The Timeless Values of “The Sound of Music”
One of my all-time favorite films is The Sound of Music. I watched this film all the time when I was a little girl, and I’ve sort of rediscovered it over the past couple of years. The Sound of Music came out in 1965, and it has since solidified itself as a legendary and classic film. There are so many wonderful things about this film, so I’m going to talk about a few of them.
How The The Sound of Music Appeals to All Ages & Stands the Test of Time
The Sound of Music is a story that appeals to all ages. As I said, I watched this film when I was really little, I love it as a teenager, and I’m sure I’ll love it when I’m an adult. Also, there’s so much depth to the film that different aspects of the plot have appealed to me more as I’ve gotten older.
When I was little, I loved the music and when Maria and the children put on the puppet show and played around outside. I remember looking at Liesl and Rolf singing “Sixteen Going On Seventeen” and seeing them as these old teenagers, and it felt so far off.
Now that I myself am 16 going on 17, the film appeals to me in different ways than it used to. The “Sixteen Going On Seventeen” scene feels more relatable to my age, and the scenes of the younger children feel further off than they did when I was a little kid. In addition to that, I was much more compelled by the love story of Maria and Captain Von Trapp than I was when I was younger. One of my favorite scenes/songs in the film today is “Something Good”, where Maria and Captain Von Trapp dance around in a beautiful Gazebo, and I remember being bored by this scene when I was little. I guess I just viewed Captain Von Trapp as this intimidating father figure and Maria as the governess, so their love story wasn’t too interesting to me. Yet today, I found their love story incredibly beautiful and compelling.
The Sound of Music appeals to all ages because it’s truly a family story. There are so many different storylines surrounding characters of all ages. A 5-year-old can connect with little Gretl feeling younger than everyone around her. A 16-year-old can connect to Liesl growing up and falling in love for the first time. A 25-year-old can connect to Maria trying to find her place in the world. A 70-year-old can connect the characters to different phases of their own life. And, of course, anybody can enjoy the beautiful music and scenery throughout the film.
The most interesting thing about The Sound of Music to me is its timelessness. The Sound of Music is nearly 60 years old, yet it doesn’t feel old and outdated like many films or shows even from much more recent do.
I think there are many reasons for this: the music, the beautiful scenery, the appeal to all ages, and more. But, the main reason I believe The Sound of Music is just as good in 2022 as it was in 1965 is because of the genuinely good values it represents.
On Entertainment Values, I write about the values that come from entertainment, and The Sound of Music is slightly an overwhelming one because it just has so many good values. A lot of entertainment today has somewhat questionable messages, and I’m not sure there will be another film quite like The Sound of Music anytime soon. It’s hard to choose what values to write about, but I’ve selected a few that I think are especially important for teenagers today.
Maria: Selflessness & Faithfulness
Much of Maria’s character represents very positive values, and her selflessness is something that stands out. I talked about selflessness in my article “The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen & Selflessness: A Dying Moral Value”. In that article, I talked about how in today’s culture, we are often encouraged to do exactly what we want and put ourselves above others. There is an extent to which it’s necessary to consider your own needs and wants, but it’s still very important to live in selflessness and have a selfless society. Selflessness is what allows us to love and help others.
In The Sound of Music, Maria leaves the Von Trapp house and returns to the Abbey when she realizes that she and Captain Von Trapp are falling in love. She doesn’t want to ruin the Captain’s engagement to the Baroness and rob the children of their new mother. Of course, Maria ends up returning, but only because she realized she was being too selfless and that God wanted her with the Von Trapp family. Nevertheless, Maria was willing to sacrifice her own desires if it was what needed to be done.
Closely related to Maria’s selflessness are her faithfulness and complete devotion to others. She remains faithful to God throughout the whole film and trusts God’s plan for her life, even if it scares her. Maria dedicates herself to helping the Von Trapp children and fulfilling the mission she was sent on by Mother Abbess, even though the children treat her horribly at first.
Because of Maria’s selflessness and faithfulness, she is able to help others and find her family.
The Value of a Mother and of Family Bonding
The whole reason that the Von Trapp family needs a governess is because the mother of the family had passed away. It’s very clear that after the loss of his wife, Captain Von Trapp was running a strict house and he and the children were pretty miserable.
We learn throughout the film that the Von Trapp family used to be very close and they loved music before the mother passed, and it’s clear that she brought so much value to the family. When Maria comes into the Von Trapp home, she brings a similar sense goodness and kindness, and she also brings music. Maria completely brought the family back to life.
I think that shows the value of the role of a wife and a mother in a family. It also shows the importance of having something that bonds a family together, whether it be music or anything else.
As teenagers, it’s easy to underestimate the importance of a mother and a close family. If you are lucky enough to have this, it’s important to appreciate it. Having a wonderful mother and a family that bonds over a common love adds an endless amount of goodness to a home and a family. We can see that from the transformation of the Von Trapp family. At the start of the film, the whole family is sad and lonely. When Maria comes in, the family completely transforms. By the end, they are happy and they all come together around music.
Maria: Unapologetically Herself
One of the most iconic film scenes ever is the start of The Sound of Music, where we see Maria singing “The Sound of Music” while dancing around on a huge hill. After she finishes that song, we learn that she is a nun and she is late for something at the Abbey. From that point on, it’s very clear that Maria is, well, strange. There’s a whole song called “Maria” where the other nuns say, “How do you solve a problem like Maria?”. Maria is all over the place and sings and dances at the most random moments.
But, it was this exact unusualness of Maria that allowed her to end up at the Von Trapp’s house and completely transform Captain Von Trapp and the children. Maria was unapologetically herself. She stood up to Captain Von Trapp when she felt the children were treated unfairly. She taught the children about music, the thing she loves. She made the children's clothes out of curtains because she just wanted to give them new clothes. Maria was confident in who she was and because of that, she saved the Von Trapp family and found her own family.
As a teenager myself, it can feel like we are always trying to fit in or fit a certain mold. The truth is, this isn’t going to benefit us in the long run. Us teenagers should be completely ourselves, share the things we love, and stand up for what we know is right. It sounds cliche, but Maria shows us that doing these things will provide you with opportunities, will allow you to help others, and will give you a satisfying life.
I can't seem to stop singing wherever I am. And what's worse, I can't seem to stop saying things, anything and everything I think and feel.
Maria
I could go on and on about the values of this film, but I believe the few I did go over are so important for today’s teenagers to really live in and understand. Selflessness and faithfulness are two of the most incredible qualities that bring so much good to the world. We also can never underestimate the value of a mother and common love for a family to bond over. Lastly, being unapologetically yourself will allow you to reach your full potential, and Maria’s life shows us that.
Bonus - My Favorite Songs and Scenes From The Sound of Music
I love this scene between Mother Abbess and Maria. Maria feels guilty about returning to the Von Trapp home, but Mother Abbess insists that she needs to return:
Mother Abbess: Maria. The love of a man and a woman is holy. You have a great capacity to love. You must find out how God wants you to spend your love.
Maria: But I pledged my life to God. I pledged my life to his service.
Mother Abbess: My daughter, if you love this man, it doesn't mean you love God less.
Maria: No.
Mother Abbess: You must find out. You must go back.
Maria: You can't ask me to do that. Please let me stay. I beg—
Mother Abbess: Maria. These walls were not built to shut out problems. You have to face them. You have to live the life you were born to live.”
As I said, I love the “Something Good” scene with Maria and Captain Von Trapp. It’s a beautiful song and a beautiful scene. Watch it here.
I have to mention “Edelweiss” because it’s such a beautiful song and it’s also the first glimpse of a change in Captain Von Trapp. It’s also such a sweet moment when liesl starts singing with him. And then at the very end of the song, Maria and Captain Von Trapp share a glance that hints at their love. Watch it here.
Definitely, the cutest part of the film is little Gretl’s part of “So Long, Farewell” where she falls asleep on the stairs. “So Long, Farewell” is also such a great scene overall. Watch it here.
“You know how Sister Berthe always makes me kiss the floor after we've had a disagreement? Well, lately I've taken to kissing the floor whenever I see her coming, just to save time.”
Maria
Written by Peyton Price - Entertainment Values
