Fiddler On The Roof

Fiddler on the Roof: A Review By: Natalie E Fiddler on the Roof began as a series of stories about Tevye the Dairyman, first written in 1894 by a famous Yiddish author and playwright. Over time, these stories were adapted for Broadway stage performances and finally, a 1971 film adaptation of the play. It was directed and produced by Norman Jewison, with Chaim Topol starring as Tevye, and Norma Crane as Tevye’s wife, Golde. This film won many awards for its music and acting, being commended as the best staging of this story, although one critic wrote that the story was incredibly boring. When the film opens in the small village of Anatevka, you meet Tevye, a poor dairyman who constantly talks to God about anything from the amount of money he has, to the struggles of finding righteous and scholarly husbands for his five daughters. His wife, Golde, is an excellent housewife who desires to find an excellent match, preferably a rich one, for each of her children. So, when Yente the matchmaker informs Golde that the wealthy butcher, Lazar Wolf, desires to wed her oldest daughter Tzeitel, she grabs her opportunity, sending Tevye to Lazar’s to arrange their marriage. Initially, Tevye is reluctant, but after some consideration, he accepts the offer. When he tells Tzeitel about the match, she weeps, begging her father to reconsider. Soon after, Tzietel’s friend Motel comes in and proposes, informing Tevye of his and Tzeitel’s pledge of marriage. Tevye struggles with this breach of tradition, but eventually gives his permission and, although their wedding was interrupted by a troop of soldiers, both were happy. Months later, a very untraditional Perchik proposes to Hodel, Tevye’s second eldest. She accepts, and they go to ask her father for his blessing, not permission. After a lengthy discussion with himself, Tevye agrees, giving both his blessing and permission. Eventually, Perchick is arrested, and Hodel goes to join him. Soon after, the third daughter, Chava, elopes with a Russian boy who her father forbid her from seeing. When Tevye learns of this, he disowns Chava, telling everyone to act as if she is dead. In the following months, an announcement goes out, ordering all Jews to leave Anatevka. The Jews pack what they can, selling the rest and mourning their imminent departure, eventually leaving in a long line, each to seek his own destination. Tevye was played by Chaim Topol, an excellent actor who, though young at the time of filming, managed to capture the voice and posture of a man nearly twenty years his senior. Norma Crane starred as Golde, Tevye’s wife, giving a very convincing performance of the dream interpreting matron and strict housewife, managing to add a bit of gentleness to her character. Rosalind Harris, Michelle Marsh, and Neva Small depicted Tevye’s three eldest daughters, and each actress played their part well, showing just the right amount of sweetness, spunk, and level headedness for their characters. Another actress of note is Molly Picon, who portrayed Yente the matchmaker as a sweet, silly, absentminded old lady, who is also the town gossip. I thought this movie was quite charming and a good view into small town Jewish life. Though it has been classified as a musical, it should also be a comedy, since the antics of the characters lead to laughs all around, and a drama, because of, well, the drama. One second you are laughing your head off, and the next you feel about to cry. I like this movie because it had a sort of rawness mixed with reality that is rare now. This effect is gained by awesome music and vocals, costumes with noticeable texturing that fit the occasion, and some small form of messiness in the scene. However, I did not like how Tevye’s children continually disobey him and get away with it. Golde also deceives Tevye on multiple occasions. All things considered, this movie was well made, showing an attention to detail in the costumes and characters, bringing them to life with such accuracy, you find it hard to believe they aren’t real.

This is a great movie! Yes, and you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this masterpiece. Perfect casting of characters and I love all the songs. Standouts would be: Tradition + If I Were A Rich Man + Matchmaker, Matchmaker + Sunrise, Sunset + Chava Ballet Sequence. To be honest, I had to watch this DVD in 2 parts since "Fiddler On The Roof" runs for about 3 hours. How Chaim TOPOL (although nominated) did not win the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1972 is beyond me. The Academy folks gave this Award to Gene Hackman for his portrayal of Popeye Doyle in "The French Connesction". Trouble is, lots of male actors could play Popeye Doyle, but if you ask me, how many of them could play Reb Tevye??? It takes a boat-load of talent, and TOPOL does a super magnificent job !!! WOW !!! Perhaps if TOPOL were an American actor instead of being from Israel, he would have won the Academy Award in 1972. God knows !!! (forgive the pun, hahaha) I happen to like Gene Hackman, but the Best Actor Award should have gone to TOPOL. / AND... AND... AND...Excellent Movie but Optional English Subtitles (for the deaf and hard of hearing) was totally DISAPPOINTING !!! Who decided to add subtitles for the conversations.... but not the songs??? After all, "Fiddler On The Roof" is known for its tremendous songs . Why not add English Subtitles for these songs too??? / Anyhow, with all that, "Fiddler On The Roof" still stands as one of the BEST MUSICALS of all time. The wedding song "Sunrise, Sunset" has always been my favourite, and these words will stay with me forever: "Sunrise, Sunset...Sunrise, Sunset... Swiftly Fly The Years...One Season Following Another... Laiden With Happiness and Tears." / ps: As a point of interest, the song "When Messiah Comes" was excluded because of the 3 hour movie length. Too bad, because I heard the original sung by Herschel Bernardi (who sang in the Broadway play) and what a terrific song this was. As Mick Jagger would say: "You can't always get what you want." (I'm a big fan of The Rolling Stones too)

This is a very moving movie. The music holds up, and the story is somber

Fiddler on the Roof (Single-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) Just to be perfectly clear, I want to state right from the beginning that I am reviewing the 40th. Anniversary Edition of Fiddler on the Roof Blu-Ray/DVD Combo! This set comes with two Discs. One is the movie in Blu-Ray with loads of extras & the second is the movie on DVD. As I have only viewed the Blu-Ray Disc, this review pertains to the beautifully remastered Blu-Ray version of the movie only. That said, any problems I have experienced in the past regarding the quality, or should I say lack thereof, on Blu-Ray Discs in general, have been easily rectified by updating the Firmware on my Blu-Ray player. Most Blu-Ray Disc manufacturers recommend this as do I. I am pleased to report that I had no such problems with this Blu-Ray Disc. Fiddler on the Roof is one of my all time favorite classics! In this version, the extremely talented actor, Topol, is still Papa! I absolutely cannot get over how great this film looks in Blu-Ray! I must admit that I was skeptical before viewing the film! However, I was very pleasantly surprised! The Blu-Ray looks beautiful & sounds great as well. I certainly wish I could say the same for several of my old favorites remastered in Blu-Ray. Would they all turned out as well as Fiddler on the Roof! Regarding the inquiry about this version including "Italian Audio 5.1", I only see the following printed on the box for the Blu-Ray: "Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish Mono & French 5.1 DTS". For the DVD: "Audio English 5.1 Dolby Surround, English Mono, Spanish Mono & French Mono". I hope this information is helpful. This version is in Widescreen with an Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1. I must confess that I haven't the means which will enable me to watch one version of a movie directly next to another version simultaneously. However, I was unable to detect any discernible differences between my old VHS version of Fiddler on the Roof compared to this Blu-Ray version. Therefore, if there are any differences, I consider them to be negligible. As is always the case with Amazon.com, The 40th. Anniversary Edition of Fiddler on the Roof arrived very well packaged, with lightening fast speed & was very reasonably priced at the time of purchase. As it so happens, we do not have a Costco in our local area. It would cost much more than $2.00 in gas to drive to the nearest one. I highly recommend this Blu-Ray Version of Fiddler on the Roof! You will not be disappointed.

Classic! Excellent Classic that will Never Be outdated…Good for an Education as well! Fantastic Entertainment done in excellence of music and choreography!! A Must see! Over and Over!

Lots of other reviewers have already described the plot, music, and performers in this excellent classic, so I won't re-invent the wheel here. My 4-star rating is directed more at the technical aspects of this particular DVD edition. To begin with, it comes on a single disk, with the movie on one side and the extra material on the other. The disk itself is plain (i.e., no graphics) and the titles are in teeny-tiny print around the hole in the middle -- print so tiny that I cannot read it without my bifocals. A minor complaint, perhaps, but highly relevant to the senior generation to which my wife and I belong -- the very same generation that is a big part of the market for this movie. Frankly, this format strikes me as a cheap-out -- and why do that with such an important classic? Especially since the list price for this DVD is $19.98, i.e. it's not exactly a "bargain" edition. I would have preferred two separate disks -- even if they cost a bit more -- with different graphics on each. So, I'm docking this edition a star for it's inconvenient format, and I certainly hope this one-disk idea does not become common, heaven forbid. On the plus side, the many interesting "extras" include a very nice background piece, narrated by director Norman Jewison, explaining the history of Jews under the Russian Tzar, the "Pale of Settlement," the pattern of village life, the various social strata, etc., such as portrayed in the film. This is especially useful for showing "Fiddler" to gentile groups who might not even be aware that the characters are Jewish. (REALLY! I have actually met people who thought of Tevye and friends as generic "Russians" and had no idea that the movie was about Jews, even though the opening number, "Tradition," features shots of Hebrew texts and synagogue art. Then again, maybe people don't know the difference between the Hebrew and Cyrillic alphabets?)

I never was a big fan of musicals. To me, they are characterized by an excess of sentimental slush, paper-thin plots, two-dimensional characters and contrived scenarios for an excuse to add another song or dance. However, Norman Jewison's Fiddler on the Roof seems to exhibit more of the genre's strengths than weaknesses. The episodical plot involves the everyday life experiences of a Jewish milkman named Tevye and how each of his three older daughters marry away from the law and tradition, one 'pushing the envelope' a little further than the one before. Tevye is high-strung, hot-tempered, gruff, cantankerous and sometimes plain annoying but if you look beyond his rough exterior you'll see that he really does love and care about his family. One of his most consistent traits is that in spite of having almost no spare time to read the scriptures as he often longs to, he carries on a constant conversation with God. One thing I admire about Jewison's direction is that he doesn't fall into the trap of casting big stars (Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, etc.--all undeniably favorites of mine.) in the leading roles simply because the iconic names would sell more tickets. He chooses his actors based on who is most suited for their parts regardless of their popularity or star status. In other words, he is more concerned with the artistic quality of the film than making a quick buck. Chaim Topol (Tevye) lights up the screen with his stagey, larger than life, multi-dimensional performance in the leading role and won a richly merited oscar nomination although he didn't win it. And it does not matter as the Academy is mostly a popularity contest with actors, having little to do with true merit. You win the trophy, you are the talk of the town for a week and then everyone forgets you in the next two or so decades. What really matters is the quality of your performance--that you gave the audience something to remember for years to come. (Julie Andrews losing out a Best Leading Actress nomination for Maria in The Sound of Music is a perfect example.) Topol can do more with a look in his eyes than most actors today can with an entire script. The scene where Lazar Wolf says "This means a lot to me Tevye because frankly I'm lonely. I like her." referring to Tevye's eldest daughter, and Tevye thinks he's talking about his milkcow is a perfect example. Norma Crane (what a sadly underused actress who died tragically young) is also superb as Tevye's wife Golde, the grumpy old shrew with a heart of gold. The scenes where she and Tevye re-evaluate their marriage "Do you love me?" and where she tells him tearfully that her third daughter has married against their will is profoundly moving. All three elder daughters (Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh and Neva Small) are very well cast. They are not made up to look like fresh new Hollywood starlets; (manicured eyebrows, make-up, lipstick and bangs) they resemble real, plain, ordinary farm girls with freckles, moles, etc.) Usually, I like to see the actresses prettily made up, but here the gritty realism works perfectly. Leonard Frey is solid as Motel the Tailor. If I don't give him the Supporting Actor nomination he recieved, it is not because he is bad but simply because he never really stood out to me in anyway. Molly Picon is hilarious as the eccentric matchmaker Yente. Even in the bleakest moments, she can still find room for a joke. "Well, Anatevka hasn't exactly been the Garden of Eden." The best (and most powerfully done) scenes were: 1. When Lazar Wolf tells Tevye how lonely he is and how he wants to marry Tzitel and Tevye thinks he's talking about the milkcow he wants to buy. 2. Tzietal and Motel's wedding. "Sunrise Sunset." 3. When Golde runs to her husband with terrible news-Chava has married a Gentile. He tells her Chava is dead to them and she must forget her. Golde cries and trembles all over. That part was very emotionally draining. 4. When Chava comes back with her new husband to say goodbye and Tevye ignores her. The expression on Golde's face during this scene is well worth watching. Like Topol, Norma Crane could do more with a mere look than many actresses can do with a whole script. 5. When Tevye and Golde think back over their arranged marriage and discover that they've learned to love one another. "Do you love me?" The musical score was one of the oscar winning features. It deserved it because it was magnificently orchestrated and did a great job balancing the sad and humorous. Oswald Morris' autumn and winter cienematography contains muted, subtle shades of yellow, orange, green, brown, black and white. The only percivable flaw I can find is that some scenes go on a little too long. You could probably cut out fifteen minutes and it wouldn't hurt. One such example is the opening sunrise. We get three minutes of a town's sihlouette before Tevye's narration. The ending is also too drawn out. When Tevye picks up the wheelbarrow with all the family's possessions, he says to his family "Now let's go." and they leave the house. We get another shot of the two youngest daughters opening the gate for him. That would have been the perfect place to wrap it up. But instead we get a series of shots of the other Jews leaving their homes with the constable inspecting them on his horse while the dirge-like "Anatevka" song is repeated over and over. The film editor didn't have to do this because we already know beforehand the villagers of Anatevka are leaving their homes. I recommend this film. Great for discussions and more deep than your average musical. Five Stars.

Excellent movie. Highly recommend

Nominated for 8 Academy Awards and winner of 3. Magnificent film adaptation of broadway play. Topol is excellent in his role as Tevye a milkman with 5 daughters. The film starts with him singing Tradition, accompanied by a fiddler on the roof, violin played by Isaac Stern. Also Sunrise Sunset and If I were a Rich Man and do I love you with wife. Orchestration by John Williams, famed for Indianna Jones and Star Wars theme songs. Topol makes a bargain with butcher who is very wealthy for his daughter to marry but she falls in love with a very shy tailor. Great dance sequence in marriage. Also in tavern Russian dancers excellent as is dancers who dance with bottle on hat. Second daughter falls in love with a revolutionary played by Michael Glasser, and third daughter falls in love with non jew and he is violent in saying his daughter will no longer be part of the family. Tragically the entire village must leave on orders from the Russian government and it is sad to see the village packing up and leaving some for America. Excellent music, great cast and wonderful music. Highly recommended.

Chef d'oeuvre 🏆 UN vrai regale a voir 😍

An enjoyable film and on blu-ray the quality of the film is better

Ich habe diesen Film das erste Mal in Kanada gesehen und völlig begeistert von diesem Musical. Als ich dann in den Geschäften hier danach suchte, fand ich es nirgends. Zum Glück bin ich dann auf Amazon fündig geworden! Dieser Film ist immer wieder schön zu sehen, das Musical ist einmalig! Es bietet nicht nur einen tollen Einblick in das Leben eines kleinen jüdischen Dorfes in Russland während des Weltkrieges, sondern beinhaltet auch wunderschöne musikalische Momente! Für mich volle und ganze 5 Sterne!!!

One of the best to watch.