Although I've seen The Sound of Music afew times, both on TV and in movie theatres (the first time I saw it was when it first came out), due to its mixture of sweetness, exuberance, tension and sadness, it does not hold the same special place in my heart regarding movies as West Side Story does. Being Jewish, I also have mixed feelings about the story behind TSOM; The fact that the Captain, a decorated patriotic nationalist who'd been working for the Nazis for a long time before realizing what the Nazis were up to, what they stood for and what they were doing, and finally took himself and his family over the Alps to escape into Switzerland was admirable, but as it turned out, the Swiss themselves weren't so great. In fact, they'd acted horribly themselves during that period.

Some of the songs in TSOM, such as "My Favorite Things" , and the theme song "Sound of Music" were delightful, but I admit to liking the song "Climb Every Mountain" the best, because it sends a strong message to "believe in oneself and follow one's dreams", and to persevere until the desired goal is reached.