There have been a lot of war films on TV recently. I try to avoid most of them, but I watched one tonight “The Sound of Music”. Yes, I know it comes across as a sugary sweet love story, but there is more to it.
I think I preferred the stage show that I saw in London (when I went we ended up sitting next to a row of nuns which added some humour). I was listening to some of the lyrics and I picked up “schnitzel with noodles”, made me laugh. I’m sure they meant Schpatzl, but it reminded me of some encounters with knodles (talk about heavy food!).
The love story is the up front and obvious, but the back story is the anschluss (the annexation of Austria by Germany). I watched the film a few times before I learned about the back story.
The background is that Georg Von Trapp is a wealthy man that has a deep love for his country. He sees evil spreading and taking control. He is encouraged to go long, work with, the evil, but refuses. He makes the decision to leave the country he loves, his friends, his wealth and cross to another country.
The back story shows up best in the scene where Christopher Plummer sings Edelweiss at the Saltzburg Music Festival and breaks down part way through.
Georg Von Trapp became a refugee. I didn’t realise, but as I grew up I met several people that were refugees from that time.
Next time you watch it and see that song give a thought for refugees. Von Trapp was a successful man in a modern western country – and he had to give it up to become a refugee.