Fiddler on the roof- review

United States, 1971
U.S. Release Date: November 1971
Running Length: 3:00 (re-release edit 2:31)
MPAA Classification: G
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon, Paul Mann, Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh, Neva Small, Paul Michael Glaser, Ray Lovelock
Director: Norman Jewison
Producer: Norman Jewison
Screenplay: Joseph Stein, adapted from his stage play and based on "Tevye and His Daughters" by Sholom Aleichem
Cinematography: Oswald Morris
Music: Jerry Bock, adapted and conducted by John Williams
Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick
U.S. Distributor: United Artists

Fiddler on the Roof was inarguably one of the most beloved stage musicals of the second half of the 20th century. Based on a series of short stories by Ukranian writer Sholom Aleichem (the "Jewish Mark Twain"), the Harold Prince production opened on Broadway in September 1964. More than seven years later, when Norman Jewison's screen version was released, millions around the world were already familiar with the story of Tevye and his family. The motion picture adaptation further widened Fiddler on the Roof's audience and increased interest in the long-running play.


During the heyday of the Hollywood musical, the genre was split into two distinct classes. The first is the lightweight comedy, with bright song-and-dance numbers punctuating nearly every key scene and an ending brimming with joy. While there's no shortage of examples of this sort of film, one of the best-known is Singin' in the Rain. Then there's the epic musical, which features a dramatically solid plot, more serious subject matter, and a finale that's often a shade less than triumphant. The Sound of Music stands as a memorable representative of this kind of movie, and it's in that category that Fiddler on the Roof belongs.

The original cut of this film ran about three hours (with an intermission). For a late-1970s re-release, 30 minutes were trimmed, resulting in a leaner version that retained all of the songs and plot points, but lost a few character details. As expected, the motion picture edition differs from its theatrical parent in a number of apparent ways. First and foremost is the tone. Jewison believed that, since film is an inherently "real" medium, the light, irreverent approach of the play might strike a dissonant chord with movie-goers. After all, some of the story material is serious in nature. Consequently, he opted for a more somber style, letting comedy give way to gravity as the anti-Jewish sentiment rises. Also, as is frequently the case with stage-to-screen adaptations, the production is "opened up." Not confined to the inside of an auditorium, Jewison was free to build his own version of the town of Anatevka, which gives greater scope to everything from the opening number, "Tradition," to the concluding exodus.

Fiddler on the Roof takes place around 1910 in a small Ukranian village. It is an uncertain time. Unrest grips the country - unrest caused by the Pogroms (when Jews were driven en masse from their homes), rising anti-Tsarist sentiment (which would lead to the Revolution), and the approach of World War One. The historical realities of the time do not simply provide a colorful backdrop to this story; they are central to all that transpires. A central theme is how the old traditions are disintegrating under the pressure of a world culture that is being re-shaped by industrialization and mechanization.

One of those traditions is the means by which Jews have been married: a matchmaker chooses a wife for a man, the girl's father approves the match, and the ceremony is held. That's how Tevye (Topol) and his wife, Golde (Norma Crane), were united, and that's how the hard-working milkman believes his five daughters should find their husbands. But Tzeitel (Rosalind Harris) has other, modern ideas. She spurns Tevye's selection of a mate, the wealthy butcher Lazar Wolf (Paul Mann), in favor of her childhood sweetheart, the poor tailor Motel (Leonard Frey). Reluctantly, Tevye eventually assents to her choice, but, in doing so, he acknowledges the freedom of all his children. Subsequently, his second daughter, Hodel (Michele Marsh), decides to marry a young revolutionary, Perchik (Paul Michael Glaser). And Tzeitel and Hodel's younger sister, Chava (Neva Small), falls in love with a non-Jew by the name of Fyedka (Raymond Lovelock). This is one match that Tevye cannot countenance, and he warns of dire consequences if Chava goes through with the marriage.

During his opening monologue, which Tevye directs at the audience, the beleaguered man likens living in Anatevka to being a fiddler making music while perched precariously on a rooftop. His words are prophetic, at least for the Jewish segment of the community. While poverty is an endurable hardship, a Cossack attack is not. From early in the film, it is apparent that nothing short of divine intervention will prevent the population of Anatevka from being torn apart, and this is not the kind of story to resort to a deus ex machina resolution. History and foreshadowing conspire to illuminate the inevitable ending long before it is shown.

As with any musical, the focus never strays far from the songs, and Fiddler on the Roof contains a number of instantly recognizable numbers, from the lively and uplifting "Tradition," "If I Were a Rich Man," and "To Life" to the delightful "Matchmaker" and the sublime "Sunrise, Sunset." In all, the film contains more than a dozen songs. Jewison does his best to incorporate them seamlessly into the storyline, which causes "Matchmaker" and "Sunrise, Sunset" to be more subdued than in many stage productions. However, those in search of a particularly rousing rendition need look no further than "If I Were a Rich Man."

The casting of Topol as Tevye was somewhat controversial at the time, especially among the play's many American fans, who were backing the legendary Zero Mostel (Broadway's Tevye). Jewison was open about the reasons he chose Topol over Mostel, who was also in the running. The director felt that the latter's broadly comedic approach to the role might not translate well to the screen. In addition, he was looking for either a first or second generation Russian Jew - a qualification met by Topol, but not Mostel. By the time he made the movie, Topol was already familiar with the role, having played it in London and Tel Aviv productions. His performance, which garnered him a Best Actor nomination, is both bigger than life and deeply human, and provides the glue that hold the movie together.

Topol is effectively supported by a diverse, international cast. Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh, and Neva Small play Tevye's three marriage-age daughters, and the late Norma Crane is his wife. Leonard Frey (Boys in the Band) brought his interpretation of the lovestruck-but-timid Motel from Broadway to the screen. The venerable Molly Picon took on the key role of Yente, the matchmaker, and stage actor-turned-drama teacher Paul Mann is the bug-eyed Lazar Wolf. Finally, Paul Michael Glaser, who was to go on to become a TV star (as Starsky in "Starsky and Hutch") and a motion picture director (The Cutting Edge), is Perchik, who fans the flames of change that sweep through Anatevka.

Fiddler on the Roof is not a perfect motion picture - it is too long and there are times when it's obvious that the musical numbers have been pre-recorded then lip-synched - but it represents an enjoyable three hours (or two-and-a-half, depending on the version). Jewison's attention to detail is undeniable - great care was taken to represent Jewish customs as accurately as possible. The cinematography (by Oswald Morris, who won an Oscar) is gorgeous, starting with a glorious sunrise over Anatevka and concluding with a long-distance view of Tevye and his family silhouetted against a slate-gray sky. For Fiddler on the Roof, Jewison, who had previously gained notice with such films as The Cincinnati Kid and In the Heat of the Night, and who would go on to make ...And Justice for All and Moonstruck, immersed himself in the material, creating an effective and enduring cinematic representation of a great play.