---
title: "The Sound of Music"
year: 1965
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-sound-of-music"
fi1m_id: "the-sound-of-music"
imdb_id: "tt0059742"
tmdb_id: 15121
wikidata_id: "Q60072"
fi1m_score: 86
critics_score: 76
critics_reviews: 17
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:34.457735+00:00"
region: "NZ"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Sound of Music (1965)

Directed by Robert Wise · 2h 54m · Drama, Family, Music, Romance

## Identity

The Sound of Music

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-sound-of-music
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-sound-of-music
- **IMDb ID:** tt0059742
- **TMDB ID:** 15121
- **Wikidata ID:** Q60072
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059742/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/15121, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60072

**Fi1m score: 86** · Critics 76 from 17 reviews

*In a sentence:* Nearly three hours of singing, and Julie Andrews still seems like excellent company

> Robert Wise’s musical is an easy recommendation, thanks to Julie Andrews and songs given room to work. Some of the adult drama drags, and the sentimentality is considerable; neither quite wears out the welcome.

## Synopsis

Maria (Julie Andrews) and Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) are at the centre of a musical romance set amid Salzburg and the Austrian Alps. Their story brings together family life, courtship and songs, with the threat of Nazism beyond the domestic concerns. The von Trapp family includes Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Brigitta, Marta, Gretl and Kurt. Eleanor Parker plays the Baroness, Richard Haydn appears as Detweiler and Anna Lee as Sister Margaretta. Robert Wise directs, with songs by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.

## Review

Robert Wise asks for 174 minutes for a musical built around family, romance and a belief that singing can improve the day. That is a substantial demand, especially for anyone suspicious of organised cheerfulness. We recommend *The Sound of Music* warmly, with a warning that its adult drama sometimes proceeds at the pace of people who have nowhere else to be. Wise gives the songs enough space to finish their business, and Julie Andrews supplies the practical energy that keeps the cheerfulness from becoming a duty.

As Maria, Andrews sings with such clean emphasis that the words remain as important as the tune. Her brightness has purpose, and she gives the impression of someone who would be useful in a difficult situation, even without musical accompaniment. That practical quality makes the warmth convincing. Christopher Plummer’s Captain Georg von Trapp gives her resistance to work against, and their scenes benefit from his reluctance to match her enthusiasm. We believe in the attraction because the two performers take time to respond to each other.

The ‘Do-Re-Mi’ sequence around Salzburg made us happier than we expected. The changing locations give the repetitions variety, and Andrews makes each return to the tune sound freshly encouraging. The songs by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II are built for a listener to catch quickly, and Wise trusts their repetitions instead of trying to disguise them. Andrews also avoids the smugness that can make an easy singalong feel like an instruction to enjoy ourselves.

Ted D. McCord’s cinematography gives the Austrian scenery room to justify the musical’s leisurely pace. The opening aerial panorama establishes a scale that Wise carries into the songs, so the wide views feel like part of the performance. The Salzburg exteriors give the numbers movement and variety, with space for a tune to develop as the surroundings change. As a way of taking a stage musical into the cinema, this remains convincing because the locations contribute something the stage cannot supply.

William Reynolds’s editing gives the musical sequences a clear, unforced rhythm. The cuts allow a phrase to make its effect before asking us to look elsewhere, so the length seldom troubles us while someone is singing. Boris Leven’s production design favours an orderliness that suits the film’s manners, although we sometimes wanted the domestic spaces to look less prepared for company. That tidiness is one reason the sentiment can feel too carefully arranged.

Ernest Lehman’s screenplay is less assured when the adults have to discuss their feelings. The romantic passages can repeat what Andrews and Plummer have already made clear, and at this length the extra explanation matters. Eleanor Parker, as the Baroness, provides welcome restraint, suggesting more than the dialogue needs to spell out. The Nazi threat brings a pressure that the family romance needs, and Wise handles it clearly without pretending to offer a searching account of the politics.

Screen musicals can be embarrassed by the moment ordinary conversation gives way to song. Wise has no such hesitation, and Andrews makes that confidence seem reasonable. There is no need to watch it apologetically, though an aversion to family sentiment is unlikely to be cured. Give it an evening when nobody is in a hurry.

*Fi1m score 86, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics come down firmly in favour, though the spread runs from full marks to outright dismissal, with nothing in between. The praise clusters on Julie Andrews, whom almost every review, admiring or not, singles out as the film’s chief asset. Robert Wise’s direction is credited even by sceptics as slick and competent, and the more enthusiastic reviews call it expert or stately. The Salzburg and Alpine locations, especially the opening shot over the mountains, and the Rodgers and Hammerstein songs draw consistent approval, and several later reviews written for restorations argue the film is underrated and holds up.

The reservations cluster on sweetness. Nearly every review reaches for some variant of saccharine, and the three dissenters, The Guardian in 1965, Sight and Sound and Slant Magazine, find the sentiment swamps everything else. Sight and Sound and Slant also object to the handling of the Nazis, which Time Out, by contrast, considers neatly done. The dissent spans decades rather than belonging to one era.

## Straight answers

**Is The Sound of Music worth watching?**

*The Sound of Music* is worth watching for anyone who can settle into 174 minutes of family sentiment and song, and we scored it 86. Julie Andrews carries it, and Robert Wise lets the Rodgers and Hammerstein numbers finish their business against Ted D. McCord's Salzburg scenery. The adult romance drags in places, so give it an evening when nobody is in a hurry.

**How long is The Sound of Music, and what is it rated?**

*The Sound of Music* runs 2h 54m. It is a drama and family film.

**Where can I watch The Sound of Music in New Zealand?**

*The Sound of Music* is streaming on Disney+ in New Zealand. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does The Sound of Music compare to Mary Poppins?**

*The Sound of Music* is the longer and more sentimental of Julie Andrews's two musical households, and [*Mary Poppins*](https://film.one/film/mary-poppins) is the tighter, more purely children's film. Both run long and both are quietly about a father, but *Mary Poppins* has the sharper shape and the Sherman brothers' songs, while Andrews's Maria has more practical warmth than her nanny. Families with small children should start with *Mary Poppins*; anyone who wants romance and Alpine scale should take the Salzburg one.

**What should I watch after The Sound of Music?**

After *The Sound of Music*, try [*Mary Poppins*](https://film.one/film/mary-poppins) (1964, Fi1m 83): Julie Andrews brings firmer discipline and equal warmth to another musical household. Then [*Meet Me in St. Louis*](https://film.one/film/meet-me-in-st-louis) (1944, Fi1m 87): A family musical with sharper domestic irritations and an equally unembarrassed heart; and [*The Umbrellas of Cherbourg*](https://film.one/film/the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg) (1964, Fi1m 88): A French musical whose bright colours offer little protection from adult disappointment.

### Reviews we read (17)

- **Radio Times**, Tony Sloman (5/5): The film is hailed as an artful crowd-pleaser that reaches every generation through Robert Wise's expert and unsentimental direction and Julie Andrews' magnificent performance as Maria. Particular praise goes to the stunning opening panoramic shot, the Do Re Mi sequence around Salzburg, and the refreshing Rodgers and Hammerstein score. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-1g3fvl/the-sound-of-music/)
- **Empire**, Caroline Westbrook (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of the greatest screen musicals ever made, praising its set-pieces, scenery, and unforgettable Rodgers and Hammerstein songs in a re-release review. They note it remains a festive classic that holds up decades later. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sound-music-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Philip K. Scheuer (90/100, inferred): Scheuer praises the film as a visually and vocally brilliant cinematic transformation of the stage musical, crediting Robert Wise's airborne camera work and the Salzburg/Alpine locations for adding depth and spectacle. He highlights Julie Andrews' warm, irrepressible Maria and the strong supporting cast while noting the successful handling of the story's potentially saccharine elements. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/story/2022-08-31/from-the-archives-sound-of-music-without-the-taste-of-saccharine)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, James Powers (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of the all-time great pictures that restores faith in movies and humanity, praising Robert Wise's consummate direction, Julie Andrews as a dazzling phenomenon, the score's insidious charm, and the incomparable Austrian scenery. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/sound-music-review-1965-movie-1090228/)
- **The Times**, Kevin Maher (90/100, inferred): The critic celebrates the new 4K restoration as a sensory rebirth that refreshes the film's artistic meaning. He highlights the technical upgrade to the original negative and the film's status as one of the biggest box-office successes ever. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/classic-film-sound-of-music-4k-uhd-tjbk22gt5)
- **Time Out**, Geoff Andrew (90/100, inferred): Though the story is dismissed as reactionary pap, the review argues the blockbuster musical is still grossly underrated for its superb editing and shooting, neat handling of the Nazi threat, and strong turns from Julie Andrews and Eleanor Parker. The new digital print is recommended for its stunning mountaintop camerawork. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-sound-of-music-1)
- **Variety**, Whitney Williams (90/100, inferred): Williams hails the picture as one of the top musicals to reach the screen, with the stage hit's magic and charm sharply blended into a warmly pulsating, captivating drama through imaginative use of the lilting score and magnificent mounting. He singles out the brilliant cast headed by Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, along with the stunning Salzburg locations and technical credits, as key to its assured box-office success. [Read](https://variety.com/1965/film/reviews/the-sound-of-music-2-1200420913/)
- **The AV Club**, Noel Murray (B+): The review acknowledges valid criticisms of the film's sentimentality and simplification while arguing it is richer due to its tension between a happy past and uncertain future; it singles out Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer's performances and Wise's stately direction for praise. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-sound-of-music-1798166446)
- **The New York Times**, Bosley Crowther (70/100, inferred): Crowther finds the film a largely faithful but quaintly old-fashioned screen version of the stage musical, with abundant kirche-küche-kinder sentiment and a strong Rodgers-Hammerstein score. He singles out Julie Andrews' radiant, authoritative performance as Maria for particular praise while noting the artificiality of much of the adult cast and the story's repetitive, operetta-like qualities. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/music-re.html)
- **The Telegraph**, Sarah Crompton (70/100, inferred): The critic finds that despite its saccharine reputation and initial mixed reviews, the film endures due to its confidence and moral purpose. She singles out the soaring opening shot over the mountains with Julie Andrews and the classic songs for particular praise. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10535005/The-Sound-of-Music-review.html)
- **Sight and Sound** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an exceedingly sugary experience full of wholesome thoughts but undermined by a less memorable Rodgers and Hammerstein score and awkward handling of the Nazi plot elements. Robert Wise's direction is seen as tactful but not inspired, with praise reserved mainly for the eye-catching Austrian exteriors. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=2)
- **Slant Magazine**, Eric Henderson (30/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as empty, overbearing, and aggressively wholesome with rudimentary songs, complaining about its lack of depth and toothless Nazis, while conceding some merit in the film version over the stage show thanks to Julie Andrews. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/the-sound-of-music/)
- **The Guardian** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film overly sweet and sentimental, like an indulgent dessert one can enjoy only occasionally. They single out the director Robert Wise's competent and slick handling of the material, along with the charm of Julie Andrews and the appealing Alpine settings and songs, as compensations. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/mar/26/the-sound-of-music-reviewed-1965)
- **Eye for Film**, Nicky Falkof (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it the greatest screen musical, praising its uplifting, infectious numbers, stylish choreography, and Julie Andrews' perky, career-highlight performance as Maria. They note it is saccharine and sentimentalizes its real-life story but challenge viewers not to sing along. [Read](https://eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-sound-of-music-film-review-by-nicky-falkof)
- **/Film**, Hoai-Tran Bui (90/100, inferred): The piece presents the film as comforting and essential viewing, highlighting Julie Andrews' buoyant and magical performance, the sweeping cinematography, and the chemistry with Christopher Plummer, whose role gains depth on revisit. It acknowledges the sentimentality but finds it charming and engaging despite the mix of romance and political elements. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/579288/the-quarantine-stream-the-sound-of-music/)
- **Collider**, Adam Chitwood (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the restored Blu-ray transfer of the classic musical as a treasure that holds up exceptionally well, highlighting its masterful direction by Robert Wise, fully realized characters, sweeping cinematography, and emotional depth from joy to darker WWII undertones. [Read](https://collider.com/the-sound-of-music-blu-ray-review/)
- **The Skinny**, Paul Greenwood (4/5): The critic praises the re-release as a proper cinema outing that reminds viewers why the film is a favorite and Robert Wise one of the greats. They single out the first half as a thing of beauty for its structure, writing, direction, performances, and songs. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/rediscovered-classic-the-sound-of-music)

## Details

- **Director:** Robert Wise
- **Director:** Robert Wise
- **Screenplay:** Ernest Lehman
- **Story:** Maria von Trapp
- **Cinematography:** Ted McCord
- **Editor:** William H. Reynolds
- **Music:** Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers, Irwin Kostal
- **Production design:** Boris Leven
- **Costume design:** Dorothy Jeakins
- **Producer:** Robert Wise
- **Cast:** Julie Andrews as Maria; Christopher Plummer as Captain Georg von Trapp; Eleanor Parker as The Baroness; Charmian Carr as Liesl von Trapp; Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich von Trapp; Heather Menzies as Louisa von Trapp; Angela Cartwright as Brigitta von Trapp; Debbie Turner as Marta von Trapp
- **Runtime:** 2h 54m
- **First release (the US):** 2 March 1965
- **Genres:** Drama, Family, Music, Romance
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 1965); [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Winner, 1965)
- **Budget:** $8 million
- **Box office:** $286 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7wZClqWm_o

## Where to watch in New Zealand

- Disney+: streaming, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1966: Best Actress (nominated); Best Art Direction, Color (nominated); Best Cinematography, Color (nominated); Best Costume Design, Color (nominated); Best Supporting Actress (nominated); Best Director (won); Best Film Editing (won); Best Picture (won); Best Score, Adaptation or Treatment (won); Best Sound (won)

## If you liked this

- *Mary Poppins* (1964), Fi1m 83: Julie Andrews brings firmer discipline and equal warmth to another musical household. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/mary-poppins.md)
- *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944), Fi1m 87: A family musical with sharper domestic irritations and an equally unembarrassed heart. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/meet-me-in-st-louis.md)
- *The Umbrellas of Cherbourg* (1964), Fi1m 88: A French musical whose bright colours offer little protection from adult disappointment. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg.md)
- *Fiddler on the Roof* (1971), Fi1m 77: Another singing family faces historical upheaval, with more room for doubt. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/fiddler-on-the-roof.md)
- *Swing Girls* (2004): Japanese schoolgirls take up jazz, with an agreeable lack of solemnity.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-sound-of-music