was Rolfe a Nazi at the start? - The Sound of Music (1965) Discussion

[–] Gypsy12 9 years ago

He most definitely was. He was conferring with the butler at one of the first scenes, and asked the butler: "I trust everything is in order?" And the butler answered back it is. And the butler even asks Rolf: "Have there been any new developments?" Rolf: "Perhaps".

Why would the butler be conversing with some 17 year old telegram delivery boy like that? He was only 17, so clearly he was in deep at the time for a middle-aged butler to be asking a 17 year old about new developments. Also, the butler was the one who grassed on the Von Trapps as they left that night while pushing the car out. Remember the butler had a light on and saw them walking out, and was seen on the telephone at the same time, to Herr Zeller. Rolf was clearly involved with the Nazis, and so was the butler.

He was ever so CLEARLY a Nazi, from the start.

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[–] kinseisenshi 9 years ago

Gypsy12 is so right on.
Also, in his first scene, didn't he also say 'hi'al Hitler' after he dropped off the telegram? It was obvious to me from the beginning he was influenced by the Nazi regime, and Captain von Trapp just looked at him with disgust.

A person hates you because they either wanna be you, see you as a threat, or hate themself

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[–] annedoe 9 years ago

did anyone miss the point that according to the movie story that the Nazi party took over when Maria and the Captain were on Honeymoon?

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[–] kinseisenshi 9 years ago

Well to be fair, it is a long movie BUT after the honeymoon Georg angrily rips the flag off his house. With the initial question, Rolfe's loyalty was decided at that time. He may not have had much of a choice, but he still supported Hitler.

A person hates you because they either wanna be you, see you as a threat, or hate themself

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[–] browntable759 9 years ago

I think he was just a boy who was doing things to make himself feel big. Because he was delivered telegrams, he knew things that most people didn't, and so he thought he was important. The 16 going on 17 song is sweet, but it shows how immature Rolfe was. He didn't know the first thing about looking after someone else, and he didn't even know that he didn't know.

He had no real convictions. In that final scene between him and the captain, he had a gun and Captain Von Trapp didn't, and he was the one who was terrified. The captain was right. He was only a boy.

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[–] roboh-1 8 years ago

That's similar to how I see it. He was just a boy trying to seem important. I doubt he had any real Nazi sympathies, but they got into his ear and he was easily swayed. You are a talented young man. Officer material. Join the winning team and you'll go far.

I doubt he had any real idea of what was going on in real life. His first time when he was put to the test, he crumbled.

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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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[–] Clusium 9 years ago

It seems he went through such a dramatic change from the 16 going on 17 scene to the garden scene with the captain and the baroness.

Actually, the lyrics of 16 Going On 17 show what a jerk Rolf actually was, if you listen to them carefully.

He was actually being patronizing towards Liesl. He basically calls her "a baby," in that song, just because she was about a year younger than he was. He puffs himself up as a "big man," & belittles HER, in that scene.

Poor old Liesl was so enamoured with him, that she did not realize how insulting his words actually were to her, as a person.

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[–] davedave11 9 years ago

Austria has lots of anti-semites even today -- the Hitler youth had little trouble recruiting

Although, based on the Sound of Music we know that the Nazi's were all about persecuting Catholics