As a kid, I always thought the Baroness was tacky and over-the-top. In my mind, Maria was naturally beautiful and had the better personality, so it seemed reasonable to me that the Captain preferred her.
Re-watching the movie as an adult, however, I found myself wondering why in the heck the Captain falls for Maria. As you note, the Baroness is gorgeous. She's elegant. Of course she is also a terrible person for scaring away an innocent and confused Maria. The fact that she was secretly plotting to send the von Trapp children away to boarding school is certainly a red flag. The Baroness has many character deficits.
Nonetheless, the Captain is pretty cruel in the way he breaks things off with her. She finds him leering at Maria from the balcony and basically has to break up with herself because he can't be bothered to look away from Maria long enough to do it. The Baroness lets him know she'll pack her bags. The Captain immediately swans off to join Maria in the moonlight for the longest, most awkward, most theologically unsound love song of all time. As all of this is happening, the Baroness is literally STILL INSIDE HIS HOUSE. He doesn't even have the decency to wait until Fiance #1 has left the building to secure Fiance #2. The children go to bed thinking the Baroness will be their new mom, only to wake up and find that their father swapped fiances overnight. What a breakfast conversation. Of course the children prefer Maria and they're happy about the swap. It's a net positive for the family. Still, it's perhaps not the best lesson in how to treat women...?
All of that being said, I adore this movie.
I will now forever remember that Cold War anecdote, too.
I think the Baroness instantly knows Maria is a threat. Like, from the minute she meets her. The amount of shade she throws at Maria is massive. That line where Maria says something about not making a very good nun and the Baroness responds, "Well, if you have any problems, I'd be happy to help you." Um, WHAT??
And then later, just before the Captain and Liesl sing "Edelweiss," she tells Max he should have told her to bring her harmonica. I always thought she was joking, but now I think she's being super snarky. It's also immediately after the song that she tells the Captain that he needs to throw a party *in her honor* so all his friends can meet her.
Also—she manipulates Maria into leaving by telling her he is in love with her, then tells Max she wants a celebratory drink.
She knows EXACTLY what she's doing. I think by the time Maria actually returns, she knows it's over. You can hear it in her voice when she's prattling on about where to go on their honeymoon and all that.
That doesn't let Captain Von Trapp off the hook because yeah, the whole thing happens super fast and is low key problematic. It gives off massive Parent Trap vibes.
Oh that song! 🤣 My Dad can’t ever get through that without pointing out its problematic theology. When I was little I just thought it was boring, and since Dad made fun of it, I ignored it. But I *did* love Maria’s dress in that scene. Priorities, right?
I love that movie too, it’s my favorite film actually. I think it’s because I have always related to Maria, and it gives me hope that who she is was exactly what was needed. My grandmother and mother always loved that movie too.
Love the Sound Of music. Couldn't understand why (as a child) it made me cry. Didn't tell my parents though in case they thought I was weird! Anyway Kori, Sorry about your back and really, really glad to see you posting on here again As usual greetings from England.
When I watch the Sound of Music, I think of my big sister, who loved the movie growing up. I also have so many memories singing the songs with my mom in the car dureing road trips, which now that she is gone, makes those memories all the more precious.
I remembered when I rewatched it right after my mom's death, and when Maria came back to the kids after leaving, I cried, because in my mind thier mother had come home and I so desperately wanted my own mother to come back. 💔
Such a beautiful movie, and a hallmark of my childhood.
I also don’t remember a time when I didn’t know this movie. My grandmother only had one VHS—the Sound of Music—so when we visited we would watch it every single day. I think it also birthed my own obsession with the Holocaust. Now that I’m writing this, I need to watch it with my daughter!
My first memory of Sound of Music was of coming into the living room one night when it was on TV. I know it was before I was 5 1/2, because it was before we moved to the Philippines. I think the only part I saw was the scene toward the end where the family is singing and all of the arches in the arena were lit and silhouettes of soldiers stood within.
I’m not sure when I first saw it all the way through, but I had the soundtrack memorized early on and we watched it on TV any time it was aired. I remember the first time we saw it on VHS, an uncut version, and suddenly the whole scene just before Maria returns from the convent made sense! The TV version cut out the Children’s visit to Maria, I think.
My grandmother wasn’t a big movie watcher. She loved Sound of Music, but she wondered how they could get from place to place so quickly. The concept of filming separate scenes and weaving them together was beyond her.
As a kid, I always thought the Baroness was tacky and over-the-top. In my mind, Maria was naturally beautiful and had the better personality, so it seemed reasonable to me that the Captain preferred her.
Re-watching the movie as an adult, however, I found myself wondering why in the heck the Captain falls for Maria. As you note, the Baroness is gorgeous. She's elegant. Of course she is also a terrible person for scaring away an innocent and confused Maria. The fact that she was secretly plotting to send the von Trapp children away to boarding school is certainly a red flag. The Baroness has many character deficits.
Nonetheless, the Captain is pretty cruel in the way he breaks things off with her. She finds him leering at Maria from the balcony and basically has to break up with herself because he can't be bothered to look away from Maria long enough to do it. The Baroness lets him know she'll pack her bags. The Captain immediately swans off to join Maria in the moonlight for the longest, most awkward, most theologically unsound love song of all time. As all of this is happening, the Baroness is literally STILL INSIDE HIS HOUSE. He doesn't even have the decency to wait until Fiance #1 has left the building to secure Fiance #2. The children go to bed thinking the Baroness will be their new mom, only to wake up and find that their father swapped fiances overnight. What a breakfast conversation. Of course the children prefer Maria and they're happy about the swap. It's a net positive for the family. Still, it's perhaps not the best lesson in how to treat women...?
All of that being said, I adore this movie.
I will now forever remember that Cold War anecdote, too.
I think the Baroness instantly knows Maria is a threat. Like, from the minute she meets her. The amount of shade she throws at Maria is massive. That line where Maria says something about not making a very good nun and the Baroness responds, "Well, if you have any problems, I'd be happy to help you." Um, WHAT??
And then later, just before the Captain and Liesl sing "Edelweiss," she tells Max he should have told her to bring her harmonica. I always thought she was joking, but now I think she's being super snarky. It's also immediately after the song that she tells the Captain that he needs to throw a party *in her honor* so all his friends can meet her.
Also—she manipulates Maria into leaving by telling her he is in love with her, then tells Max she wants a celebratory drink.
She knows EXACTLY what she's doing. I think by the time Maria actually returns, she knows it's over. You can hear it in her voice when she's prattling on about where to go on their honeymoon and all that.
That doesn't let Captain Von Trapp off the hook because yeah, the whole thing happens super fast and is low key problematic. It gives off massive Parent Trap vibes.
Parent Trap vibes is SO ON POINT. Bahaha.
Oh that song! 🤣 My Dad can’t ever get through that without pointing out its problematic theology. When I was little I just thought it was boring, and since Dad made fun of it, I ignored it. But I *did* love Maria’s dress in that scene. Priorities, right?
I always think about the problematic theology but it’s also probably my favorite part now :)
I love that movie too, it’s my favorite film actually. I think it’s because I have always related to Maria, and it gives me hope that who she is was exactly what was needed. My grandmother and mother always loved that movie too.
Love the Sound Of music. Couldn't understand why (as a child) it made me cry. Didn't tell my parents though in case they thought I was weird! Anyway Kori, Sorry about your back and really, really glad to see you posting on here again As usual greetings from England.
Mark
When I watch the Sound of Music, I think of my big sister, who loved the movie growing up. I also have so many memories singing the songs with my mom in the car dureing road trips, which now that she is gone, makes those memories all the more precious.
I remembered when I rewatched it right after my mom's death, and when Maria came back to the kids after leaving, I cried, because in my mind thier mother had come home and I so desperately wanted my own mother to come back. 💔
Such a beautiful movie, and a hallmark of my childhood.
I also don’t remember a time when I didn’t know this movie. My grandmother only had one VHS—the Sound of Music—so when we visited we would watch it every single day. I think it also birthed my own obsession with the Holocaust. Now that I’m writing this, I need to watch it with my daughter!
My first memory of Sound of Music was of coming into the living room one night when it was on TV. I know it was before I was 5 1/2, because it was before we moved to the Philippines. I think the only part I saw was the scene toward the end where the family is singing and all of the arches in the arena were lit and silhouettes of soldiers stood within.
I’m not sure when I first saw it all the way through, but I had the soundtrack memorized early on and we watched it on TV any time it was aired. I remember the first time we saw it on VHS, an uncut version, and suddenly the whole scene just before Maria returns from the convent made sense! The TV version cut out the Children’s visit to Maria, I think.
My grandmother wasn’t a big movie watcher. She loved Sound of Music, but she wondered how they could get from place to place so quickly. The concept of filming separate scenes and weaving them together was beyond her.