Foil

Character Role Analysis

Maria and the Baroness / Max and Captain von Trapp

By introducing the baroness—a glam, rich, sophisticated, cynical, and self-absorbed city type—the film highlights the qualities of Maria that sweep us (and, eventually, the captain) off our feet: her authenticity, simplicity, her love of nature, and her sweet, loving personality. While Maria begs the captain to pay attention to the children, the baroness plots to ship them off to boarding school right after the wedding. Maria's not afraid to show up dripping wet in her play clothes; the baroness never has a hair out of place

The baroness is a manipulative, grown-up woman, experienced in love affairs, who tries to break off the budding romance between the Maria and the captain. Maria, OTOH, is completely guileless and trusting; she totally falls for the baroness's little trick.

Max's self-absorbed, opportunistic, materialistic M.O. plays well against the captain's principled stance against the Nazi regime. Max is a coward—he plans to go along to get along. He shows us how courageous the captain is to resist the new regime and risk his safety to oppose it. Max isn't really a bad guy, and he respects the captain for his principles. He's just different.