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Fiddler on the Roof More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 133 reviews in total |
83 out of 101 people found the following review useful:
On the other hand, the good book says that this is an excellent film, 5 June 2005
Author:
Brandt Sponseller from New York City
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.
63 out of 81 people found the following review useful:
To life, to life, la chayim!, 5 December 1999
Author:
Lola-9 from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
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!!"
49 out of 57 people found the following review useful:
A jewel in the crown of musical films!, 8 September 2002
Author:
ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico
*** This review may contain 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...
61 out of 82 people found the following review useful:
From a Goy: One of the best films ever made., 3 November 2001
Author:
RT Firefly from New York
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.
50 out of 61 people found the following review useful:
One of the best of all musicals, 23 January 2000
Author:
Spleen from Canberra, Australia
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.
25 out of 30 people found the following review useful:
A Musical "Tradition!", 27 June 2004
Author:
EmperorNortonII from San Francisco, California
"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.
24 out of 31 people found the following review useful:
The best musical ever made..., 26 July 2003
Author:
Andrew DiMonte (NoArrow) from My House, Canada
..."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.
16 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Keeping The Faith, 12 July 2004
Author:
herbqedi from New York, NY
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
*** SPOILERS ***
This is a truly great movie that happens to be a musical. As with any great
movie, it is a product that geometrically multiplies the visions and talents
of its Director (Norman Jewison) by combining and extracting the best of the
talents of his cast together with his technical crew members.
As a written play, Fiddler On The Roof, was based on a script that was a
true labor of love attempting to extract the best pearls of wit and wisdom
from the remarkably rich legacy of humorist-essayist-philosopher Sholom
Alechem. The superb musical play was heavy on wit and magnificently composed
and choreographed musical numbers capturing-to-a-tee Alechem's spirit and
indomitable drollery. It had steep roots in the Yiddish theater and a
perfect musical-comedy farceur to capture that spirit in Zero
Mostel.
Four years after winning the Oscar for the magnificent "In The Heat of The
Night", Norman Jewison, a Canadian Christian, had the gall (in many eyes) to
attempt to extract still more from his movie. Rather than embrace the
play's Yiddish theater roots, Jewison's movie is more about using Alechem's
anecdotes and the brilliant music to capture the essence of the Russian town
that Anatevka was at the turn of the century, replete with its distinctly
rich Eastern European roots. In order to do this, he made the bold, albeit
unpopular choice, of eschewing Mostel and his New York roots for
33-years-young Israeli actor Chaim Topol who was a smash in the role on
London's West End. This still-controversial choice turned many off and
distracted from the movie itself. This is a pity because I found Topol's
performance astounding and at the core of what I personally consider the
strongest and deepest movie musical ever made.
At its core, the movie version of Fiddler On The Roof focuses on the story
of Anatevka first, using the trials and tribulations of Teyve the milkman
and his family saga as a mirror to capture what is happening to the town,
and as one of the characters notes to Jewish villages like it all over
Russia. As such, this is the story of the unconquerable faith and basic
dignity and humility of Job, extended not just to Teyve, not just to
Anatevka, but to all the Russian Jews of that era who were forced to flee
the homes they loved. Jewison captures the core and the essential truths of
that unconquerable faith coupled with the overwhelming dignity demonstrated
by these survivors continuing to smile and persist in humble faith even as
their oppressors try to kick their teeth in.
To me, one of the most illustrative exchanges is when Motel (Teyve's eldest
son-in-law) reflects, "We always wait for the Messiah. Wouldn't this be the
perfect time for him to come?" Sympathetically but bemusedly, the Rabbi
replies, "Of course we shall continue to wait for the Messiah. We will just
have to wait for him somewhere else!" All at once, the drama, wit, irony,
pathos, faith and essential spirit of Teyve's family and the village leave
its indelible imprint on our brains. Jewison not only captures genuinely
and unforgettably all the emotions and essential truths of Anatevka and the
3,000-year legacy it embodies, but creates a vital new legacy as its now
inseparable companion. Yet, at the same time that the heartwrenching story
of the oppression and exile of the Jews is evoked, and the indomitable
spirit that keeps the culture and religion going is reinforced yet again, it
is brought forth in a manner that allows non-Jews to share in the emotions
and spirit as well.
Since I've given such a long review to a movie and story of great length
already and have barely touched upon its many specific gems, I'll endeavor
to be brief. Norma Crane, Rosalind Harris, Leonard Frey, Paul Mann, Louis
Zorich (later of Brooklyn Bridge), the female actor playing Chava, the
"Greek Chorus of Jewish townspeople" Zev Schooler, and Molly Picon (the last
two being Jewison's concession to the plays Yiddish theater roots) are all
outstanding and unforgettable in their roles. The score (yes three good
songs were necessarily omitted -- how much longer than 3 hours would you
like the movie to run?) is beautifully sung and played, with the
instrumentals simply stunning. The choreography on the Bottle Dance is a
standout. The art direction, sound editing, camera angles, stunning
photography, contrasts, virtually every technical aspect of the movie I can
name -- and I mean EVERY one -- is magnificently executed to augment
Jewison's vision to perfection.
[As nothing is 100% perfect, I'll pick two minor nits -- unlike others, I
thought Glaser missed the essence of Perchik's scholarly radical by
half-an-octave and I thought the beautiful and talented Michele Marsh did
not look physically like she belonged in that family. There I said it. OK,
big deal, they were still more than good enough.]
I generally loathe movies of more than two-and-one-half hours in length.
Fiddler On The Roof and A Man For All Seasons are my two most notable
exceptions. If you enjoy movies made before 1980 at all, and have any sense
of the essential spirit of mankind and what the human race is about, you owe
it to yourself to see this extraordinary opus -- a true masterpiece that
only adds to its relevance with the passage of time.
11/10.
15 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
A musical for the ages, 20 March 2006
Author:
johno-21 from United States
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.
20 out of 30 people found the following review useful:
Fiddler on the Roof, 13 May 1999
Author:
Tim Cox from Marietta, OH
Strong film adaptation of one of the greatest musicals ever. Jewison beautifully recaptures the essence of the Alchiem stories with wonderful cinematography, editing and performances from Teyve, Frey and Molly Picon. One of the last great movie musicals.
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