MovieChat Forums > The Sound of Music (1965) Discussion > When I viewed this as a child

When I viewed this as a child


40-ish years ago, when it came on tv, our parents used to let us stay up and watch The Sound of Music pretty much every time it aired.

My childish mind, viewing the wedding, used to think that the nuns were singing "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" right at her wedding! I used to think "Oh my how mean, at her wedding!".

I think, about the 4th or 5th time I saw this, after suffering in silence at that part, I vocalized my sadness to my mother, and she laughed and explained that it was a song played for our benefit not an "at the wedding" scene.

What a relief!

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I remember watching this movie several times as a child. I don't think I was able to watch it all the way through without falling asleep for many years. I missed the whole 'fleeing from the nazis' plotline...

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The main reason that Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live

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Isn't is just the tune on pipe organ or something? No lyrics. Surely the people in charge must have decided of all the shows tone to orchestrate for the wedding, it makes the most sense. No lyrics of course. Any of the Richard Rodgers 3/4 time tunes wouldn't be appropriate for the occasion. It needed to be upbeat. They already re-used and manipulated "Goatherd" for the ball scene.

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As I recall, the nun did sing the lyrics in chorus. The wedding itself being the answer to the question..

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[deleted]

Unless they're from New York, in which case it will be:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpdB6CN7jww

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[deleted]

[deleted]

I have to disagree with your mom. I see no reason to believe that the nuns weren't singing this song at the wedding. Is she saying the wedding processional music was all in Maria's mind? That would be out of place with the rest of the movie, which was very straightforward. I didn't think it was mean for them to sing that song, and presumably Maria would have agreed to it. It was an affectionate song, not mean.

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No, her mom was right. The nuns are not singing "Maria" at the wedding. Firstly, it is not liturgical music and this was a Catholic wedding. We have fairly strict rules of what can be song at Mass in general and Weddings in particular. This is a secular song and would not be allowed. Second, it was meant to reflect back to the beginning to answer the question "What do you solve...."

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The music at the wedding is diegetic. This may not conform to strict Catholic wedding rules, but it's an artistic liberty they took in the movie.

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