--- title: "The Sound of Music: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-sound-of-music/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-sound-of-music" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 17 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): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 17 reviews: 14 positive, 0 mixed, 3 negative. 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. ## Radio Times — Tony Sloman Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-1g3fvl/the-sound-of-music/) ## Empire — Caroline Westbrook Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 31 August 2007. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sound-music-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Philip K. Scheuer Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 March 1965. 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 the review](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 Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 March 1965. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/sound-music-review-1965-movie-1090228/) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2025. 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 the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/classic-film-sound-of-music-4k-uhd-tjbk22gt5) ## Time Out — Geoff Andrew Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 September 2007. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-sound-of-music-1) ## Variety — Whitney Williams Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 March 1965. 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 the review](https://variety.com/1965/film/reviews/the-sound-of-music-2-1200420913/) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating B+. 10 November 2010. 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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-sound-of-music-1798166446) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 1965. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/music-re.html) ## The Telegraph — Sarah Crompton Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 April 2016. 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 the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10535005/The-Sound-of-Music-review.html) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 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 the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=2) ## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 14 November 2010. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/the-sound-of-music/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 26 March 1965. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/mar/26/the-sound-of-music-reviewed-1965) ## Eye for Film — Nicky Falkof Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 November 2005. 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 the review](https://eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-sound-of-music-film-review-by-nicky-falkof) ## /Film — Hoai-Tran Bui Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 February 2021. 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 the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/579288/the-quarantine-stream-the-sound-of-music/) ## Collider — Adam Chitwood Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 November 2010. 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 the review](https://collider.com/the-sound-of-music-blu-ray-review/) ## The Skinny — Paul Greenwood Rating 4/5. 8 September 2007. 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 the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/rediscovered-classic-the-sound-of-music) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-sound-of-music.md