Opening with the wonderful song "Tradition" which is the overriding theme of the entire musical, with its comedy and its pain, this film is a charming, sentimental telling of the lives and tribulations of a family. The beauty of it is that despite occasional violence against a people, they maintain their spirit through the ages. It's about what every father believes, "There is no one adequate to marry my daughter." Things happen and people get knocked down, and eventually everyone gets to his feet once more. There is the combative relationship between Tevye and his wife, and their love ("but do you love me") that goes pretty much unstated. In the end they continue to stand tall together because what they have put into the world is true love, not the overly dramatic, silly love that permeates our world today. See the movie. See the stage play. You will always leave with an optimistic spring in your step, and wonderful songs in your heart.
207 Reviews
A Musical "Tradition!"
EmperorNortonII27 June 2004
"Fiddler On the Roof" is the stage-to-screen adaptation of the famous musical. It tells the story of Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman in the tiny Russian village of Anatevka. This role is played by Topol, who played the character onstage in the London production of "Fiddler." We see him as a man mired in traditions, but struggling between his devout faith and the changing times when three of his daughters feel the urge to marry. The movie is beautifully shot, and tempers the story, which deals with the harsh realities of Jewish life in pre-Revolutionary Russia, with classic musical numbers sure to put a smile on your face. Between its incarnations on the stage and on screen, "Fiddler" will be immortal.
One of the All-Time Great Musicals
gavin694219 September 2012
In pre-revolutionary Russia, a poor Jewish peasant (Topol) must contend with marrying off his three daughters while antisemitic sentiment threatens his home.
Let me say this right of the bat: while this film may focus on a Jewish family and their struggle to enter the modern world (which may be good or bad), you certainly do not need to be Jewish to enjoy it. I always felt like this film (and "Yentl") were marketed towards the Jewish community, but it need not be. It is just a great story with excellent songs.
I loved the singing, the dancing, the story, the humor, the characters... there was really nothing I disliked about it. I was a bit surprised the eldest daughter was not Barbra Streisand, because they look identical. But, oh well. And I am also a bit surprised that the director was not Jewish, especially with a name like Jewison... but hey, he did a marvelous job!
Let me say this right of the bat: while this film may focus on a Jewish family and their struggle to enter the modern world (which may be good or bad), you certainly do not need to be Jewish to enjoy it. I always felt like this film (and "Yentl") were marketed towards the Jewish community, but it need not be. It is just a great story with excellent songs.
I loved the singing, the dancing, the story, the humor, the characters... there was really nothing I disliked about it. I was a bit surprised the eldest daughter was not Barbra Streisand, because they look identical. But, oh well. And I am also a bit surprised that the director was not Jewish, especially with a name like Jewison... but hey, he did a marvelous job!
Absolutely wonderful!
TheLittleSongbird23 January 2010
I know people have complained about the length of this movie. Yeah, it is long, three hours approximately, but there are so many things that compensate. Norman Jewison's direction is very good, and the film is stylishly filmed, with some nice cinematography and there are nice scenery and costumes. The choreography is great, energetic in parts and graceful in others. Next, the music is outstanding. The incidental music largely reminiscent of Russian folk music is a real treat, but the songs are outstanding. The beautiful "Sunrise, Sunset", the fun "Tradition", the idealistic "Match Maker" and the energetic "If I Were A Rich Man", all amazing. Also, Topol, what an absolutely brilliant performance. He put body and soul into Tevye, successfully mixing humour, wisdom and poignancy and the result is one of the most memorable performances in any musical to grace our screens. All the other performances are wonderful, I liked it all five daughters had distinct personalities, and Norma Crane is fantastic as the mother. The story is both tight and poignant, about a milkman of Jewish values, who wishes his five daughters to marry. In conclusion, wonderful and definitely memorable. 10/10 Bethany Cox
On the other hand, the good book says that this is an excellent film
BrandtSponseller5 June 2005
Epic in plot, setting and length, Fiddler on the Roof tells a surprisingly tight and focused story that has "universal" poignancy--in a nutshell, it's about trying to maintain strong cultural traditions and identity in the face of a continually changing world, partially fueled by the youth, that doesn't necessarily share the culture's values or self-assessment of worth.
The plot is based on short stories written around the turn of the 20th Century by Sholom Aleichem, who was often called the "Russian Mark Twain". Aleichem wrote a number of works based on his character Tevye the Milkman, who has seven daughters (in the film, this was pared down to five). They live in the fictional Jewish shtetl ("village", or "little town or city") of Anatevka in Tsarist Russia in the early 1900s. The stories are "slice of life" stuff. A lot of attention is paid to Tevye's daughters and their potential suitors. One of the prominent conflicts with tradition is a struggle with arranged marriages versus marriages for love, but of course, being set in pre-revolutionary Russia, there are also political changes brewing, some of which have a profound affect on Tevye's family and village.
Aleichem's Tevye stories were first turned into a Broadway musical, which began its initial run in 1964 with Zero Mostel as Tevye. Producer and director Norman Jewison, who had had success with films like In the Heat of the Night (1967) and The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), and who was experienced as a producer and director for musical-oriented televisions shows, including "Your Hit Parade" (1950) and "The Judy Garland Show" (1960), was asked around early 1970 by United Artists to helm the Fiddler on the Roof film. To their surprise, Jewison wasn't Jewish. He got the gig anyway, and in August 1970, began an arduous shoot--much of it done in a small village in Yugoslavia that refused to cooperate when it came to weather (Jewison couldn't get the snow he wanted). He ended up getting a lot of pressure because the shoot went over time and over budget--this was one of the most expensive films of its time, which was an era of economic woes for Hollywood--but of course we know it paid off in the end.
Zero Mostel was out as Tevye, and Israeli actor Chaim Topol, or just "Topol", was in, based largely on Jewison seeing him in the role of Tevye in the London stage production of Fiddler. Jewison had said that he was shooting for more realism in the film, as opposed to what he saw as a kind of campy humor in the Broadway production.
In my eyes, Jewison ended up with a bit of both approaches in his finished film, but that's all for the better. Sequences like the opening "Tradition" montage are hilarious in their juxtaposition of a grand operatic attitude and the rhythmic coordination of cleaning fish, hanging slabs of meat, and so on. Yes, a lot of Fiddler is very realistic, but it's equally humorous and surrealistic most of the time.
The realism is largely thanks to the authentic settings, the fabulous production and costume design, and of course, the superb performances. The humor is a factor of the above with that Mark Twain-ish aspect of Aleichem's stories and the fine script by Joseph Stine.
The surrealism comes largely by way of the cinematography. Some of the visual sense is reminiscent of Marc Chagall's early work and his later, nostalgic depictions of his native Russia, and in fact, the image of the fiddler on the roof comes directly from a Chagall painting. Jewison saw the fiddler as a cross between a metaphor for the Jewish spirit (and this is explained in more detail via a few lines of dialogue in the film) and an actual physical manifestation of a spirit. However we interpret the fiddler, the shots of him and his presence in the film are certainly poetic. Jewison also gives us some fabulous, surreal, wide landscape shots, such as those of agricultural fields and the beautiful "wasteland" in which the train tracks are set. There are a few scenes set on the banks of a river, overlooked by a bridge, that are reminiscent of particular Van Gogh paintings. And as a more subtle bit of surrealism, Jewison had cinematographer Oswald Morris shoot much of the film though a woman's stocking--the mesh is very clearly visible in some exterior shots. Of course, there are also a couple more surrealistic touches in the plot, my favorite being the Tevye's Dream sequence, which features traditionalist Jewish zombies in an operatic attitude.
A musical couldn't be a 10 without great music, and Fiddler on the Roof has it. The songs are a marvelous melding of traditional Russian folk melodies, with appropriate twinges of Orientalism and the expected Broadway sound, but maybe leaning a bit closer to a modern opera. From that description, you might think that the music would be a mess, but all of the songs are inventive and catchy. They are seamlessly melded with the drama, furthering the narrative as they should. The choreography is excellent and it is well shot by Jewison. And Isaac Stern's violin solos are outstanding, of course.
Fiddler on the Roof takes an investment of time--it's three hours long, but it's well worth it. It offers great drama, great music, great humor and great tragedy in a beautiful package--you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll sing, and you just might break a leg trying to dance.
The plot is based on short stories written around the turn of the 20th Century by Sholom Aleichem, who was often called the "Russian Mark Twain". Aleichem wrote a number of works based on his character Tevye the Milkman, who has seven daughters (in the film, this was pared down to five). They live in the fictional Jewish shtetl ("village", or "little town or city") of Anatevka in Tsarist Russia in the early 1900s. The stories are "slice of life" stuff. A lot of attention is paid to Tevye's daughters and their potential suitors. One of the prominent conflicts with tradition is a struggle with arranged marriages versus marriages for love, but of course, being set in pre-revolutionary Russia, there are also political changes brewing, some of which have a profound affect on Tevye's family and village.
Aleichem's Tevye stories were first turned into a Broadway musical, which began its initial run in 1964 with Zero Mostel as Tevye. Producer and director Norman Jewison, who had had success with films like In the Heat of the Night (1967) and The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), and who was experienced as a producer and director for musical-oriented televisions shows, including "Your Hit Parade" (1950) and "The Judy Garland Show" (1960), was asked around early 1970 by United Artists to helm the Fiddler on the Roof film. To their surprise, Jewison wasn't Jewish. He got the gig anyway, and in August 1970, began an arduous shoot--much of it done in a small village in Yugoslavia that refused to cooperate when it came to weather (Jewison couldn't get the snow he wanted). He ended up getting a lot of pressure because the shoot went over time and over budget--this was one of the most expensive films of its time, which was an era of economic woes for Hollywood--but of course we know it paid off in the end.
Zero Mostel was out as Tevye, and Israeli actor Chaim Topol, or just "Topol", was in, based largely on Jewison seeing him in the role of Tevye in the London stage production of Fiddler. Jewison had said that he was shooting for more realism in the film, as opposed to what he saw as a kind of campy humor in the Broadway production.
In my eyes, Jewison ended up with a bit of both approaches in his finished film, but that's all for the better. Sequences like the opening "Tradition" montage are hilarious in their juxtaposition of a grand operatic attitude and the rhythmic coordination of cleaning fish, hanging slabs of meat, and so on. Yes, a lot of Fiddler is very realistic, but it's equally humorous and surrealistic most of the time.
The realism is largely thanks to the authentic settings, the fabulous production and costume design, and of course, the superb performances. The humor is a factor of the above with that Mark Twain-ish aspect of Aleichem's stories and the fine script by Joseph Stine.
The surrealism comes largely by way of the cinematography. Some of the visual sense is reminiscent of Marc Chagall's early work and his later, nostalgic depictions of his native Russia, and in fact, the image of the fiddler on the roof comes directly from a Chagall painting. Jewison saw the fiddler as a cross between a metaphor for the Jewish spirit (and this is explained in more detail via a few lines of dialogue in the film) and an actual physical manifestation of a spirit. However we interpret the fiddler, the shots of him and his presence in the film are certainly poetic. Jewison also gives us some fabulous, surreal, wide landscape shots, such as those of agricultural fields and the beautiful "wasteland" in which the train tracks are set. There are a few scenes set on the banks of a river, overlooked by a bridge, that are reminiscent of particular Van Gogh paintings. And as a more subtle bit of surrealism, Jewison had cinematographer Oswald Morris shoot much of the film though a woman's stocking--the mesh is very clearly visible in some exterior shots. Of course, there are also a couple more surrealistic touches in the plot, my favorite being the Tevye's Dream sequence, which features traditionalist Jewish zombies in an operatic attitude.
A musical couldn't be a 10 without great music, and Fiddler on the Roof has it. The songs are a marvelous melding of traditional Russian folk melodies, with appropriate twinges of Orientalism and the expected Broadway sound, but maybe leaning a bit closer to a modern opera. From that description, you might think that the music would be a mess, but all of the songs are inventive and catchy. They are seamlessly melded with the drama, furthering the narrative as they should. The choreography is excellent and it is well shot by Jewison. And Isaac Stern's violin solos are outstanding, of course.
Fiddler on the Roof takes an investment of time--it's three hours long, but it's well worth it. It offers great drama, great music, great humor and great tragedy in a beautiful package--you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll sing, and you just might break a leg trying to dance.
A jewel in the crown of musical films!
Nazi_Fighter_David8 September 2002
Warning: Spoilers
'Fiddler on the Roof' is about a humble milkman who schemes to marry off his pleasant daughters according to his family's 'traditions.'
'Fiddler on the Roof' is about a simple villager who insists that without their old traditions, he and the other villagers would find their lives "as shaky as a fiddler on the roof."
'Fiddler on the Roof' is about a firm believer who carries on conversations with God, gently complaining about the afflictions the Almighty had put upon him...
'Fiddler on the Roof' is about a soft-hearted father and his self awakening to a "new tradition" which he experiences with his three eldest daughters whose actions call for reform...
'Fiddler on the Roof' is a powerful statement about the evils of prejudice and the importance of maintaining a warm and communicative family life in the midst of severe oppression...
'Fiddler on the Roof' is about traditional values at a time, like today, when there is confusion over those values...
'Fiddler on the Roof' is about love and fear, devotion and defiance, persecution and poverty, pride and dignity, sorrow and oppression...
'Fiddler on the Roof' takes place in the midst of a hostile and chaotic environment...
'Fiddler on the Roof' could be safely placed in the great tradition of film musicals... The songs evoke happiness and tears... The fiddler's hauntingly beautiful music came from the violin of the world's greatest virtuosos, Isaac Stern... Composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick captured the drama and conflict of the story from its incisive opening to, ultimately, the powerfully silent human circle at the very end... Their treatment of the music produced some outstanding hits like 'Tradition.'
'Tradition' is more than a simple musical number... The brilliance of this song is in its ability to introduce the impoverished village and its characters from the figure of the funny fiddler to the pathos and witty humor of Tevye, to the creaky old rabbi, to the bright-eyed matchmaker, to the sharp-tongued Golde, to the indecisive tailor, to the audacious revolutionary, to the enthusiastic butcher, to the Constable who brings that terrible order It is the solid center of the film.. Yet one by one, the traditions that the very poor dairyman of Anatevka and his people have cherished and lived are broken during the course of the film, as marriage are no longer arranged by the 'papa,' as men and women dance together in a public place, and, most grievous of all, as children marry out of their faith... The shattering of these traditions becomes even more intolerable to Tevye in the shadow of other dangerous forces which threaten to destroy the very life he is trying to preserve...
Under Norman Jewison's direction, the entire cast delivers a depth performance and a spectacular energy that brought smiles and tears to the audience... Few musical characters are so fully realized or so deeply engaging...
Topol warms hearts and evokes laughter with his deep humanity, wisdom and humor... He brings his own magnetism and appropriate world-weariness to the role... With his raspy voice, virile appearance, and alternating expressions of compassion and implacability, he reveals his thoughts to the audience, always quoting "the good book." He even shakes a czarist soldier's finger rather than his hand, and questions his loyal wife after 25 years of marriage on whether or not she loves him...
Norma Crane brings out a concerned mother and a devout Jewish woman...
Molly Picon shines as the garrulous Yente, the village matchmaker who fails to arrange suitable marriages for the three strong-willed daughters...
Rosalind Harris makes her plain Tzeitel somehow beautiful... She defies 'Tradition' to marry for love rather than arrangement...
Michele Marsh is Tevye's second daughter, Hodel, the decisive young girl who follows an activist against the repressive regime...
Neva Small is both radiant and pathetic as the delicate middle daughter Chava, who unbelievably chooses love over family...
Leonard Frey is Motel, the young impecunious tailor who tells Tevye that he and Tzeitel had made each other a pledge...
Paul Michael Glaser is Perchik, the radical student from Kiev with liberal ideas, who asks Tevye's blessing, not his permission...
Zvee Scooler is the beloved Rabbi who offers this prayer for the Czar: "May God keep the Tsar...far away from us!"
Nominated for eight Academy Awards, 'Fiddler of the Roof' proves to be a splendid achievement with its strongly emotional songs that grows out of the characters' feelings...
'Fiddler on the Roof' is about a simple villager who insists that without their old traditions, he and the other villagers would find their lives "as shaky as a fiddler on the roof."
'Fiddler on the Roof' is about a firm believer who carries on conversations with God, gently complaining about the afflictions the Almighty had put upon him...
'Fiddler on the Roof' is about a soft-hearted father and his self awakening to a "new tradition" which he experiences with his three eldest daughters whose actions call for reform...
'Fiddler on the Roof' is a powerful statement about the evils of prejudice and the importance of maintaining a warm and communicative family life in the midst of severe oppression...
'Fiddler on the Roof' is about traditional values at a time, like today, when there is confusion over those values...
'Fiddler on the Roof' is about love and fear, devotion and defiance, persecution and poverty, pride and dignity, sorrow and oppression...
'Fiddler on the Roof' takes place in the midst of a hostile and chaotic environment...
'Fiddler on the Roof' could be safely placed in the great tradition of film musicals... The songs evoke happiness and tears... The fiddler's hauntingly beautiful music came from the violin of the world's greatest virtuosos, Isaac Stern... Composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick captured the drama and conflict of the story from its incisive opening to, ultimately, the powerfully silent human circle at the very end... Their treatment of the music produced some outstanding hits like 'Tradition.'
'Tradition' is more than a simple musical number... The brilliance of this song is in its ability to introduce the impoverished village and its characters from the figure of the funny fiddler to the pathos and witty humor of Tevye, to the creaky old rabbi, to the bright-eyed matchmaker, to the sharp-tongued Golde, to the indecisive tailor, to the audacious revolutionary, to the enthusiastic butcher, to the Constable who brings that terrible order It is the solid center of the film.. Yet one by one, the traditions that the very poor dairyman of Anatevka and his people have cherished and lived are broken during the course of the film, as marriage are no longer arranged by the 'papa,' as men and women dance together in a public place, and, most grievous of all, as children marry out of their faith... The shattering of these traditions becomes even more intolerable to Tevye in the shadow of other dangerous forces which threaten to destroy the very life he is trying to preserve...
Under Norman Jewison's direction, the entire cast delivers a depth performance and a spectacular energy that brought smiles and tears to the audience... Few musical characters are so fully realized or so deeply engaging...
Topol warms hearts and evokes laughter with his deep humanity, wisdom and humor... He brings his own magnetism and appropriate world-weariness to the role... With his raspy voice, virile appearance, and alternating expressions of compassion and implacability, he reveals his thoughts to the audience, always quoting "the good book." He even shakes a czarist soldier's finger rather than his hand, and questions his loyal wife after 25 years of marriage on whether or not she loves him...
Norma Crane brings out a concerned mother and a devout Jewish woman...
Molly Picon shines as the garrulous Yente, the village matchmaker who fails to arrange suitable marriages for the three strong-willed daughters...
Rosalind Harris makes her plain Tzeitel somehow beautiful... She defies 'Tradition' to marry for love rather than arrangement...
Michele Marsh is Tevye's second daughter, Hodel, the decisive young girl who follows an activist against the repressive regime...
Neva Small is both radiant and pathetic as the delicate middle daughter Chava, who unbelievably chooses love over family...
Leonard Frey is Motel, the young impecunious tailor who tells Tevye that he and Tzeitel had made each other a pledge...
Paul Michael Glaser is Perchik, the radical student from Kiev with liberal ideas, who asks Tevye's blessing, not his permission...
Zvee Scooler is the beloved Rabbi who offers this prayer for the Czar: "May God keep the Tsar...far away from us!"
Nominated for eight Academy Awards, 'Fiddler of the Roof' proves to be a splendid achievement with its strongly emotional songs that grows out of the characters' feelings...
One of the best of all musicals
Spleen23 January 2000
The range and audacity of `Fiddler on the Roof' is stunning. By comparison today's musicals are timid, quaking things, terrified of frightening their audiences away however much `social relevance' bravado they may assume. This old musical is older than it looks. The film dates from 1971; the musical itself from 1963; but even then it was clear that it was the last of its kind, a delayed swan-song from the 1950s. There's sentiment, but no promise of a happy ending; humour, but not a trace of postmodern knowingness; realism, but and a willingness to indulge in fantasy, too. Musicals can't really survive without fantasy, and `Fiddler', along with `West Side Story', may very well mark the limit of just how serious it is possible to get without losing it. The songs are uniformly good. I don't know if Bock's music was usually so fitting, or if he happened to strike gold just once - not that it matters.
As for the film ... I only wish I'll get a chance to see it in a cinema, for the photography is beautiful - and it IS the photography that's doing it, since we're made to realise that neither the village nor its setting is picturesque in itself. Norman Jewison has assembled a cast not one member of which jars and makes the most of it. This film is quite long, and feels longer, but neither length nor apparent length is a liability.
As for the film ... I only wish I'll get a chance to see it in a cinema, for the photography is beautiful - and it IS the photography that's doing it, since we're made to realise that neither the village nor its setting is picturesque in itself. Norman Jewison has assembled a cast not one member of which jars and makes the most of it. This film is quite long, and feels longer, but neither length nor apparent length is a liability.
From a Goy: One of the best films ever made.
RT Firefly3 November 2001
Let me say up front, I am not predisposed to enjoy a movie like this. On the contrary, as a straight WASP, the last thing I want to watch is a broadway musical or a bunch of Jews 'kavetching' about how bad they have it. That is definitely NOT what this film is about. Though the subject matter is Jewish, to say it is a Jewish film would grossly limit it's significance. It is about the human experience. Any one who has felt pain and persecution will relate to it. Therefore I say every human should love this film. It has an indomitable optimism and remarkable pathos that causes the viewer to empathize with the characters, namely Reb Tevye, played by Topol in arguably one of the finest dramatic performances ever. Considering the lack of success Topol has had with the rest of his career it would literally seem he was born to play this part. This film will most likely not be enjoyable for those looking for spoon fed, mindless entertainment or titillation, but for anyone who appreciates the beautiful things in life, it is high art. I recommend you set aside an undisturbed block of time, (use the can first, it's three hours long) when you are feeling relaxed, eat some good homemade soup and watch this masterpiece. Perfect casting, cinematography, pacing, art direction, wardrobe and best of all, an exquisite soundtrack by the great, and very young, John Williams. Listen to this movie on a powerful sound system and it will sweep you into each musical number. Especially (my favorite) the bar room dance scene. Fiddler on the Roof should be on every top 100 list that exists. Like no other movie I can think of, 'Fiddler' reaches deep into the heart and begs one to look at what things in life are worth living for and dying for.
"One season following another/Laden with happiness and tears..."
moonspinner559 November 2009
Russian Jews in a small Ukrainian farming village in the early 1900s are unaware of the political tensions brewing in the city...and how the new Czarist regime will eventually sweep all of them up into an exodus of change. Popular musical entertainment via Broadway, with heartfelt characters and a universal theme--Old World tradition versus the new ideals--resulting in a production which is alternately robust and bittersweet. The confines of the material (as conceptualized on the stage, where this show ran for nearly eight years) occasionally burdens the narrative, though director Norman Jewison keeps a pretty lively pace. The editing is weak and does the filmmaker no favors, and the camera never seems to be in the right place, however most of the performers are intensely in-tune with this story and bring out the jubilant soul of the piece. Topol stars as simple milkman Tevye, watching as three of his five daughters drift away into the arms of romantic suitors; he consults with God on matters of money and the heart, weighing each circumstance with even reasoning, and compares the attempt at living a common yet balanced life to that of a fiddler on a rooftop. The film would hardly be much more than an old-fashioned, sentimental exercise were it not for Topol, who sings and dances and jiggles across the screen like a circus bear. In Topol, Jewison has found an appropriate way to capture this theatrical happening on film--and actually make it mean something. Several sequences feel lumpen, and too often there's no exaltation at the climax of the musical numbers, but it still works a fiery-eyed kind of magic. *** from ****
To life, to life, la chayim!
Lola-95 December 1999
I love "Fiddler on the Roof" so much it's difficult for me to comment on it in a detached way. I just think about it and I'm filled with emotion. (And I'm not the sentimental type!) It honestly depicts what it means to be human. It contains love, faith, family, friendship, humour, violence, hate, prejudice, change, vulnerability, joy, community, anger...everything. This film is a tribute to the Jewish people, but you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy it. It's so rich that everyone can identify with it, and learn from it.
As for the music, all the songs fit in naturally and stand on their own as classics. "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "Sunrise, Sunset," "If I Were A Rich Man" - need I say more? When Hodel sings "Far From the Home I Love" it's tissue time. They're all so beautiful! If you usually find it hard to take when characters in musicals suddenly burst into song, don't worry, in this film it's so seamless you can't imagine them communicating any other way. The music makes it easier for them to say things they normally wouldn't in conversation.
The characters are so real and down-to-earth. They're strong, hard-working people, who have their priorities straight. I can't write about FOTR without mentioning Tevye - the centre of this whirling story, and a man who, like all of us, struggles with the pace with which his world is changing. He clings to the past, yet accepts what the future may bring. I don't think there is another film out there that addresses how insecure we feel with change. But hey, that's life. "To life, to life, la chayim!!"
As for the music, all the songs fit in naturally and stand on their own as classics. "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "Sunrise, Sunset," "If I Were A Rich Man" - need I say more? When Hodel sings "Far From the Home I Love" it's tissue time. They're all so beautiful! If you usually find it hard to take when characters in musicals suddenly burst into song, don't worry, in this film it's so seamless you can't imagine them communicating any other way. The music makes it easier for them to say things they normally wouldn't in conversation.
The characters are so real and down-to-earth. They're strong, hard-working people, who have their priorities straight. I can't write about FOTR without mentioning Tevye - the centre of this whirling story, and a man who, like all of us, struggles with the pace with which his world is changing. He clings to the past, yet accepts what the future may bring. I don't think there is another film out there that addresses how insecure we feel with change. But hey, that's life. "To life, to life, la chayim!!"
Classic , splendid musical movie with attractive scenes and awesome interpretations
ma-cortes26 December 2021
Based on the long-running Broadway musical and with strong acting from the entire cast , it is set in pre-revolutionary Russia , at the turn of the centure , stars a Jewish peasant named Tevye (Topol) , he's a poor Jew milkman married to a good mother (Norma Crane) who contends with marrying off three of his her five dowry-less , marriageable daughters (Rosalind Harris , Michele Marsh , Neva Small) with modern romantic ideals. Tevye holds traditional values and has only his lame horse , his spouse and his companiable relationship with God , as well as a fantastic violinist (violin performed by Isaac Stern) . Meanwhile , at the idyllic location is growing anti-Semitic sentiment that threatens his village . The screen's most magnificent entertainment returns...filled with joy, laughter, love and life. ...A tradition."Fiddler on the Roof" on the screen. Shout It From The Rooftops!
Wonderful musical comedy/drama with spectacular musical numbers , emotion and Jewish social habits . It is a marvelous film with emotive scenes , enjoyable set pieces and great performances . Interesting and agreeable plot adapted from stories written by Sholom Aleichem and stageplay by Arnold Perl and special arrangement and script by Joseph Stein . Here stands out Topol who's terrific as an afflicted father who gets in problems with his married daughters and the political events happening in the pre-revolutionary Russia . Topol is an Israeli actor who played the role in London , while Zero Mostel was the Broadway star . Including Topol's inspired and unforgettable performance of the hit number : ¨If I were a Rich Man¨. Being well accompanied by an attractive cast , such as : Norma Crane , Leonard Frey, Molly Picon , Rosalind Harris , Michele Marsh , Paul Michael Glaser , Ray Lovelock , Vernon Dobtcheff , among others . All of them create a sense of intimacy in spite of near epic proportions of this lavish and well made production .
Special mention for the sensitive and enjoyable musical score from Jerry Bock and veteran John Williams . Likewise , colorful and evocative cinematography - though sombre at times- by great cameraman Oswald Morris with plenty of golds and browns which surprisingly won him an Academy Award . Finely detailed production design and stunning choreography . This bright film version was very well and professionally produced and directed by Norman Jewison . Norman's treatment of the musical piece is perhaps over-ambitious but really excellent. Jewison is a prestigious and veteran filmmaker . This famous and veteran filmmaker has directed successful flicks, and his greatest film is , of course, ¨Jesus Christ Superstar¨ . He also directed other notorious movies , such as : ¨Agnes of God¨ , ¨Moonstruck¨ , ¨Thomas Crown¨ , ¨Cinncinati Kid¨ and this¨Fiddler on the roof¨ . However , he also got some flops as ¨Bogus¨, ¨In country¨ , ¨Only you¨ and ¨Other's people money¨ and his last picture titled ¨The statement¨. He considers ¨The Hurricane¨ (1999) the last in a trilogy of racial bigotry movies he's realized , the first two being ¨In the Heat of the Night¨ (1967) and ¨A Soldier's Story¨ (1984) . Fiddler on the Roof (1971) rating : 7.5/10 . Better than average .
Wonderful musical comedy/drama with spectacular musical numbers , emotion and Jewish social habits . It is a marvelous film with emotive scenes , enjoyable set pieces and great performances . Interesting and agreeable plot adapted from stories written by Sholom Aleichem and stageplay by Arnold Perl and special arrangement and script by Joseph Stein . Here stands out Topol who's terrific as an afflicted father who gets in problems with his married daughters and the political events happening in the pre-revolutionary Russia . Topol is an Israeli actor who played the role in London , while Zero Mostel was the Broadway star . Including Topol's inspired and unforgettable performance of the hit number : ¨If I were a Rich Man¨. Being well accompanied by an attractive cast , such as : Norma Crane , Leonard Frey, Molly Picon , Rosalind Harris , Michele Marsh , Paul Michael Glaser , Ray Lovelock , Vernon Dobtcheff , among others . All of them create a sense of intimacy in spite of near epic proportions of this lavish and well made production .
Special mention for the sensitive and enjoyable musical score from Jerry Bock and veteran John Williams . Likewise , colorful and evocative cinematography - though sombre at times- by great cameraman Oswald Morris with plenty of golds and browns which surprisingly won him an Academy Award . Finely detailed production design and stunning choreography . This bright film version was very well and professionally produced and directed by Norman Jewison . Norman's treatment of the musical piece is perhaps over-ambitious but really excellent. Jewison is a prestigious and veteran filmmaker . This famous and veteran filmmaker has directed successful flicks, and his greatest film is , of course, ¨Jesus Christ Superstar¨ . He also directed other notorious movies , such as : ¨Agnes of God¨ , ¨Moonstruck¨ , ¨Thomas Crown¨ , ¨Cinncinati Kid¨ and this¨Fiddler on the roof¨ . However , he also got some flops as ¨Bogus¨, ¨In country¨ , ¨Only you¨ and ¨Other's people money¨ and his last picture titled ¨The statement¨. He considers ¨The Hurricane¨ (1999) the last in a trilogy of racial bigotry movies he's realized , the first two being ¨In the Heat of the Night¨ (1967) and ¨A Soldier's Story¨ (1984) . Fiddler on the Roof (1971) rating : 7.5/10 . Better than average .
A musical for the ages
johno-2120 March 2006
I saw this film during it's initial theatrical release and have seen it many times since. I am not especially a fan of musicals and there are very few that I like but this is one of those few. Fiddler on the Roof ran on Broadway from 1964 to 1972 and received a special Tony Award in 1972 for being the longest running musical in Braodway history. In addition it was nominated for nine Tony Awards for 1965 winning eight of them. The popularity of the plays Broadway run spawned Off Broadway performances worldwide from professional theater companies to high school productions. Joseph Stein wrote the screenplay for the filmed version adapted from his book which was based on stories by Sholom Aleichem. The wonderful music of Fiddler on the Roof is from the songwriting team of composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick. Director Norman Jewison had never done a musical before and was best known for the drama In the Heat of the Night and the comedies The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming and The Art of Love. He would direct another musical after Fiddler in Jesus Christ Superstar but would find more success in Moonstruck, A Soldier's Story and ..And Justice For All. Veterna Cinematographer Oswald Morris who was familiar with musicals having photographed Scrooge and Oliver was known for his cinematography in such films as Lolita, Mobey Dick, Goodbye Mr. Chips and The Guns of Navarone. the film Fiddler on the Roof was immediately embraced b the public and received critical acclaim and received eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Director and won three Oscars for Best Cinematography, Musical Score and Sound. the film's setting takes place in the Jewish village of Anatevka, Russia in the year 1905. I interviewed a 101 year old Jewish woman three years ago who was born in a small village outside of Minsk, Russia in 1902 and lived there until 1920. In asking her to describe her village she referred to this film and said it was exactly like what was depicted in the movie. I can't think of a better testament to the production of this film than having someone who lived in a similar village during the time it was set in to see her past in this film. At three hours this runs a little long and it's hard to capture a successful musical stage play on film but this comes as close as you can get. As a musical I would give this a 10 out of 10.
Loud, lively but too long
preppy-35 November 2001
Musical about the life of Jews in pre-Revolutionary Russia. Well-done with good acting (especially Topol) and some good songs and incredible dances...but at 3 hours it's way too long. Some of the songs are real duds and should have been cut and some of the dances go on forever. From what I've heard, this was never a big hit--in fact it was reissued in 1981 cut by 30 minutes! I'm usually against editing films but in this case it needs it. So it's good but overlong.
Too Long & Generally Overrated
ccthemovieman-18 January 2007
This disappointed me mainly because it looked so promising in the beginning. At first this appeared to be an enormously-entertaining story and solid religious one with the main character talking to God all the time.
However, after 90 minutes of viewing this, I wondered if only God could sustain enough interest to keep going. Man, it was b-o-r-i-n-g!
Since I like Israeli songs with all the violin music - and the title infers that, too - I hoped to at least hear a lot of that. Wrong again. Most of songs didn't feature that and they weren't anything to write home about. When they did have some dance tunes that were lively, they - like the movie - went on forever. To be fair some of the songs were good and a few of them became famous, thanks to this stage play-turned-movie, but not enough of them to suit me.
Another thing that turned me off was the typical '60s-70s youth culture propaganda in which the message here was that the old traditions and the people who believed in them are shown to be of little value while the younger man with his new views is shown to be "enlightened." This is such typical Liberal baloney. However, it was nice to see a made-for- adults early '70s movie that was not sleazy. Hallelujah!
If they had cut this from three to two hours, it might have been a lot more watchable. This is way too long and way too overrated.
However, after 90 minutes of viewing this, I wondered if only God could sustain enough interest to keep going. Man, it was b-o-r-i-n-g!
Since I like Israeli songs with all the violin music - and the title infers that, too - I hoped to at least hear a lot of that. Wrong again. Most of songs didn't feature that and they weren't anything to write home about. When they did have some dance tunes that were lively, they - like the movie - went on forever. To be fair some of the songs were good and a few of them became famous, thanks to this stage play-turned-movie, but not enough of them to suit me.
Another thing that turned me off was the typical '60s-70s youth culture propaganda in which the message here was that the old traditions and the people who believed in them are shown to be of little value while the younger man with his new views is shown to be "enlightened." This is such typical Liberal baloney. However, it was nice to see a made-for- adults early '70s movie that was not sleazy. Hallelujah!
If they had cut this from three to two hours, it might have been a lot more watchable. This is way too long and way too overrated.
Ultimate perfection in a musical, and of course TRADITION
roghache7 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Although I'm not normally a great fan of musicals...people on the screen constantly bursting into song for no good reason generally irritate me...this one's a masterpiece. Story, theme, characters (especially the main one, Tevye), and of course, incomparable music.
This musical is set in the Russian village of Anatevka during the early 1900's of the Tsarist regime. It tells the story of the village's Jewish inhabitants (Tevye's family, in particular), their traditions (and the disturbing trend toward departing from them), their hardships and persecutions, and most of all their optimism, camaraderie, humor, and especially faith in God through it all.
Topol is magnificent as the main character, Tevye, the village milkman, who imparts to anyone who'll listen his pearls of wisdom from the Good Book and has conversations aloud (sometimes musical ones) with God, complaining good naturedly about his troubles and of course the importance of maintaining, yes... TRADITION.
He's the father of five daughters and much of the story line revolves around the older three, who reject the old customs of the Matchmaker, Yente, and insist on choosing their own most unsuitable husbands... Tzeitel, who prefers the poor, shy, awkward but endearing tailor, Motel, to the much older, wealthy, ruddy faced butcher (Lazar Wolf) selected for her by her father; Hodel, who chooses a student activist, Perchik, even if it means exile in Siberia; and Chava, who defies her father by marrying a Gentile, Fyedka, in an Orthodox Christian Church. Teyve loves his daughters and always tries to see their choices from the alternate, optimistic side ("on the other hand"...), but some traditions are too difficult to see broken. The issue of Judaism notwithstanding, like all parents of faith even today, Tevye finds it much easier to deal with his son-in-law's economic or political unsuitability than with major religious differences.
My personal favorite scenes are of Tzeitel's wedding...the magnificent cinematography, the beautiful candle lit procession, the solemnity of the sacred marriage vows under the Jewish canopy, the bride supposedly plain but absolutely radiant, the traditional breaking of the wine glass by the groom, all to the moving strains (tears fill my eyes even now) of the immortal "Sunrise, Sunset" which asks the timeless question of every parent at their offspring's wedding...where has the time gone? how did my child grow up so quickly?
This film touchingly depicts the close knit village life (where everyone knows everyone else's business) but especially in relation to the threatening external forces, the pogroms of Pre Revolutionary Russia. Racial prejudice against these Jewish villagers is an ongoing theme, and nowhere is this more dramatically and touchingly revealed than at Tzeitel's wedding reception. I won't give away the details, but your emotional response will be outrage. It's a picture that's worth a thousand words. Lots of humor, too, especially in the interactions between Tevye and his devout, long-suffering wife, Golde. Now, this is a couple that knows the true meaning of love. For me, the funniest scene in this movie was the sewing machine, absolutely precious.
Wonderful music of course throughout. The "fiddler on the roof" plays his hauntingly beautiful strains, especially effective during the moving, emotional ending. All the songs in this picture are catchy but, unlike most ditsy musicals, also have deep meaning. Everyone seeing this movie at the theatre left humming the incomparable, lively "If I Were a Rich Man". In fact, they're probably humming it still.
If you haven't yet seen this musical...and you must be one of the few who haven't...then you absolutely MUST see it. Make sure your kids see it. It's just not acceptable to go through life without the benefit of Teyve's wisdom, and whether you can carry a tune or not, you'll be singing some of these songs in the shower for the rest of your life.
This musical is set in the Russian village of Anatevka during the early 1900's of the Tsarist regime. It tells the story of the village's Jewish inhabitants (Tevye's family, in particular), their traditions (and the disturbing trend toward departing from them), their hardships and persecutions, and most of all their optimism, camaraderie, humor, and especially faith in God through it all.
Topol is magnificent as the main character, Tevye, the village milkman, who imparts to anyone who'll listen his pearls of wisdom from the Good Book and has conversations aloud (sometimes musical ones) with God, complaining good naturedly about his troubles and of course the importance of maintaining, yes... TRADITION.
He's the father of five daughters and much of the story line revolves around the older three, who reject the old customs of the Matchmaker, Yente, and insist on choosing their own most unsuitable husbands... Tzeitel, who prefers the poor, shy, awkward but endearing tailor, Motel, to the much older, wealthy, ruddy faced butcher (Lazar Wolf) selected for her by her father; Hodel, who chooses a student activist, Perchik, even if it means exile in Siberia; and Chava, who defies her father by marrying a Gentile, Fyedka, in an Orthodox Christian Church. Teyve loves his daughters and always tries to see their choices from the alternate, optimistic side ("on the other hand"...), but some traditions are too difficult to see broken. The issue of Judaism notwithstanding, like all parents of faith even today, Tevye finds it much easier to deal with his son-in-law's economic or political unsuitability than with major religious differences.
My personal favorite scenes are of Tzeitel's wedding...the magnificent cinematography, the beautiful candle lit procession, the solemnity of the sacred marriage vows under the Jewish canopy, the bride supposedly plain but absolutely radiant, the traditional breaking of the wine glass by the groom, all to the moving strains (tears fill my eyes even now) of the immortal "Sunrise, Sunset" which asks the timeless question of every parent at their offspring's wedding...where has the time gone? how did my child grow up so quickly?
This film touchingly depicts the close knit village life (where everyone knows everyone else's business) but especially in relation to the threatening external forces, the pogroms of Pre Revolutionary Russia. Racial prejudice against these Jewish villagers is an ongoing theme, and nowhere is this more dramatically and touchingly revealed than at Tzeitel's wedding reception. I won't give away the details, but your emotional response will be outrage. It's a picture that's worth a thousand words. Lots of humor, too, especially in the interactions between Tevye and his devout, long-suffering wife, Golde. Now, this is a couple that knows the true meaning of love. For me, the funniest scene in this movie was the sewing machine, absolutely precious.
Wonderful music of course throughout. The "fiddler on the roof" plays his hauntingly beautiful strains, especially effective during the moving, emotional ending. All the songs in this picture are catchy but, unlike most ditsy musicals, also have deep meaning. Everyone seeing this movie at the theatre left humming the incomparable, lively "If I Were a Rich Man". In fact, they're probably humming it still.
If you haven't yet seen this musical...and you must be one of the few who haven't...then you absolutely MUST see it. Make sure your kids see it. It's just not acceptable to go through life without the benefit of Teyve's wisdom, and whether you can carry a tune or not, you'll be singing some of these songs in the shower for the rest of your life.
Simple, great and very emotional
RodrigAndrisan21 September 2016
Rarely a film so authentic. I saw several movies by Norman Jewison, Moonstruck(1987), ... and justice for all.(1979), F.I.S.T.(1978), Rollerball(1975), The Cincinnati Kid(1965), Bogus(1996), Other People's Money(1991), Only You(1994). I saw also two masterpieces by the same Norman Jewison: Jesus Christ Superstar(1973) and In the Heat of the Night(1967). Fiddler on the Roof(1971) it's his most successful and fulfilled film, in my opinion. The actors are downright amazing: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon, Paul Mann, Rosalind Harris (exceptional), Michele Marsh, Neva Small. The music is very beautiful. There are many movies which lasts only 90 minutes, but you want to finish faster, they are so bad; Fiddler on the Roof it lasts 180 minutes, but you do not want to end.
A Great Musical
atlasmb7 March 2015
Much was made of director Norman Jewison's decision to cast Topol (instead of Broadway's Zero Mostel)as Tevye, but his performance is the single most important factor that makes this a great film. Topol's portrayal has an earthiness to it that makes the farmer/milkman feel authentic. When he pushes his awkward cart through the landscape, you can feel his exhaustion.
Jewison also does a great job integrating the music into the action. Songs like "Do You Love Me?" and "Sunrise, Sunset" spring organically from the action.
The film's themes are universal in nature. Even in his small village, Tevye cannot avoid a changing world. It challenges his beliefs and threatens his beloved traditions. Eventually, it changes every aspect of his life. Finally, he realizes that what his daughter says to him is true--home is where your love is.
Virtually every aspect of this film is excellent, from the dancing to the cinematography. And the cast is wonderful.
Jewison also does a great job integrating the music into the action. Songs like "Do You Love Me?" and "Sunrise, Sunset" spring organically from the action.
The film's themes are universal in nature. Even in his small village, Tevye cannot avoid a changing world. It challenges his beliefs and threatens his beloved traditions. Eventually, it changes every aspect of his life. Finally, he realizes that what his daughter says to him is true--home is where your love is.
Virtually every aspect of this film is excellent, from the dancing to the cinematography. And the cast is wonderful.
Jewish Tradition and the New World
claudio_carvalho25 December 2011
Warning: Spoilers
In the beginning of the Twentieth Century, Jews and Orthodox Christians live in the little village of Anatevka in the pre-revolutionary Russia of the Czars. Among the traditions of the Jewish community, the matchmaker arranges the match and the father approves it.
The milkman Reb Tevye (Topol)is a poor man that has been married for twenty-five years with Golde (Norma Crane) and they have five daughters. When the local matchmaker Yente (Molly Picon) arranges the match between his older daughter Tzeitel (Rosalind Harris) and the old widow butcher Lazar Wolf (Paul Mann), Tevye agrees with the wedding. However Tzeitel is in love with the poor tailor Motel Kazoil (Leonard Frey) and they ask permission to Tevye to get married that accepts to please his daughter.
Then his second daughter Hodel (Michele Marsh) and the revolutionary student Perchik (Michael Glaser) decide to marry each other and Tevye is forced to accept. When Perchik is arrested by the Czar troops and sent to Siberia, Hodel decides to leave her family and homeland and travel to Siberia to be with her beloved Perchik.
When his third daughter Chaveleh (Neva Small) decides to get married with the Christian Fyedka (Raymond Lovelock), Tevye does not accept and considers that Chava has died. Meanwhile the Czar troops evict the Jewish community from Anatevka.
"Fiedler on the Roof" is a wonderful musical for the whole family about Jewish tradition and the new world. The performances are top-notch and this film has been nominated and won several awards, including Best Cinematography, Best Music Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score and Best Sound. The songs are magnificent and my favorite is "Sunrise Sunset" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLLEBAQLZ3Q).
The sequence when Tevye asks Golde whether she loves him or not is delightful. Despite the 181 minutes running time with Intermission, the viewer does not fell the time passing by in this marvelous film. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "Um Violinista no Telhado" ("A Fiedler on the Roof")
The milkman Reb Tevye (Topol)is a poor man that has been married for twenty-five years with Golde (Norma Crane) and they have five daughters. When the local matchmaker Yente (Molly Picon) arranges the match between his older daughter Tzeitel (Rosalind Harris) and the old widow butcher Lazar Wolf (Paul Mann), Tevye agrees with the wedding. However Tzeitel is in love with the poor tailor Motel Kazoil (Leonard Frey) and they ask permission to Tevye to get married that accepts to please his daughter.
Then his second daughter Hodel (Michele Marsh) and the revolutionary student Perchik (Michael Glaser) decide to marry each other and Tevye is forced to accept. When Perchik is arrested by the Czar troops and sent to Siberia, Hodel decides to leave her family and homeland and travel to Siberia to be with her beloved Perchik.
When his third daughter Chaveleh (Neva Small) decides to get married with the Christian Fyedka (Raymond Lovelock), Tevye does not accept and considers that Chava has died. Meanwhile the Czar troops evict the Jewish community from Anatevka.
"Fiedler on the Roof" is a wonderful musical for the whole family about Jewish tradition and the new world. The performances are top-notch and this film has been nominated and won several awards, including Best Cinematography, Best Music Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score and Best Sound. The songs are magnificent and my favorite is "Sunrise Sunset" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLLEBAQLZ3Q).
The sequence when Tevye asks Golde whether she loves him or not is delightful. Despite the 181 minutes running time with Intermission, the viewer does not fell the time passing by in this marvelous film. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "Um Violinista no Telhado" ("A Fiedler on the Roof")
You'll be a richer man for having seen this.
mark.waltz18 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Anti-Semitism has been an issue of the world for millenniums, and as one character here describes the life of a Jew, "Our fore-fathers have been kicked out of many places." "Maybe that's why we always wear our hats", Topol's Tevye gently replies, a touch of irony hidden behind his wisecrack. Tevye is a poor man, but he is a man of the world who understands humanity, both Jewish and Gentile, and he has no issue of socializing on occasion with the Gentile Russians he is surrounded by. He longs to help keep the peace, and for good reason: He has eight daughters who must find good husbands, and a tough wife who keeps him in line. It's all about "Tradition!", though, and Tevye is having a difficult time in accepting the changing times, especially the independence his three oldest daughters throw his way as his ideals of traditional matchmaking are thrown out of the window.
Wife Golde (Norma Crane) surprises him with the news that Yente the Matchmaker (Molly Picon) has come up with a match for their oldest daughter, Tzeitel. It's Lazar Wolfe, the widowed butcher, a man Tevye despises, but after downing a few shots thanks to the rich Lazar, Tevye is convinced that he'll be perfect for the namesake of Golde's beloved grandmother. What he doesn't count on is the fact that Tzeitel and the two daughters next in line all have their own ideas as to what makes a perfect match, and after the rousing "To Life!", Tevye learns the truth when he breaks the news to the love-lorn Tzeitel. Leonard Frey, who had a small role in the original Broadway production, takes over the role of the tailor Motel Kamzoil and sings the beautiful love song "Miracle of Miracles", showing a lot of heart and life in this presumably straight-laced young man.
From there, the two other daughters show their own rebellion, and Tevye's frustration grows. Topol is outstanding as Tevye's traditions are threatened but he finds conflict in his own heart because of his great love for his daughters. He must then confront his own past with Golde, an arranged marriage which introduced them on their own wedding day. While Golde is a bit hard on the surface, you know she is filled with love, at first obvious for her daughters, and even more begrudgingly later for the husband she was seemingly forced to spend the rest of her life dedicated to serving him. "Barking at the servants day and night!", Tevye sings in the show-stopping "If I Were a Rich Man", describing his seemingly harpy wife who has more dimensions than meets the eye.
Molly Picon is adorable as Yente the Matchmaker, and as in everything she ever did on screen, she makes you just want to hug her, even if she is a bit of an unromantic in the way she manipulates every young person's love life. The shot of her at a wedding during the profound "Sunrise, Sunset" is truly revealing as she too can't deny the power of young love, even if it potentially means the end of her life-long profession. Then, there's "Tevye's Dream", the fantasy sequence where Tevye must convince Golde that Lazar Wolfe is not the right match for their daughter. Extremely lavish and slightly camp (especially with the vision of Lazar's late wife Fruma Sarah), it is both a comical and scary nightmare, like something out of a British Hammer horror film.
The long Broadway run featured many Tevye's (most famously the original, Zero Mostel), and Topol, who headlined the British production, is outstanding in every sense. It has been revived many times on Broadway, most recently as 2003 (for a two-year run), and will soon celebrate its 50th Anniversary. The wonderfully sentimental and witty lyrics of Sheldon Harnick (still around as of this writing at the spry age of 90!) and the gorgeous score by Jerry Bock surround a brilliant book, and the production values on this movie are simply breathtaking. Director Norman Jewison and his crew provide many details into the traditions of the Russian Jews of this era that are simple for us Gentiles to catch onto, and you may find yourself engulfed in the culture of these passionate people who would find even more serious struggles in the decades to come. Books on this history of this show and movie give more detail as to the meanings of certain words and phrases, and open the eyes of us who want to reach beyond our own lives and embrace the different cultures of the world. To Life, indeed!
Wife Golde (Norma Crane) surprises him with the news that Yente the Matchmaker (Molly Picon) has come up with a match for their oldest daughter, Tzeitel. It's Lazar Wolfe, the widowed butcher, a man Tevye despises, but after downing a few shots thanks to the rich Lazar, Tevye is convinced that he'll be perfect for the namesake of Golde's beloved grandmother. What he doesn't count on is the fact that Tzeitel and the two daughters next in line all have their own ideas as to what makes a perfect match, and after the rousing "To Life!", Tevye learns the truth when he breaks the news to the love-lorn Tzeitel. Leonard Frey, who had a small role in the original Broadway production, takes over the role of the tailor Motel Kamzoil and sings the beautiful love song "Miracle of Miracles", showing a lot of heart and life in this presumably straight-laced young man.
From there, the two other daughters show their own rebellion, and Tevye's frustration grows. Topol is outstanding as Tevye's traditions are threatened but he finds conflict in his own heart because of his great love for his daughters. He must then confront his own past with Golde, an arranged marriage which introduced them on their own wedding day. While Golde is a bit hard on the surface, you know she is filled with love, at first obvious for her daughters, and even more begrudgingly later for the husband she was seemingly forced to spend the rest of her life dedicated to serving him. "Barking at the servants day and night!", Tevye sings in the show-stopping "If I Were a Rich Man", describing his seemingly harpy wife who has more dimensions than meets the eye.
Molly Picon is adorable as Yente the Matchmaker, and as in everything she ever did on screen, she makes you just want to hug her, even if she is a bit of an unromantic in the way she manipulates every young person's love life. The shot of her at a wedding during the profound "Sunrise, Sunset" is truly revealing as she too can't deny the power of young love, even if it potentially means the end of her life-long profession. Then, there's "Tevye's Dream", the fantasy sequence where Tevye must convince Golde that Lazar Wolfe is not the right match for their daughter. Extremely lavish and slightly camp (especially with the vision of Lazar's late wife Fruma Sarah), it is both a comical and scary nightmare, like something out of a British Hammer horror film.
The long Broadway run featured many Tevye's (most famously the original, Zero Mostel), and Topol, who headlined the British production, is outstanding in every sense. It has been revived many times on Broadway, most recently as 2003 (for a two-year run), and will soon celebrate its 50th Anniversary. The wonderfully sentimental and witty lyrics of Sheldon Harnick (still around as of this writing at the spry age of 90!) and the gorgeous score by Jerry Bock surround a brilliant book, and the production values on this movie are simply breathtaking. Director Norman Jewison and his crew provide many details into the traditions of the Russian Jews of this era that are simple for us Gentiles to catch onto, and you may find yourself engulfed in the culture of these passionate people who would find even more serious struggles in the decades to come. Books on this history of this show and movie give more detail as to the meanings of certain words and phrases, and open the eyes of us who want to reach beyond our own lives and embrace the different cultures of the world. To Life, indeed!
That Touch of Shmutz
wes-connors29 October 2011
In Tsarist Russia, a Jewish milkman steeped in tradition faces a rebellion in both his daughters' marriage choices and world politics. "Fiddler on the Roof" is a great musical filmed as an endurance test. Going for a lower performance key, they replaced original star Zero Mostel with Topol (as Tevye). The latter won praise from voters giving out "Academy Awards" (a nomination), "Golden Globes" (an award) and even the "New York Film Critics" (eighth place). Nothing against all of this, but once Topol raises his hands on the dirt road and steps around in a circle, Mr. Mostel is missed. Lacking Mostel's movement and phrasing, the song "If I Were a Rich Man" is a noticeably lesser highlight. So much for tradition...
Also didn't care for the grainy cinematography, village women's wigs, frightening dream wedding, and battle scene. And, film adaptations of theatrical plays should usually run shorter than their counterparts. Still, Topol and the cast do their best to fill the originals' shoes in the manner stipulated by Norman Jewison. Matchmaker Molly Picon's "Yente" is one-note, but what a note; why didn't she receive a "Best Supporting Actress" nomination? The suitors - tailor Leonard Frey (as Motel), student Paul Michael Glaser (as Perchik), and gentile Raymond Lovelock (as Fyedka) - are perfect. Much of the soundtrack, composed by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, is thrilling - especially the magnificent "Sunrise, Sunset".
******* Fiddler on the Roof (10/21/71) Norman Jewison ~ Topol, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon, Paul Michael Glaser
Also didn't care for the grainy cinematography, village women's wigs, frightening dream wedding, and battle scene. And, film adaptations of theatrical plays should usually run shorter than their counterparts. Still, Topol and the cast do their best to fill the originals' shoes in the manner stipulated by Norman Jewison. Matchmaker Molly Picon's "Yente" is one-note, but what a note; why didn't she receive a "Best Supporting Actress" nomination? The suitors - tailor Leonard Frey (as Motel), student Paul Michael Glaser (as Perchik), and gentile Raymond Lovelock (as Fyedka) - are perfect. Much of the soundtrack, composed by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, is thrilling - especially the magnificent "Sunrise, Sunset".
******* Fiddler on the Roof (10/21/71) Norman Jewison ~ Topol, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon, Paul Michael Glaser
The best musical ever made...
NoArrow26 July 2003
..."Fiddler on the Roof" stars Topol as Tevye, a Jewish milk man (and father of five) living in a small town in the time before WWII. The movie follows him over a long period of his life, mostly focusing on his three oldest daughters getting married, and Tevy's opposition towards their new husbands. Of course, it sounds a little depressing, but believe me, when you here the song "If I Were A Rich Man", you'll change your mind.
Musicals tend to become boring about halfway through (or at the beginning if they're really bad) because of overly dramatic songs or over acting. "Fiddler on the Roof" doesn't fall into this category. The songs please and warm your heart whenever they are sung, and the characters don't either overact or become boring.
Topol is hilarious and dramatic as Tevye, the dancing and singing father who speaks to God (and the audience) out loud. Topol narrates, sings, dances, and mingles joyfully with the other characters, never even coming close to slipping out of character. Tevye will go down in my book as one of the most memorable protagonists...ever.
The only thing going against "Fiddler on the Roof" is its monstrous running time. Not because it gets boring, but because whenever you'd like to watch it, you have to make sure you have about four hours of spare time, 9/10.
Musicals tend to become boring about halfway through (or at the beginning if they're really bad) because of overly dramatic songs or over acting. "Fiddler on the Roof" doesn't fall into this category. The songs please and warm your heart whenever they are sung, and the characters don't either overact or become boring.
Topol is hilarious and dramatic as Tevye, the dancing and singing father who speaks to God (and the audience) out loud. Topol narrates, sings, dances, and mingles joyfully with the other characters, never even coming close to slipping out of character. Tevye will go down in my book as one of the most memorable protagonists...ever.
The only thing going against "Fiddler on the Roof" is its monstrous running time. Not because it gets boring, but because whenever you'd like to watch it, you have to make sure you have about four hours of spare time, 9/10.
A tale worth knowing but it tests our patience.
braddugg19 September 2014
A tale worth knowing but it tests our patience.
I got to know of this through a friend Abhijeet Kulkarni (a big fan of singer Kishore Kumar) who "I like it because its my idols favorite movie" and watched it nearly 3 years back for first time. When I revisited it now I am just all over in love with it for the first hour, the second hour seemed dragging and I had to sit through 3rd just to finish it. Over three hours long, this tale of a family of Tevye (playe by Topol) becomes too sardonic and too painful by the end. Had it been a tad shorter, it would have just right up there as a great movie. Now, still its definitely a good movie and worth watching for many reasons. Top most reason being there to see Topol playing Tevye, the family runner, a man for a family.
Topol is just so fine and brings so much more to the character Tevye is that there is no escape form empathizing, falling in love with Tevye and embracing him for the way he dealt with his things. Setup in 1900's Russia, this is a tale of a family of Tevye who has 5 daughters and he has to get them married, now tradition is what he believes in sticks to and he has to fore go a few beliefs too for his own family and he does that too and becomes so very humane.
Now, did I ever mention that its a musical and oh wow, the music is so good, 'Matchmaker' and 'Do you love me' are two songs that are my favorites and will listen them over again and again. John Williams for sure has produced a supreme soundtrack and worth a collection. So is the cinematography and art direction which are simply superb.
Now, editing is not up to the mark and this being a musical I agree it has less scope and it needed a large landscape to take us and make us delve into the niceties of such place and also its grave atrocities. It's great if looked at as a play for its completely performance oriented but as a movie, I wish it was just shorter by say half an hour.
It's 3/5 for a good movie and definitely worth a watch for TOPOL and surely thanks to Kishore da and Abhijeet for making me watch this.
I got to know of this through a friend Abhijeet Kulkarni (a big fan of singer Kishore Kumar) who "I like it because its my idols favorite movie" and watched it nearly 3 years back for first time. When I revisited it now I am just all over in love with it for the first hour, the second hour seemed dragging and I had to sit through 3rd just to finish it. Over three hours long, this tale of a family of Tevye (playe by Topol) becomes too sardonic and too painful by the end. Had it been a tad shorter, it would have just right up there as a great movie. Now, still its definitely a good movie and worth watching for many reasons. Top most reason being there to see Topol playing Tevye, the family runner, a man for a family.
Topol is just so fine and brings so much more to the character Tevye is that there is no escape form empathizing, falling in love with Tevye and embracing him for the way he dealt with his things. Setup in 1900's Russia, this is a tale of a family of Tevye who has 5 daughters and he has to get them married, now tradition is what he believes in sticks to and he has to fore go a few beliefs too for his own family and he does that too and becomes so very humane.
Now, did I ever mention that its a musical and oh wow, the music is so good, 'Matchmaker' and 'Do you love me' are two songs that are my favorites and will listen them over again and again. John Williams for sure has produced a supreme soundtrack and worth a collection. So is the cinematography and art direction which are simply superb.
Now, editing is not up to the mark and this being a musical I agree it has less scope and it needed a large landscape to take us and make us delve into the niceties of such place and also its grave atrocities. It's great if looked at as a play for its completely performance oriented but as a movie, I wish it was just shorter by say half an hour.
It's 3/5 for a good movie and definitely worth a watch for TOPOL and surely thanks to Kishore da and Abhijeet for making me watch this.
topol a genius
torgulsmith12 May 2013
A beautiful film, every scene perfect, and Topol is unbelievably amazing. How can something so perfect be created...I try, in my own craft, but to see something so faultless, so perfectly manifested...I am in awe of such talent and ability. The art direction, stunning, But really, Topol carries it. A man of faith with intelligence enough to accept change, compassion enough to love through difficult revelations/revolutions.
Was a very significant film from my childhood, for some reason, for a nice Irish-catholic boy, but I remember it well, finding again in my fifties, with a better sense of history, aesthetics, morality, sentiment, religion, tradition, it touches me in a deeply emotional way
Was a very significant film from my childhood, for some reason, for a nice Irish-catholic boy, but I remember it well, finding again in my fifties, with a better sense of history, aesthetics, morality, sentiment, religion, tradition, it touches me in a deeply emotional way
Don't be afraid
littlegoldwoman14 April 2005
I avoided watching this movie for years because of the content. I was thinking "I can not relate with the subject matter or people" .... turn of the century Russia.
I bought it for a dollar at a garage sale and found it quite tolerable and then some. The characters are much more lively then I had judged them to be by looking at the pictures and the dialog is quite humorous at times.
Topal made the movie as the sweet yet stubborn father and husband and if you like music I guarantee you will be humming "If I were a rich man" a day later! And a very nice addition was Paul Michael Glaser the original Starskey from Starskey and Hutch!
Enjoy!
Little Gold Woman (Oscar's Wife)
I bought it for a dollar at a garage sale and found it quite tolerable and then some. The characters are much more lively then I had judged them to be by looking at the pictures and the dialog is quite humorous at times.
Topal made the movie as the sweet yet stubborn father and husband and if you like music I guarantee you will be humming "If I were a rich man" a day later! And a very nice addition was Paul Michael Glaser the original Starskey from Starskey and Hutch!
Enjoy!
Little Gold Woman (Oscar's Wife)
Third-rate "Fiddler"
LilyDaleLady5 February 2006
If you have never seen this on stage, or heard the justifiably famous original Broadway cast album (with the legendary Zero Mostel as Tevye), then maybe this will pass muster. The cast is generally good, it's realistically filmed on location (or close enough) in Yugoslavia, etc. However, there is something really lackluster in the whole production.
The big disappointment is Israeli actor Topol as Tevye. He's younger and handsomer than Mostel, but doesn't sing or "emote" nearly as well, and he has one of those rather odd Israeli accents that are partly British -- certainly NOT Russian -- and that comes off as awkward. Tevye is the prime role, he has the major songs, like "Tradition" and "If I Were A Rich Man", so having a so-so leading man here is fatal to the film. He's also too old to play Tevye on screen -- on the stage, it's OK to have an older actor, but Tevye's oldest daughter is 18 and he was supposedly married at 18 himself, so realistically he is supposed to be about 37. Instead, Topol appears 50 or more with gray hair. (This is also true for the actress who plays his wife.)
The larger flaw of the film is that like a lot of other musicals (the recent "Rent" comes to mind), the film director felt that it had to made on location and as realistically as possible. This just doesn't work well for most musicals, which are intended for the more stylized presentation of a stage and a theater. Forced to look at Tevye's actual barn and animals is very distracting. Plus, with the action staged out of doors, the singing (which is obviously done in a studio) sounds absurd -- where's the echo chamber? LOL!
Despite everything looking "real" in the physical sense, the art direction has gone way overboard in the sense that all the peasants are depicted as living far too grandly for Jews of that time and place. Tevye's house is a multi-story Ralph Lauren summer home, and sits on many acres of land -- in those days, he would have REALLY been a rich man if he had all that. When Tevye sings about being rich and owning chicken, I believe its meant to imply that he's too poor to actually own any -- not an excuse to cut to photography of his flock!
That being said, if you like the music and general story, it's all here, and reasonably faithful to the theatrical production in terms of plot, resolution, etc. Since there is no bringing back Zero Mostel, this is what we have! and probably a bit better than the typical community theater productions that still are around.
In conclusion, I see a lot of reviewers talk about the sadness of the ending, as the Jews are forced to leave Anatevka. Personally, I have never considered this as sad. The film distorts things a bit by depicting Tevye as a landowner with lots of farm animals, furniture, a house, etc. In reality, peasants this poor had virtually nothing. The reality -- as experienced by my own paternal grandmother, who left Russia in 1920 -- is that these Russian Jews came to America to lead vastly better lives in a free country. Not to mention that their children and grandchildren became successful doctors, lawyers, business owners. This is not a sad ending, folks -- it's the happiest ending of all time!
The big disappointment is Israeli actor Topol as Tevye. He's younger and handsomer than Mostel, but doesn't sing or "emote" nearly as well, and he has one of those rather odd Israeli accents that are partly British -- certainly NOT Russian -- and that comes off as awkward. Tevye is the prime role, he has the major songs, like "Tradition" and "If I Were A Rich Man", so having a so-so leading man here is fatal to the film. He's also too old to play Tevye on screen -- on the stage, it's OK to have an older actor, but Tevye's oldest daughter is 18 and he was supposedly married at 18 himself, so realistically he is supposed to be about 37. Instead, Topol appears 50 or more with gray hair. (This is also true for the actress who plays his wife.)
The larger flaw of the film is that like a lot of other musicals (the recent "Rent" comes to mind), the film director felt that it had to made on location and as realistically as possible. This just doesn't work well for most musicals, which are intended for the more stylized presentation of a stage and a theater. Forced to look at Tevye's actual barn and animals is very distracting. Plus, with the action staged out of doors, the singing (which is obviously done in a studio) sounds absurd -- where's the echo chamber? LOL!
Despite everything looking "real" in the physical sense, the art direction has gone way overboard in the sense that all the peasants are depicted as living far too grandly for Jews of that time and place. Tevye's house is a multi-story Ralph Lauren summer home, and sits on many acres of land -- in those days, he would have REALLY been a rich man if he had all that. When Tevye sings about being rich and owning chicken, I believe its meant to imply that he's too poor to actually own any -- not an excuse to cut to photography of his flock!
That being said, if you like the music and general story, it's all here, and reasonably faithful to the theatrical production in terms of plot, resolution, etc. Since there is no bringing back Zero Mostel, this is what we have! and probably a bit better than the typical community theater productions that still are around.
In conclusion, I see a lot of reviewers talk about the sadness of the ending, as the Jews are forced to leave Anatevka. Personally, I have never considered this as sad. The film distorts things a bit by depicting Tevye as a landowner with lots of farm animals, furniture, a house, etc. In reality, peasants this poor had virtually nothing. The reality -- as experienced by my own paternal grandmother, who left Russia in 1920 -- is that these Russian Jews came to America to lead vastly better lives in a free country. Not to mention that their children and grandchildren became successful doctors, lawyers, business owners. This is not a sad ending, folks -- it's the happiest ending of all time!
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