Movie Review: Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Fiddler on the Roof (1971) directed by Norman Jewison

Based on the hit stage musical which was based on a series of short stories, this musical tells the story of Tevye (Topol), a poor milkman with a large family of daughters in Czarist Russia. They live in the small, isolated town of Anatevka, which isn't isolated enough to be free from the threats of anti-Semitic rulers and the intellectual and social revolutions looming in the twentieth century. Tevye is a traditionally-minded Jew who follows the old customs and old laws, though he has a rather frank, almost feisty, relationship with The Lord. He puts complaints and requests for clarification to the Supreme Being in his prayers. His biggest problem is marrying off his five daughters. Eldest Tzeitel (Rosalind Harris) needs to be married first. The village matchmaker works out a deal with the town's butcher, Lazar Wolf (Paul Mann), which makes her parents happy, since he is so wealthy. But Tzeitel has pledged her love to the town's tailor, Motel (Leonard Frey), who is not rich or assertive, making it difficult for him to ask for her hand in marriage from Tevye. The other daughters have their own beaus and woes, making life challenging for simple and honest Tevye.

The musical numbers are quite memorable and well-staged. They have much more breadth and visual flair than could be had in a theater. The outdoor locations have authenticity. The town and Tevye's home are not embellished or romanticized--they live in poverty on dusty streets with worn clothes. When Tevye sings "If I Were a Rich Man," he is dancing in his barn with his animals around him. The squalor fades away in the joy of Topol's performance. He has the screen presence and charm that makes his character so endearing. The production is both lavish and down-to-earth. And it shows the great joy amidst the great suffering that Tevye, his family, and his town endures.

Highly recommended--this is easily in the top five movie musicals of all time.