is. A must-watch!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

royalguy07

Apr 6, 2023

Randomly and unexpectedly one of the most beautifully framed and shot films, really makes Austria seem like the most beautiful place on earth. Also makes me wish that Julie Andrews was my nanny.

This would of for sure gotten the full 5 star pleasure but final 3rd does really drag, andRandomly and unexpectedly one of the most beautifully framed and shot films, really makes Austria seem like the most beautiful place on earth. Also makes me wish that Julie Andrews was my nanny.

This would of for sure gotten the full 5 star pleasure but final 3rd does really drag, and doesn't feel in step quality wise with the rest.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

LivingTribunal

May 20, 2018

It is one of the best musical movie in cinema history. I don't know why rating is this low, but I like this classical movie. I felt like watching 'Gone with The Wind'. I cannot believe that this movie is more than 50 years old.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Tyranian

Apr 13, 2019

Has some classic songs and is well acted but will try the patience of non musical fans.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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