Fiddler on the Roof (Special Edition) (1971) ( Visit this link)
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Fiddler on the Roof (Special Edition) (1971)
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Film version of the stage musical, based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem. Tevye the Milkman is a Jewish peasant in pre-Revolutionary Russia, coping with the day-to-day problems of 'shtetl' life, his Jewish traditions, his family (wife and daughters), and state-sanctioned pogroms.
This rousing musical, based on the stories of Shalom Aleichem, takes place in pre-revolutionary Russia and centers on the life of Tevye (Topol), a milkman who is trying to keep his family's traditions in place while marrying off his three older daughters. Yet, times are changing and the daughters want to make their own matches, breaking free of many of the constricting customs required of them by Judaism. In the background of these events, Russia is on the brink of revolution and Jews are feeling increasingly unwelcome in their villages. Tevye--who expresses his desire for sameness in the opening number, "Tradition"--is trying to keep everyone, and everything, together. The movie is strongly allegorical--Tevye represents the common man--but it does it dexterously, and the resulting film is a stunning work of art. The music is excellent (it won Oscars for the scoring and the sound), with plenty of familiar songs such as "Sunrise, Sunset" and "If I Were a Rich Man," which you'll be humming long after the movie is over. Isaac Stern's violin--he provides the music for the fiddler on the roof--is hauntingly beautiful. And despite the serious subject matter, the film is quite comedic in parts; it also well deserves the Oscar it won for cinematography.
The extra features (contained on side 2 of the disc) on Fiddler on the Roof are definitely worthy of this incredible musical. The commentary by Norman Jewison and Chaim Topol (billed here as Topol) is informative and brings a new depth to the film (although obviously recorded separately, and thus intermittently redundant). The documentary "Norman Jewison, Filmmaker" delves somewhat into the career of Jewison, but the focus is on following the production of Fiddler and the many difficulties encountered. Be prepared for a sharp contrast when you watch Jewison's modern-day recollections; these were filmed almost 30 years later. Other highlights on this disc are the full color version of "Tevye's Dream" (which can be viewed in side-by-side comparison with the one in the film); Jewison reading the stories of Sholom Aleichem over beautifully drawn pictures; historical context for the film (which might be useful to new viewers to watch first); a song deleted from the film (shown over movie stills); and much more. --Jenny Brown
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Added: Sat Nov 25 2006