|
|
 |
|
| |
| |
| |
Maria, a postulant in a Salzburg Abbey, is distracted from
her religious duties by the majestic Alpine landscape and her restless, passionate spirit. The Mother Abbess, believing that Maria;s buoyant
personality
may be incompatible with monastic life, wisely sends her away to
discover
her true calling. |
|
 |
Maria is to be the governess for the von Trapp
family-a
blood of seven children helmed by Captain von Trapp, a widowed naval
officer
who educates his children with military discipline. While the chidren
behave well before their father, once out of his sight they are
incorrigible
pranksters, determined to make their giverness miserable. Maria quickly
learns that she is merely the laterst in a long line of governesses
scared
away by the children's antics. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Ignoring the Captain's prescriptions for stern
child-raising,
Maria wins the children over with her natural warmth and kindness. She
fashions them clothes from curtain cloth, takes them for picnics in the
glorious Alpine countryside, teaches them to sing--and they respond to
her care with happiness and laughter. |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
Together, Maria and the children stage a puppet
show to
entertain the Captain and his guests. Usually serious, even the Captain
is charmed by Maria's contagious personality. Several nights later, the
children sing at a dinner party given by the Captain to introduce his
friends
to his love interest, the Baroness Schraeder. Later in the party, the
Captain
and Maria perform an Austrian folk dance--"the Laendler"--as
they look into each others eyes--they realize they have fallen in love.
That night, under the pretext of helping Maria, the Baroness encourages
her to leave the Trapp villa. Confused by her new emotions, Maria
returns
to the Abbey |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Though the Baroness tries to win the children's
affections,
they are inconsolable without Maria. They are further depressed by the
announcement that the Captain will marry the Baroness. At the same
time,
Maria confesses her love for the Captain to the Mother Abbess, who
encourages
her to "climb every mountain" to find her true love. Maria
returns
to the Trapp villa but is devastated to learn of the Captain's
impending
marriage. The Baroness, finally unable to deny the Captain's true
feelings,
gracefully bows out. Now both free, the Captain and maria make plans to
marry. |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
While the Captain and Maria are on their honeymoon, the
Anschluss takes place and the Nazis occupy Austria. Max Detweiler, a
kindly
uncle figure, has entered the children in the Salzburg Festival. The
Captain
returns to find he has been called into military service by the German
army. Appalled by the Nazis, he plots an escape and the family packs
hastily.
While fleeing the Trapp villa, the family is spotted by storm troopers.
They explain that they are merely on the way to perform at the local
Salzburg
festival. The family appears and sings under the watchful eye of the
Nazis,
planning to flee after the final number, " So long, Farewell."
The
Nazis discover their plans, and the von Trapps make a dramatic escape,
hiding in the Abbey before escaping to freedom |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
Slowly, the family makes its way up the mountain
into the emerging dawn--a symbol of their new life of freedom and the
importance of staying true to your ideals.
|
| ]
| |
|
|
