Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Sholom Aleichem (book)
Joseph Stein (play)

Release Date:

3 November 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Musical

Tagline:

a tradition (re-release)

Plot:

In pre-revolutionary Russia, a poor Jewish peasant must contend with marrying off his three daughters while antisemitic sentiment threatens his home.

Plot Keywords:

Jewish | Russia | Pogrom | Tradition | Milkman

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Topol	...	Tevye
Norma Crane	...	Golde
Leonard Frey	...	Motel
Molly Picon	...	Yente
Paul Mann	...	Lazar Wolf
Rosalind Harris	...	Tzeitel
Michele Marsh	...	Hodel
Neva Small	...	Chava
Paul Michael Glaser	...	Perchik (as Michael Glaser)
Ray Lovelock	...	Fyedka (as Raymond Lovelock)
Elaine Edwards	...	Shprintze
Candy Bonstein	...	Bielke
Shimen Ruskin	...	Mordcha
Zvee Scooler	...	Rabbi
Louis Zorich	...	Constable

Runtime:

181 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints) | Stereo (35 mm mag-optical prints)

Certification:

Canada:G (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8 | Ireland:G | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:G | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Gorica, Croatia

Company:

Cartier Productions

Trivia:

During the record setting original Broadway run (3,242 performances) and the need to replace cast members from time to time, those who appeared in the original stage production include Bea Arthur, Adrienne Barbeau, Herschel Bernardi, Bert Convy, Leonard Frey, Maria Karnilova and Bette Midler.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie, the fact that Tevye wants to dance with his wife, as well as Motel and Tzeitel in their wedding, is portrayed in the movie as a scandal. As a matter of fact it is common for Orthodox Jews to dance with their brides on their wedding, this dance is called in Yiddish the Kosher-Tants. It is not prohibited for married men and women to dance with each other, although this does not apply to singles.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tevye: A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But here, in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask 'Why do we stay up there if it's so dangerous?' Well, we stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we keep our balance? That I can tell you in one word: tradition!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dummy (2002)

Soundtrack:

Sunrise, Sunset

The best musical ever made...

..."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.