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Fiddler on the Roof: A Review
By: Natalie E
Fiddler on the Roof began as a series of stories about Tevye the Dairyman, first written in 1894 by a famous Yiddish author and playwright. Over time, these stories were adapted for Broadway stage performances and finally, a 1971 film adaptation of the play. It was directed and produced by Norman Jewison, with Chaim Topol starring as Tevye, and Norma Crane as Tevye’s wife, Golde. This film won many awards for its music and acting, being commended as the best staging of this story, although one critic wrote that the story was incredibly boring.
When the film opens in the small village of Anatevka, you meet Tevye, a poor dairyman who constantly talks to God about anything from the amount of money he has, to the struggles of finding righteous and scholarly husbands for his five daughters. His wife, Golde, is an excellent housewife who desires to find an excellent match, preferably a rich one, for each of her children. So, when Yente the matchmaker informs Golde that the wealthy butcher, Lazar Wolf, desires to wed her oldest daughter Tzeitel, she grabs her opportunity, sending Tevye to Lazar’s to arrange their marriage. Initially, Tevye is reluctant, but after some consideration, he accepts the offer. When he tells Tzeitel about the match, she weeps, begging her father to reconsider. Soon after, Tzietel’s friend Motel comes in and proposes, informing Tevye of his and Tzeitel’s pledge of marriage. Tevye struggles with this breach of tradition, but eventually gives his permission and, although their wedding was interrupted by a troop of soldiers, both were happy.
Months later, a very untraditional Perchik proposes to Hodel, Tevye’s second eldest. She accepts, and they go to ask her father for his blessing, not permission. After a lengthy discussion with himself, Tevye agrees, giving both his blessing and permission. Eventually, Perchick is arrested, and Hodel goes to join him. Soon after, the third daughter, Chava, elopes with a Russian boy who her father forbid her from seeing. When Tevye learns of this, he disowns Chava, telling everyone to act as if she is dead. In the following months, an announcement goes out, ordering all Jews to leave Anatevka. The Jews pack what they can, selling the rest and mourning their imminent departure, eventually leaving in a long line, each to seek his own destination.
Tevye was played by Chaim Topol, an excellent actor who, though young at the time of filming, managed to capture the voice and posture of a man nearly twenty years his senior. Norma Crane starred as Golde, Tevye’s wife, giving a very convincing performance of the dream interpreting matron and strict housewife, managing to add a bit of gentleness to her character. Rosalind Harris, Michelle Marsh, and Neva Small depicted Tevye’s three eldest daughters, and each actress played their part well, showing just the right amount of sweetness, spunk, and level headedness for their characters. Another actress of note is Molly Picon, who portrayed Yente the matchmaker as a sweet, silly, absentminded old lady, who is also the town gossip.
I thought this movie was quite charming and a good view into small town Jewish life. Though it has been classified as a musical, it should also be a comedy, since the antics of the characters lead to laughs all around, and a drama, because of, well, the drama. One second you are laughing your head off, and the next you feel about to cry. I like this movie because it had a sort of rawness mixed with reality that is rare now. This effect is gained by awesome music and vocals, costumes with noticeable texturing that fit the occasion, and some small form of messiness in the scene. However, I did not like how Tevye’s children continually disobey him and get away with it. Golde also deceives Tevye on multiple occasions. All things considered, this movie was well made, showing an attention to detail in the costumes and characters, bringing them to life with such accuracy, you find it hard to believe they aren’t real.
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Product Description
An outstanding accomplishment in every category" (Boxoffice), this lavishly produced and critically acclaimed screen adaptation of the international stage sensation tells the life-affirming story of Tevye (Topol), a poor milkman whose love, pride and faith help him face the oppression of turn-of-the century czarist Russia. Nominated* for eight Academy AwardsÂ(r), including Best Picture and Best Director, and featuring such classic songs as "If I Were A Rich Man," "Matchmaker" and "Sunrise, Sunset," Fiddler on the Roof is a universal story of hope, love and acceptancea "stunning, joyful and jubilant" (New York Daily News) musical masterpiece.
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : G (General Audience)
- Product Dimensions : 0.53 x 5.42 x 7.53 inches; 2.72 Ounces
- Item model number : 108537
- Media Format : Multiple Formats, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Subtitled
- Run time : 3 hours and 1 minute
- Release date : September 4, 2007
- Actors : Topol, Patience Collier, Norma Crane, Barry Dennen, Otto Diamant
- Dubbed: : Spanish, French
- Subtitles: : English, Spanish
- Language : Unqualified (Dolby Digital 5.1)
- Studio : WarnerBrothers
- ASIN : B000RPCK2E
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,308 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #20 in Musicals (Movies & TV)
- #166 in Kids & Family DVDs
- #195 in Drama DVDs
- Customer Reviews:
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4.8 out of 5 stars
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8,720 global ratings
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1.0 out of 5 stars
I was totally cheated
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2022
I am so disappointed to get this cheap copy, badly copied being the movie’s color is totally inferior. I couldn’t use any other button other than the play button. I ordered the 40th Anniversary Fiddler on the Roof which was supposed to come with the Musical’s CD which was not in the case. I was so disappointed. I requested my money back and being they make it so hard for you to send it back, I just kept it considering it a lost and kept.Next time I’ll paid more for a HD original and get my money’s worth. Feeling Duped 😦
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2022
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Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2013
I never was a big fan of musicals. To me, they are characterized by an excess of sentimental slush, paper-thin plots, two-dimensional characters and contrived scenarios for an excuse to add another song or dance. However, Norman Jewison's Fiddler on the Roof seems to exhibit more of the genre's strengths than weaknesses.
The episodical plot involves the everyday life experiences of a Jewish milkman named Tevye and how each of his three older daughters marry away from the law and tradition, one 'pushing the envelope' a little further than the one before. Tevye is high-strung, hot-tempered, gruff, cantankerous and sometimes plain annoying but if you look beyond his rough exterior you'll see that he really does love and care about his family. One of his most consistent traits is that in spite of having almost no spare time to read the scriptures as he often longs to, he carries on a constant conversation with God.
One thing I admire about Jewison's direction is that he doesn't fall into the trap of casting big stars (Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, etc.--all undeniably favorites of mine.) in the leading roles simply because the iconic names would sell more tickets. He chooses his actors based on who is most suited for their parts regardless of their popularity or star status. In other words, he is more concerned with the artistic quality of the film than making a quick buck. Chaim Topol (Tevye) lights up the screen with his stagey, larger than life, multi-dimensional performance in the leading role and won a richly merited oscar nomination although he didn't win it. And it does not matter as the Academy is mostly a popularity contest with actors, having little to do with true merit. You win the trophy, you are the talk of the town for a week and then everyone forgets you in the next two or so decades. What really matters is the quality of your performance--that you gave the audience something to remember for years to come. (Julie Andrews losing out a Best Leading Actress nomination for Maria in The Sound of Music is a perfect example.) Topol can do more with a look in his eyes than most actors today can with an entire script. The scene where Lazar Wolf says "This means a lot to me Tevye because frankly I'm lonely. I like her." referring to Tevye's eldest daughter, and Tevye thinks he's talking about his milkcow is a perfect example. Norma Crane (what a sadly underused actress who died tragically young) is also superb as Tevye's wife Golde, the grumpy old shrew with a heart of gold. The scenes where she and Tevye re-evaluate their marriage "Do you love me?" and where she tells him tearfully that her third daughter has married against their will is profoundly moving. All three elder daughters (Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh and Neva Small) are very well cast. They are not made up to look like fresh new Hollywood starlets; (manicured eyebrows, make-up, lipstick and bangs) they resemble real, plain, ordinary farm girls with freckles, moles, etc.) Usually, I like to see the actresses prettily made up, but here the gritty realism works perfectly. Leonard Frey is solid as Motel the Tailor. If I don't give him the Supporting Actor nomination he recieved, it is not because he is bad but simply because he never really stood out to me in anyway. Molly Picon is hilarious as the eccentric matchmaker Yente. Even in the bleakest moments, she can still find room for a joke. "Well, Anatevka hasn't exactly been the Garden of Eden."
The best (and most powerfully done) scenes were:
1. When Lazar Wolf tells Tevye how lonely he is and how he wants to marry Tzitel and Tevye thinks he's talking about the milkcow he wants to buy.
2. Tzietal and Motel's wedding. "Sunrise Sunset."
3. When Golde runs to her husband with terrible news-Chava has married a Gentile. He tells her Chava is dead to them and she must forget her. Golde cries and trembles all over. That part was very emotionally draining.
4. When Chava comes back with her new husband to say goodbye and Tevye ignores her. The expression on Golde's face during this scene is well worth watching. Like Topol, Norma Crane could do more with a mere look than many actresses can do with a whole script.
5. When Tevye and Golde think back over their arranged marriage and discover that they've learned to love one another. "Do you love me?"
The musical score was one of the oscar winning features. It deserved it because it was magnificently orchestrated and did a great job balancing the sad and humorous. Oswald Morris' autumn and winter cienematography contains muted, subtle shades of yellow, orange, green, brown, black and white.
The only percivable flaw I can find is that some scenes go on a little too long. You could probably cut out fifteen minutes and it wouldn't hurt. One such example is the opening sunrise. We get three minutes of a town's sihlouette before Tevye's narration. The ending is also too drawn out. When Tevye picks up the wheelbarrow with all the family's possessions, he says to his family "Now let's go." and they leave the house. We get another shot of the two youngest daughters opening the gate for him. That would have been the perfect place to wrap it up. But instead we get a series of shots of the other Jews leaving their homes with the constable inspecting them on his horse while the dirge-like "Anatevka" song is repeated over and over. The film editor didn't have to do this because we already know beforehand the villagers of Anatevka are leaving their homes.
I recommend this film. Great for discussions and more deep than your average musical. Five Stars.
The episodical plot involves the everyday life experiences of a Jewish milkman named Tevye and how each of his three older daughters marry away from the law and tradition, one 'pushing the envelope' a little further than the one before. Tevye is high-strung, hot-tempered, gruff, cantankerous and sometimes plain annoying but if you look beyond his rough exterior you'll see that he really does love and care about his family. One of his most consistent traits is that in spite of having almost no spare time to read the scriptures as he often longs to, he carries on a constant conversation with God.
One thing I admire about Jewison's direction is that he doesn't fall into the trap of casting big stars (Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, etc.--all undeniably favorites of mine.) in the leading roles simply because the iconic names would sell more tickets. He chooses his actors based on who is most suited for their parts regardless of their popularity or star status. In other words, he is more concerned with the artistic quality of the film than making a quick buck. Chaim Topol (Tevye) lights up the screen with his stagey, larger than life, multi-dimensional performance in the leading role and won a richly merited oscar nomination although he didn't win it. And it does not matter as the Academy is mostly a popularity contest with actors, having little to do with true merit. You win the trophy, you are the talk of the town for a week and then everyone forgets you in the next two or so decades. What really matters is the quality of your performance--that you gave the audience something to remember for years to come. (Julie Andrews losing out a Best Leading Actress nomination for Maria in The Sound of Music is a perfect example.) Topol can do more with a look in his eyes than most actors today can with an entire script. The scene where Lazar Wolf says "This means a lot to me Tevye because frankly I'm lonely. I like her." referring to Tevye's eldest daughter, and Tevye thinks he's talking about his milkcow is a perfect example. Norma Crane (what a sadly underused actress who died tragically young) is also superb as Tevye's wife Golde, the grumpy old shrew with a heart of gold. The scenes where she and Tevye re-evaluate their marriage "Do you love me?" and where she tells him tearfully that her third daughter has married against their will is profoundly moving. All three elder daughters (Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh and Neva Small) are very well cast. They are not made up to look like fresh new Hollywood starlets; (manicured eyebrows, make-up, lipstick and bangs) they resemble real, plain, ordinary farm girls with freckles, moles, etc.) Usually, I like to see the actresses prettily made up, but here the gritty realism works perfectly. Leonard Frey is solid as Motel the Tailor. If I don't give him the Supporting Actor nomination he recieved, it is not because he is bad but simply because he never really stood out to me in anyway. Molly Picon is hilarious as the eccentric matchmaker Yente. Even in the bleakest moments, she can still find room for a joke. "Well, Anatevka hasn't exactly been the Garden of Eden."
The best (and most powerfully done) scenes were:
1. When Lazar Wolf tells Tevye how lonely he is and how he wants to marry Tzitel and Tevye thinks he's talking about the milkcow he wants to buy.
2. Tzietal and Motel's wedding. "Sunrise Sunset."
3. When Golde runs to her husband with terrible news-Chava has married a Gentile. He tells her Chava is dead to them and she must forget her. Golde cries and trembles all over. That part was very emotionally draining.
4. When Chava comes back with her new husband to say goodbye and Tevye ignores her. The expression on Golde's face during this scene is well worth watching. Like Topol, Norma Crane could do more with a mere look than many actresses can do with a whole script.
5. When Tevye and Golde think back over their arranged marriage and discover that they've learned to love one another. "Do you love me?"
The musical score was one of the oscar winning features. It deserved it because it was magnificently orchestrated and did a great job balancing the sad and humorous. Oswald Morris' autumn and winter cienematography contains muted, subtle shades of yellow, orange, green, brown, black and white.
The only percivable flaw I can find is that some scenes go on a little too long. You could probably cut out fifteen minutes and it wouldn't hurt. One such example is the opening sunrise. We get three minutes of a town's sihlouette before Tevye's narration. The ending is also too drawn out. When Tevye picks up the wheelbarrow with all the family's possessions, he says to his family "Now let's go." and they leave the house. We get another shot of the two youngest daughters opening the gate for him. That would have been the perfect place to wrap it up. But instead we get a series of shots of the other Jews leaving their homes with the constable inspecting them on his horse while the dirge-like "Anatevka" song is repeated over and over. The film editor didn't have to do this because we already know beforehand the villagers of Anatevka are leaving their homes.
I recommend this film. Great for discussions and more deep than your average musical. Five Stars.
Top reviews from other countries
Finn Holm
1.0 out of 5 stars
Vara medveten om skillnaden mellan Blu Ray och DVD
Reviewed in Sweden on January 4, 2023
Oturen ville jag inte begrep/anade att filmen var på Blu Ray medan min maskin endast klarar DVD.
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF [1971 / 2011] [40th Anniversary Edition] [Blu-ray]
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2017
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF [1971 / 2011] [40th Anniversary Edition] [Blu-ray] Shout It From The Rooftops! The Screen’s Most Magnificent Entertainment . . . Filled With Joy, Laughter, Love and Life!
The heart-warming scenes and uplifting songs of a timeless musical masterpiece meet the spectacular sound and picture quality of Blu-ray for the first time ever to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary is bursting with hours of extras that will keep you entertained from sunrise to sunset. Nominated for eight Academy Awards® and including Best Picture, Best Actor Topol and Director Norman Jewison. ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ tells the life-affirming story of a poor Jewish milkman whose love, pride and faith help him cope with the challenges of raising a family in Czarist Russia.
FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1971 British Society of Cinematographers: Win: Best Cinematography Award for Oswald Morris. 1972 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Music, Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score for John Williams. Win: Best Cinematography for Oswald "Ossie" Morris. Win: Best Sound for David Hildyard and Gordon K. McCallum. Nominated: Best Picture for Norman Jewison. Nominated: Best Actor for Topol. Nominated: Best Supporting Actor for Leonard Frey. Nominated: Best Art Direction for Michael Stringer, Peter Lamont and Robert F. Boyle. 1972 Golden Globe Awards®: Win: Best Motion Picture in a Musical or Comedy. Win: Best Actor in a Motion Picture in a Musical or Comedy for Topol. Nominated: Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Paul Mann. Nominated: Best Director for Norman Jewison. 1972 BAFTA Awards®: Nominated: Best Cinematography for Oswald Morris. Nominated: Best Editing for Antony Gibbs and Robert Lawrence. Nominated: Best Sound Track for David Hildyard, Gordon K. McCallum and Les Wiggins. 1972 American Cinema Editors: Nominated: Best Edited Feature Film for Antony Gibbs and Robert Lawrence. 1972 David di Donatello Awards: Win: Best Foreign Actor (Migliore Attore Straniero) for Topol. 1972 Motion Picture Sound Editors: Win: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing and Dialogue. 1972 Writers Guild of America: Nominated: Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium for Joseph Stein.
Cast: Topol, Norma Crane, Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh, Neva Small, Molly Picon, Paul Mann, Leonard Frey, Paul Michael Glaser, Raymond Lovelock, Elaine Edwards, Candy Bonstein, Shimen Rushkin, Zvee Scooler, Louis Zorich, Alfie Scopp, Howard Goorney, Barry Dennen, Ruth Madoc, Patience Collier, Tutte Lemkow, Marika Rivera, Aharon Ipale, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Vernon Dobtcheff, Ivan Baptie (uncredited), Cyril Bass (uncredited), C.C. Bilham (uncredited), Sarah Cohen (uncredited), Otto Diamant (uncredited), Harry Ditson (uncredited), Harry Fielder (uncredited), Judith Harte (uncredited), Miki Iveria (uncredited), Carl Jaffe (uncredited), H. Krein (uncredited), Hilda Kriseman (uncredited), Joel Rudnick (uncredited), Susan Sloman (uncredited), Nigel Kingsley (uncredited) and Kenneth Waller (uncredited)
Director: Norman Jewison
Producers: Norman Jewison, Patrick J. Palmer and Walter Mirisch
Screenplay: Joseph Stein (screenplay), Sholom Aleichem (adapted from stories) Arnold Perl (adapted from Sholem Aleichem stories by special arrangement) and Joseph Stein (stage play)
Composer: Jerry Bock
Cinematography: Oswald "Ossie" Morris B.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Video Resolution: 1080p [Color by Deluxe]
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 [Panavision]
Audio: English: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish [Latin]: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono, French: 5.1 DTS Surround, Português: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono, Italian: 5.1 DTS Surround, German: 5.1 DTS Surround, Spanish [Castilian]: 5.1 DTS Surround and English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish [Latin], French, Português, Italian, German SDH, Spanish [Castilian], Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish [Latin] and Português [Brazilian]
Running Time: 181 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: 20th Century Fox / Metro Goldwyn Mayer / United Artists
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: I am a massive fan of film musicals and growing up in the early to mid 1960’s and an era when many of the greatest film musicals were made, like the film adaptations of great Broadway shows like “Carousel,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “The Music Man,” “My Fair Lady” and “The Sound of Music” was the typical cinematic fare. Walt Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins’ was another of my all-time favourite film from that era and I remember many a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, I would run off to our local cinema intent upon watching my favourite stars sing and dance their way across the silver screen.
Alas, by the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, just as I was strating to grow up to my young adulthood, those big splashy film musicals suddenly lost much of their allure to audiences in general, but not for me. One film that really successfully bucked this trend was ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.’ For nearly forty years now, this film adaptation of that great, long-running Broadway play of the same name has remained one of the most popular and nay, may I venture to say, the most beloved film musicals of all time. ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ is a beautifully told story of tradition, love and marriage in a Jewish community living in Czarist Russia at the beginning of the 20th century and is based on the 19th century story “Tevye the Dairyman,” by Yiddish storyteller Sholom Alechem.
The story line of ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ [1971] is fairly simple; in Norman Jewison, the director's own words, "It's the story of a man and his God, and his problems with his five daughters." The man, Tevye, who struggles between the traditions of his Jewish faith and the wills of his headstrong daughters, three of whom are of the marrying age and eager to do something about it. In a role originated on Broadway by comic Zero Mostel, the film's casting drew controversy when the man playing Tevye in the London version, an Israeli actor named Topol, was chosen for the part. Topol’s understated performance is what made the film the success it did, and served as a sharp contrast to Zero Mostel's over the top antics that worked best onstage. Topol, however, quickly faded into obscurity after the film ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF,’ as did the rest of the cast, actually with one exception and that was Michael Glaser, as the character Perchik, one of the daughter's suitors, would enjoy some great television success in the kitschy mid 1970's TV series ‘Starsky and Hutch’ as cool policeman Dave Starsky.
Topol is Tevye, who dreams of a better life even as his wilful daughters rebel against his plans of arranged marriages, and the prejudices of the outside world threaten to ruin his cosy existence. John Williams' adapted score was one of the pair of Oscars gleaned from the eight it was nominated for. Jerry Bock's fine songs are actually few and far between, while the plot's political undertones play second fiddle to the trials and tribulations of Tvye. Look out for the actor Paul Michael Glaser from the ‘Starsky and Hutch’ TV Series.
‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ is at its heart a very humorous and poignant examination of that age-old rite of passage from generation to generation, played out in the dusty Russian hamlet of Anatevka in 1905. Director Norman Jewison’s treatment of this story is wonderfully sensitive. Tevye, our protagonist, is a man wedded to the centuries-old traditions of the Jewish culture in which he lives. It’s a culture that calls for him, as the father of five daughters, to arrange suitable marriages for his children, without regard for their desires. The film is played out against the backdrop of the anti-Semitism that was so rampant in Russia during the first decade of the twentieth century. This bigotry rears its ugly head at unexpected points in the film, adding an excellent element of tension and suspense to this wonderful family-oriented comedy-drama.
Norman Jewison was well respected as a director, thanks to ‘In the Heat of the Night’ [1967] and ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ [1968], two very tough and masculine films. Whereas ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ was thus a formidable challenge as it was his first foray into the musical genre. Early on in the project, Norman Jewison determined that the film's success depended on a strong element of realism throughout the production, hence his extensive travels from Canada to much of Eastern Europe. Norman Jewison finally settled on parts of rural Yugoslavia to serve as the film's fictional town of Anatevka. It was a good choice for location authenticity; the crew was able to use many of the area's existing houses and structures as is, without needing to age or distress them to look like early twentieth century Ukraine. The famed English Cinematographer Oswald "Ossie" Morris wanted the look of the film to retain an earthy feel to be able to best communicate the colour and sentiment of the land, so he stuck a nylon stocking over the camera lens. Oswald "Ossie" Morris voraciously defended this technique, which raised a few eyebrows when the cinematography was nominated for an Oscar at the 1972 Academy Awards® as being the ideal shade to convey his message of genuine simplicity.
Ultimately ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ would gross over thirty-eight million dollars; perhaps not surprisingly Norman Jewison attempted another musical in 1973 with the film ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ but it did not do nearly as well. Then Norman Jewison hit a ten-year career slump before successfully remerging with ‘Agnes of God’ in 1984 and ‘Moonstruck’ in 1985 a year later and certainly made a comeback that would cause anyone to shout "MazelTov!" What I feel with this film, and especially which I feel is very relevant in the 21st Century, is near the end of the film one winter day, the Jews of Anatevka are notified that they have three days to leave the village or be forced out by the Czarist government, where Tevye, his family and friends begin packing up to leave, heading for various parts of Europe and the United States and where we see the Constable silently watches as the mass evacuation of Anatevka takes place, definitely a reflection what is happening to communities around where the war torn conflicts are happening on a daily basis and as the famous saying goes, “what goes around comes around,” meaning: The status eventually returns to its original value after completing some sort of cycle. A person's actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person.
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF MUSIC TRACK LISTING
TRADITION [Performed by Topol and Chorus in the pre-credits sequence]
PROLOGUE [Music played during the opening credits]
MATCHMAKER [Performed by Rosalind Harris, Neva Small, Michele Marsh and Chorus]
IF I WAS A RICH MAN [Performed by Topol]
SABBATH PRAYER [Performed by Topol, Norma Crane and Chorus]
TO LIFE [Performed by Topol, Paul Mann and Chorus]
TRADITION (reprise) [Performed by Topol]
MIRACLE OF MIRACLES [Performed by Leonard Frey]
TEVYE’S DREAM (The Tailor Motel Komzoil) [Performed by Topol, Norma Crane, Ruth Madoc, Patience Collier and Chorus]
SUNRISE, SUNSET [Performed by Topol, Paul Michael Glaser, Michele Marsh and Chorus]
WEDDING CELEBRATIONS AND BOTTLE DANCE (Instrumental) [Music by Jerry Bock]
TRADITION (reprise) [Performed by an off-screen chorus]
DO YOU LOVE ME? [Performed by Topol and Norma Crane]
FAR FROM THE HOME I LOVE [Performed by Michele Marsh]
LITTLE BIRD, LITTLE CHAVELA [Performed by Topol]
CHAVA BALLET (Instrumental) [Music by Jerry Bock]
ANATEVKA [Performed by Topol, Norma Crane, Molly Picon, Shimen Ruskin, Paul Mann and Barry Dennen]
Blu-ray Video Quality – 20th Century Fox, Metro Goldwyn Mayer and United Artists have come together to bring us a stunning 1080p encoded image, plus an equally stunning 2.35:1 accurately framed aspect ratio. Much has been said already about the quality of the film transfer, and my observations are consistent with those who have already praised it. The image features excellent contrast, deep and strong black levels, richly saturated colours and although the palette is heavily towards earth tones, but we also get very pleasing, warm flesh tones. Fine object detail is very good and particularly with the close-ups of the actors, though softness inherent to the source material is also apparent from time-to-time. There’s no indication of attempts to “fix” those issues with digital processing tools, and likewise there’s no signs of heavy handed grain reduction. All in all it is a totally amazing and terrific looking transfer befitting a classic film in this 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – 20th Century Fox, Metro Goldwyn Mayer and United Artists gives us a stunning 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix is consistently clear and intelligible. Surround activity consists mainly of support for the orchestral score, though the effect is very nicely balanced and seamless. Detail in the audio track is best illustrated by the Fiddler’s violin solos, which have the satisfying solid sound of the bow grabbing the strings. Low frequency effects are non-existent, but the audio track has great depth and fullness throughout all the musical numbers. John Williams led orchestra fills the surrounds. Ambiance effects are well positioned especially at the start of the film, and the dialogue is very clear and understandable, even with the accents, coming out of the front speakers. Unfortunately, the ADR work sounds very bad, flat and lifeless, and there's a lot of it as they mouthed the lyrics on the set to music played back and sadly it does not sync very well either, which is the only disappointing aspect to this otherwise stunning film.
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
In this Original Theatrical Release, and precisely at around 1 Hour 51 Minutes with the film we get an intermission and the Entr'acte and Music.
Audio commentary by Director/Producer Norman Jewison and Actor Topol: Here we are introduced by Norman Jewison and Topol who were recorded separately but edited together very smoothly. Both of them offer interesting facts about filming in Yugoslavia and also talk about the cast and decisions made during filming. Between the two men, there isn’t any dead space and I enjoyed listening to this, especially Topol’s track which was also really very funny. This is a good commentary track, though Norman Jewison and Topol despite not actually together in the same room. They have each got great titbits on the production, from Norman Jewison’s point of view he needed to make the film as “real” as possible and in order to achieve that sense of realism. When Norman saw Topol appearing in the stage version at the Her Majesty’s Theatre, which is located at the Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London, Norman immediately knew Topol was perfect for the part in the film and was the final reason he chose Topol over Zero Mostel, despite the head of the studio demanding Zero Mostel, but Norman stood his ground and won the day. On top of all that Topol loved playing the part and also felt the part was perfect for him because he had that aspect of being an ideal character that had the Eastern European tradition persona. They each give heart-warming stories about the horse that follows Tevye throughout the film and was very old at the time and loved Topol and we hear how Norman Jewison actually saved it from being slaughtered and ending up in a glue factory, and by sending money back to someone who had a farm in Yugoslavia allowed the horse to live a happy like for another four years grazing on the farm. When you see early on with Topol in the barn, and tells us he was suffering from a very serious tooth ache and that is why he has a pained look on his face. When we see the young daughter walking home with the cow and rescued from belligerent Russian men, she is saved by the handsome Russian man, well Norman informs is that this actor was actually Italian and despite this, felt he was right for the part. When you see the dream sequence in the cemetery, when you hear the rabbi speak, this is actually Norman Jewison doing the dubbed speaking. When we get to the wedding scene ceremony, Norman informs us that to get the right atmosphere on the screen, the film was filmed with a piece of silk stocking over the lens that was offered up to them with a young lady secretary who worked at Pinewood Studio and was also used for the rest of the filming. As we get to near the end of the film and the scene with the Tevye and his family have left their village and the fiddler is following them and Tevye wants him to follow them and that that point Norman Jewison says, “Thanks for staying with us, especially if you have stayed with us this long and it has been an experience for me, and to look at this film again, that was made many years ago and I guess it was one of the Top 30 all-time grossing films and it has played to millions and millions of people all over the world and many languages and thanks to M-G-M and United Artist, and will go onto play for many many more years, and as you read all the credits, it is a film that has had great contribution by a lot of talents and it was an extra ordinary talented group of people, who helped to put all this together and I shall always be eternally grateful to me.” And so ends another wonderful and special audio commentary by the very talented director Norman Jewison and actor Topol, who gave us some many very special moments about the film and also special information about all aspect of the film and what happened behind-the-scenes and one should make an effort to listen, despite being 181 minutes long.
Special Feature: Norman Jewison, Film Maker [1971] [480i] [1.37:1] [49:33] The National Film Board of Canada finds us on location in Yugoslavia and four months into production and looks at the making of the film ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.’ It was very interesting to see him direct on the set and talk about his background and working in the Hollywood system. The production was epic, as well as looking like chaotic mess, especially for the time, and we get to see Norman Jewison throwing hissy fits on the set, especially with a hilarious scene where he is trying to get a flock of geese to react in a certain way to be filmed. We also get to see him agonizing over the non-cooperation of the weather, especially where he wanted snow, but Yugoslavia, where much of the exterior scenes the film ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ were shot, decided not to have snow that November; and Norman Jewison wanted overcast days, but instead it would be sunny. We get to see him chastising his cast. We also get to see him crying at a moving performance. In other words, Norman Jewison is a very emotional filmmaker or at least he was back then. Norman Jewison also gives us behind-the-scenes insights and scoops on the state of Hollywood in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the differences filming in someplace like Yugoslavia versus, say, New York City, "creative bookkeeping", and the "suits'" concern with budgets over artistry. A lot of this stuff is surprisingly candid as well as the emotional outbursts. We see also see images and clips from his previous films like ‘Forty Pounds of Trouble’ [1962], The Thrill Of It All’ [1962], ‘Send Me No Flowers’ [1964], ‘The Art of Love’ [1964], ‘The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming’ [1966], ‘In The Heat Of The Night’ [1967], ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ [1968] and ‘The Cincinnati Kid’ [1965]. One interesting comment Norman Jewison makes is about the actor Steve McQueen that appeared in two of his films and says that he was one of the worst actors he ever had to work with, as he use to mind games. Contributors include Tony Curtis and Topol.
Special Feature: Norman Jewison Looks Back [2007] [1080i] [1.78:1] With this special feature, it is broken up into five separate options. The five sections include: “On Directing” [3:28] Here Norman Jewison talks about how he was hired for the job and how his name played into it and also how Norman Jewison got involved in the film adaptation, in particular how the executive producers reacted when he revealed he was a gentile. “Strongest Memory” [00:57] Here Norman Jewison talks about the cast and the actual villagers from where the film was made and reflecting on trying to capture the film’s iconic image. “Biggest Challenge” [1:11] Here we hear how the weather was Norman Jewison’s worst enemy for this film since they were trying to capture every season on film. “On Casting” [1:20] Here Norman Jewison talks about the controversial choice of picking Topol over the originator of the role of Zero Mostel. Finally “A Classic?” [2:34] Here Norman Jewison attributes the universal success of the film to themes such as tradition that resonate with many cultures including the Japanese people.
Special Feature: “Tevye's Dream” in Full Color: Here we have two separate items relating to the same subject, where we get a look at the full colour version of the concocted dream sequence story by Tevye before it was desaturated for the final film and so nice to have the two comparisons, which is as follows: Tevye's Dream Sequence in Full Color: With An Introduction by Norman Jewison [2007] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 2.35:1] [5:56] and Side-by-Side Comparison [2007] [1080p] [2.35:1] [1:39]
Special Feature: John Williams: Creating A Musical Tradition [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [11:32] Here we get to see master composer John Williams talks about adapting the score of ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ to the Big Screen presentation and tells us his intentions and how he felt about the original work and how grateful he was to be able to work on it and it has John Williams speaking about how important this film was to his career. John Williams also speaks about how he had to adapt the original music from the stage play to play bigger than it had on stage because Norman Jewison had built up this entire world from the foundations of the play. We also get to view some rare black-and-white images of behind-the-scenes of the film and we also get to view some clips from the film. Contributors include John Williams [Composer], Joseph Stein [Screenwriter], Sheldon Harnick [Lyricist] and Jerry Bock [Composer via Telephone Interview, March 2006] (archive sound only).
Special Feature: Songs of ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [14:43] Screenwriter Joseph Stein, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, and original composer Jerry Bock reflect on the creation of ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ signature melodies and lyrics, who were the original team behind the music with a mix of new interviews, and some older recordings which allows all to participate in this segment even though two of them have now sadly passed away. We also get to view some clips from the film, plus we also get to hear personal and insightful comments from Joseph Stein [Screenwriter], Sheldon Harnick [Lyricist] and Jerry Bock [Composer via Telephone Interview, March 2006] (archive sound only) talk about the original play and how much they really liked the film version.
Special Feature: Deleted Song: “Any Day Now” [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [3:07] This song was meant to introduce Perchik [Paul Michael Glaser] to the film, but was decided not to be included in the film and we get to hear a rare audio demo song of the deleted musical number “Any Day Now,” but thankfully was saved and kindly provided by composer Jerry Brock. Since it was never filmed, here it is accompanied by a series of black-and-white and colour still images, as well clips from the film.
Special Feature: Tevye's Daughters [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [16:28] Here we get a hear the three oldest daughters that appeared in the film, which are Rosalind Harris [Tzeitel], Neva Small [Chava] and Michele Marsh [Hodel] talk about how they were hired for the film and recount their experiences working on the film. We also get to hear comments from Lynn Stalmaster [Casting Director] and Sheldon Harnick [Lyricist]. This is a wonderful interview with the three woman and they each talk about how important the film was to them personally and what an amazing time in their lives it was to be in this wonderful film. They also praise the director Norman Jewison, as they found him to be a very kind person and also felt he had a soul. We also once again get to see some rare black-and-white and colour behind-the-scene images from the film, as well as clips from the film.
Special Feature: Set In Reality Production Design [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [9:50] Here we get a talk with Robert Boyle [Production Designer] who discusses the locations and sets in making an effort to make the village look real and well used. Robert Boyle also informs us how he really wanted Anatevka to be a real place and not just a film set and that is why so many pains went into making the place seem as real as possible. Apparently due to the German army in the Second World War removed and destroyed so many towns like the one in this film, it was difficult to find the perfect shooting location, but in Yugoslavia they were able to find just the right location. We also get to compare the roughly drawn storyboards with the actual film clips from the film, as well as rare black-and-white images.
Special Feature: Storyboard To Film Comparison [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [21:04] Here we get to view a view the comparison of several musical sequences from the roughly drawn storyboards and with the finished scenes in the film, especially relating to Tradition; Matchmaker; Introduction to Miracle of Miracles; Tevye’s Dream; Lazar Wolf and Tevye.
Special Feature: Trailers, Teasers and TV Spots: Here we to view six separate trailers and they are as follows: Original Theatrical Trailer [1971] [480i] [1.33:1] [4:04]. Original Re-release Theatrical Trailer [1971] [480i] [1.33:1] [1:52]. “Reserve Your Seat” Teaser [1971] [480i] [1.33:1] [1:46] With information for reserve seat ticket purchasing. “Will Rogers” Teaser [1971] [480i] [1.33:1] [2:03] This was a screening to benefit the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital. TV Spot [1971] [480i] [1.33:1] [00:31]. TV Spot [1979] [480i] [1.33:1] [00:28] to promote the theatrical re-release. With the “Reserve Your Seat” and “Will Rogers” Teaser Trailers, for some unknown reason they showed the image squeezed that should have been viewed in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio.
Finally, ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ [1971] is a totally sheer delightful film from start to finish! The acting is wonderful throughout, performed to perfection by a strong ensemble cast. There is a marvellous chemistry among all the actors, so it’s hard to single out any one performance as being more exceptional than the others. Topol who was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award® for his performance and reprises his Broadway role as the tradition-bound yet dreamy Tevye and he succeeded the late Zero Mostel, who originally played Tevye on stage. The late Norma Crane is equally brilliant as the strong-willed, sharp-tongued Golde. The part of Perchik, the radical student who wins the heard of Hodel, is expertly played by one of the few widely recognizable faces in the cast Paul Michael Glaser. This film version of ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ remains remarkably true to the stage version. Despite the length of the film, which is nearly three hours long, but despite this the film ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ is sheer magic and entertainment at its best. It also offers some great music that makes you want to get up and sing the “IF I WAS A RICH MAN” and feel you are dancing with Tevye. Norman Jewison did an admirable job directing this film, because it could have easily veered away into saccharine or gone too dark. The film does an admirable job of blending generous humour along with some heavy themes. Add in the amazing original music and the contributions of John Williams and you have a winner. So, go ahead journey back in time to the dusty Russian village of Anatevka and fall in love with Tevye and Golde and Lazar Wolf, Yente, Mendel and Mordcha. It is a journey well worth making! Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
The heart-warming scenes and uplifting songs of a timeless musical masterpiece meet the spectacular sound and picture quality of Blu-ray for the first time ever to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary is bursting with hours of extras that will keep you entertained from sunrise to sunset. Nominated for eight Academy Awards® and including Best Picture, Best Actor Topol and Director Norman Jewison. ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ tells the life-affirming story of a poor Jewish milkman whose love, pride and faith help him cope with the challenges of raising a family in Czarist Russia.
FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1971 British Society of Cinematographers: Win: Best Cinematography Award for Oswald Morris. 1972 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Music, Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score for John Williams. Win: Best Cinematography for Oswald "Ossie" Morris. Win: Best Sound for David Hildyard and Gordon K. McCallum. Nominated: Best Picture for Norman Jewison. Nominated: Best Actor for Topol. Nominated: Best Supporting Actor for Leonard Frey. Nominated: Best Art Direction for Michael Stringer, Peter Lamont and Robert F. Boyle. 1972 Golden Globe Awards®: Win: Best Motion Picture in a Musical or Comedy. Win: Best Actor in a Motion Picture in a Musical or Comedy for Topol. Nominated: Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Paul Mann. Nominated: Best Director for Norman Jewison. 1972 BAFTA Awards®: Nominated: Best Cinematography for Oswald Morris. Nominated: Best Editing for Antony Gibbs and Robert Lawrence. Nominated: Best Sound Track for David Hildyard, Gordon K. McCallum and Les Wiggins. 1972 American Cinema Editors: Nominated: Best Edited Feature Film for Antony Gibbs and Robert Lawrence. 1972 David di Donatello Awards: Win: Best Foreign Actor (Migliore Attore Straniero) for Topol. 1972 Motion Picture Sound Editors: Win: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing and Dialogue. 1972 Writers Guild of America: Nominated: Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium for Joseph Stein.
Cast: Topol, Norma Crane, Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh, Neva Small, Molly Picon, Paul Mann, Leonard Frey, Paul Michael Glaser, Raymond Lovelock, Elaine Edwards, Candy Bonstein, Shimen Rushkin, Zvee Scooler, Louis Zorich, Alfie Scopp, Howard Goorney, Barry Dennen, Ruth Madoc, Patience Collier, Tutte Lemkow, Marika Rivera, Aharon Ipale, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Vernon Dobtcheff, Ivan Baptie (uncredited), Cyril Bass (uncredited), C.C. Bilham (uncredited), Sarah Cohen (uncredited), Otto Diamant (uncredited), Harry Ditson (uncredited), Harry Fielder (uncredited), Judith Harte (uncredited), Miki Iveria (uncredited), Carl Jaffe (uncredited), H. Krein (uncredited), Hilda Kriseman (uncredited), Joel Rudnick (uncredited), Susan Sloman (uncredited), Nigel Kingsley (uncredited) and Kenneth Waller (uncredited)
Director: Norman Jewison
Producers: Norman Jewison, Patrick J. Palmer and Walter Mirisch
Screenplay: Joseph Stein (screenplay), Sholom Aleichem (adapted from stories) Arnold Perl (adapted from Sholem Aleichem stories by special arrangement) and Joseph Stein (stage play)
Composer: Jerry Bock
Cinematography: Oswald "Ossie" Morris B.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Video Resolution: 1080p [Color by Deluxe]
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 [Panavision]
Audio: English: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish [Latin]: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono, French: 5.1 DTS Surround, Português: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono, Italian: 5.1 DTS Surround, German: 5.1 DTS Surround, Spanish [Castilian]: 5.1 DTS Surround and English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish [Latin], French, Português, Italian, German SDH, Spanish [Castilian], Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish [Latin] and Português [Brazilian]
Running Time: 181 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: 20th Century Fox / Metro Goldwyn Mayer / United Artists
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: I am a massive fan of film musicals and growing up in the early to mid 1960’s and an era when many of the greatest film musicals were made, like the film adaptations of great Broadway shows like “Carousel,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “The Music Man,” “My Fair Lady” and “The Sound of Music” was the typical cinematic fare. Walt Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins’ was another of my all-time favourite film from that era and I remember many a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, I would run off to our local cinema intent upon watching my favourite stars sing and dance their way across the silver screen.
Alas, by the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, just as I was strating to grow up to my young adulthood, those big splashy film musicals suddenly lost much of their allure to audiences in general, but not for me. One film that really successfully bucked this trend was ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.’ For nearly forty years now, this film adaptation of that great, long-running Broadway play of the same name has remained one of the most popular and nay, may I venture to say, the most beloved film musicals of all time. ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ is a beautifully told story of tradition, love and marriage in a Jewish community living in Czarist Russia at the beginning of the 20th century and is based on the 19th century story “Tevye the Dairyman,” by Yiddish storyteller Sholom Alechem.
The story line of ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ [1971] is fairly simple; in Norman Jewison, the director's own words, "It's the story of a man and his God, and his problems with his five daughters." The man, Tevye, who struggles between the traditions of his Jewish faith and the wills of his headstrong daughters, three of whom are of the marrying age and eager to do something about it. In a role originated on Broadway by comic Zero Mostel, the film's casting drew controversy when the man playing Tevye in the London version, an Israeli actor named Topol, was chosen for the part. Topol’s understated performance is what made the film the success it did, and served as a sharp contrast to Zero Mostel's over the top antics that worked best onstage. Topol, however, quickly faded into obscurity after the film ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF,’ as did the rest of the cast, actually with one exception and that was Michael Glaser, as the character Perchik, one of the daughter's suitors, would enjoy some great television success in the kitschy mid 1970's TV series ‘Starsky and Hutch’ as cool policeman Dave Starsky.
Topol is Tevye, who dreams of a better life even as his wilful daughters rebel against his plans of arranged marriages, and the prejudices of the outside world threaten to ruin his cosy existence. John Williams' adapted score was one of the pair of Oscars gleaned from the eight it was nominated for. Jerry Bock's fine songs are actually few and far between, while the plot's political undertones play second fiddle to the trials and tribulations of Tvye. Look out for the actor Paul Michael Glaser from the ‘Starsky and Hutch’ TV Series.
‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ is at its heart a very humorous and poignant examination of that age-old rite of passage from generation to generation, played out in the dusty Russian hamlet of Anatevka in 1905. Director Norman Jewison’s treatment of this story is wonderfully sensitive. Tevye, our protagonist, is a man wedded to the centuries-old traditions of the Jewish culture in which he lives. It’s a culture that calls for him, as the father of five daughters, to arrange suitable marriages for his children, without regard for their desires. The film is played out against the backdrop of the anti-Semitism that was so rampant in Russia during the first decade of the twentieth century. This bigotry rears its ugly head at unexpected points in the film, adding an excellent element of tension and suspense to this wonderful family-oriented comedy-drama.
Norman Jewison was well respected as a director, thanks to ‘In the Heat of the Night’ [1967] and ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ [1968], two very tough and masculine films. Whereas ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ was thus a formidable challenge as it was his first foray into the musical genre. Early on in the project, Norman Jewison determined that the film's success depended on a strong element of realism throughout the production, hence his extensive travels from Canada to much of Eastern Europe. Norman Jewison finally settled on parts of rural Yugoslavia to serve as the film's fictional town of Anatevka. It was a good choice for location authenticity; the crew was able to use many of the area's existing houses and structures as is, without needing to age or distress them to look like early twentieth century Ukraine. The famed English Cinematographer Oswald "Ossie" Morris wanted the look of the film to retain an earthy feel to be able to best communicate the colour and sentiment of the land, so he stuck a nylon stocking over the camera lens. Oswald "Ossie" Morris voraciously defended this technique, which raised a few eyebrows when the cinematography was nominated for an Oscar at the 1972 Academy Awards® as being the ideal shade to convey his message of genuine simplicity.
Ultimately ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ would gross over thirty-eight million dollars; perhaps not surprisingly Norman Jewison attempted another musical in 1973 with the film ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ but it did not do nearly as well. Then Norman Jewison hit a ten-year career slump before successfully remerging with ‘Agnes of God’ in 1984 and ‘Moonstruck’ in 1985 a year later and certainly made a comeback that would cause anyone to shout "MazelTov!" What I feel with this film, and especially which I feel is very relevant in the 21st Century, is near the end of the film one winter day, the Jews of Anatevka are notified that they have three days to leave the village or be forced out by the Czarist government, where Tevye, his family and friends begin packing up to leave, heading for various parts of Europe and the United States and where we see the Constable silently watches as the mass evacuation of Anatevka takes place, definitely a reflection what is happening to communities around where the war torn conflicts are happening on a daily basis and as the famous saying goes, “what goes around comes around,” meaning: The status eventually returns to its original value after completing some sort of cycle. A person's actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person.
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF MUSIC TRACK LISTING
TRADITION [Performed by Topol and Chorus in the pre-credits sequence]
PROLOGUE [Music played during the opening credits]
MATCHMAKER [Performed by Rosalind Harris, Neva Small, Michele Marsh and Chorus]
IF I WAS A RICH MAN [Performed by Topol]
SABBATH PRAYER [Performed by Topol, Norma Crane and Chorus]
TO LIFE [Performed by Topol, Paul Mann and Chorus]
TRADITION (reprise) [Performed by Topol]
MIRACLE OF MIRACLES [Performed by Leonard Frey]
TEVYE’S DREAM (The Tailor Motel Komzoil) [Performed by Topol, Norma Crane, Ruth Madoc, Patience Collier and Chorus]
SUNRISE, SUNSET [Performed by Topol, Paul Michael Glaser, Michele Marsh and Chorus]
WEDDING CELEBRATIONS AND BOTTLE DANCE (Instrumental) [Music by Jerry Bock]
TRADITION (reprise) [Performed by an off-screen chorus]
DO YOU LOVE ME? [Performed by Topol and Norma Crane]
FAR FROM THE HOME I LOVE [Performed by Michele Marsh]
LITTLE BIRD, LITTLE CHAVELA [Performed by Topol]
CHAVA BALLET (Instrumental) [Music by Jerry Bock]
ANATEVKA [Performed by Topol, Norma Crane, Molly Picon, Shimen Ruskin, Paul Mann and Barry Dennen]
Blu-ray Video Quality – 20th Century Fox, Metro Goldwyn Mayer and United Artists have come together to bring us a stunning 1080p encoded image, plus an equally stunning 2.35:1 accurately framed aspect ratio. Much has been said already about the quality of the film transfer, and my observations are consistent with those who have already praised it. The image features excellent contrast, deep and strong black levels, richly saturated colours and although the palette is heavily towards earth tones, but we also get very pleasing, warm flesh tones. Fine object detail is very good and particularly with the close-ups of the actors, though softness inherent to the source material is also apparent from time-to-time. There’s no indication of attempts to “fix” those issues with digital processing tools, and likewise there’s no signs of heavy handed grain reduction. All in all it is a totally amazing and terrific looking transfer befitting a classic film in this 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – 20th Century Fox, Metro Goldwyn Mayer and United Artists gives us a stunning 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix is consistently clear and intelligible. Surround activity consists mainly of support for the orchestral score, though the effect is very nicely balanced and seamless. Detail in the audio track is best illustrated by the Fiddler’s violin solos, which have the satisfying solid sound of the bow grabbing the strings. Low frequency effects are non-existent, but the audio track has great depth and fullness throughout all the musical numbers. John Williams led orchestra fills the surrounds. Ambiance effects are well positioned especially at the start of the film, and the dialogue is very clear and understandable, even with the accents, coming out of the front speakers. Unfortunately, the ADR work sounds very bad, flat and lifeless, and there's a lot of it as they mouthed the lyrics on the set to music played back and sadly it does not sync very well either, which is the only disappointing aspect to this otherwise stunning film.
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
In this Original Theatrical Release, and precisely at around 1 Hour 51 Minutes with the film we get an intermission and the Entr'acte and Music.
Audio commentary by Director/Producer Norman Jewison and Actor Topol: Here we are introduced by Norman Jewison and Topol who were recorded separately but edited together very smoothly. Both of them offer interesting facts about filming in Yugoslavia and also talk about the cast and decisions made during filming. Between the two men, there isn’t any dead space and I enjoyed listening to this, especially Topol’s track which was also really very funny. This is a good commentary track, though Norman Jewison and Topol despite not actually together in the same room. They have each got great titbits on the production, from Norman Jewison’s point of view he needed to make the film as “real” as possible and in order to achieve that sense of realism. When Norman saw Topol appearing in the stage version at the Her Majesty’s Theatre, which is located at the Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London, Norman immediately knew Topol was perfect for the part in the film and was the final reason he chose Topol over Zero Mostel, despite the head of the studio demanding Zero Mostel, but Norman stood his ground and won the day. On top of all that Topol loved playing the part and also felt the part was perfect for him because he had that aspect of being an ideal character that had the Eastern European tradition persona. They each give heart-warming stories about the horse that follows Tevye throughout the film and was very old at the time and loved Topol and we hear how Norman Jewison actually saved it from being slaughtered and ending up in a glue factory, and by sending money back to someone who had a farm in Yugoslavia allowed the horse to live a happy like for another four years grazing on the farm. When you see early on with Topol in the barn, and tells us he was suffering from a very serious tooth ache and that is why he has a pained look on his face. When we see the young daughter walking home with the cow and rescued from belligerent Russian men, she is saved by the handsome Russian man, well Norman informs is that this actor was actually Italian and despite this, felt he was right for the part. When you see the dream sequence in the cemetery, when you hear the rabbi speak, this is actually Norman Jewison doing the dubbed speaking. When we get to the wedding scene ceremony, Norman informs us that to get the right atmosphere on the screen, the film was filmed with a piece of silk stocking over the lens that was offered up to them with a young lady secretary who worked at Pinewood Studio and was also used for the rest of the filming. As we get to near the end of the film and the scene with the Tevye and his family have left their village and the fiddler is following them and Tevye wants him to follow them and that that point Norman Jewison says, “Thanks for staying with us, especially if you have stayed with us this long and it has been an experience for me, and to look at this film again, that was made many years ago and I guess it was one of the Top 30 all-time grossing films and it has played to millions and millions of people all over the world and many languages and thanks to M-G-M and United Artist, and will go onto play for many many more years, and as you read all the credits, it is a film that has had great contribution by a lot of talents and it was an extra ordinary talented group of people, who helped to put all this together and I shall always be eternally grateful to me.” And so ends another wonderful and special audio commentary by the very talented director Norman Jewison and actor Topol, who gave us some many very special moments about the film and also special information about all aspect of the film and what happened behind-the-scenes and one should make an effort to listen, despite being 181 minutes long.
Special Feature: Norman Jewison, Film Maker [1971] [480i] [1.37:1] [49:33] The National Film Board of Canada finds us on location in Yugoslavia and four months into production and looks at the making of the film ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.’ It was very interesting to see him direct on the set and talk about his background and working in the Hollywood system. The production was epic, as well as looking like chaotic mess, especially for the time, and we get to see Norman Jewison throwing hissy fits on the set, especially with a hilarious scene where he is trying to get a flock of geese to react in a certain way to be filmed. We also get to see him agonizing over the non-cooperation of the weather, especially where he wanted snow, but Yugoslavia, where much of the exterior scenes the film ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ were shot, decided not to have snow that November; and Norman Jewison wanted overcast days, but instead it would be sunny. We get to see him chastising his cast. We also get to see him crying at a moving performance. In other words, Norman Jewison is a very emotional filmmaker or at least he was back then. Norman Jewison also gives us behind-the-scenes insights and scoops on the state of Hollywood in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the differences filming in someplace like Yugoslavia versus, say, New York City, "creative bookkeeping", and the "suits'" concern with budgets over artistry. A lot of this stuff is surprisingly candid as well as the emotional outbursts. We see also see images and clips from his previous films like ‘Forty Pounds of Trouble’ [1962], The Thrill Of It All’ [1962], ‘Send Me No Flowers’ [1964], ‘The Art of Love’ [1964], ‘The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming’ [1966], ‘In The Heat Of The Night’ [1967], ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ [1968] and ‘The Cincinnati Kid’ [1965]. One interesting comment Norman Jewison makes is about the actor Steve McQueen that appeared in two of his films and says that he was one of the worst actors he ever had to work with, as he use to mind games. Contributors include Tony Curtis and Topol.
Special Feature: Norman Jewison Looks Back [2007] [1080i] [1.78:1] With this special feature, it is broken up into five separate options. The five sections include: “On Directing” [3:28] Here Norman Jewison talks about how he was hired for the job and how his name played into it and also how Norman Jewison got involved in the film adaptation, in particular how the executive producers reacted when he revealed he was a gentile. “Strongest Memory” [00:57] Here Norman Jewison talks about the cast and the actual villagers from where the film was made and reflecting on trying to capture the film’s iconic image. “Biggest Challenge” [1:11] Here we hear how the weather was Norman Jewison’s worst enemy for this film since they were trying to capture every season on film. “On Casting” [1:20] Here Norman Jewison talks about the controversial choice of picking Topol over the originator of the role of Zero Mostel. Finally “A Classic?” [2:34] Here Norman Jewison attributes the universal success of the film to themes such as tradition that resonate with many cultures including the Japanese people.
Special Feature: “Tevye's Dream” in Full Color: Here we have two separate items relating to the same subject, where we get a look at the full colour version of the concocted dream sequence story by Tevye before it was desaturated for the final film and so nice to have the two comparisons, which is as follows: Tevye's Dream Sequence in Full Color: With An Introduction by Norman Jewison [2007] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 2.35:1] [5:56] and Side-by-Side Comparison [2007] [1080p] [2.35:1] [1:39]
Special Feature: John Williams: Creating A Musical Tradition [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [11:32] Here we get to see master composer John Williams talks about adapting the score of ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ to the Big Screen presentation and tells us his intentions and how he felt about the original work and how grateful he was to be able to work on it and it has John Williams speaking about how important this film was to his career. John Williams also speaks about how he had to adapt the original music from the stage play to play bigger than it had on stage because Norman Jewison had built up this entire world from the foundations of the play. We also get to view some rare black-and-white images of behind-the-scenes of the film and we also get to view some clips from the film. Contributors include John Williams [Composer], Joseph Stein [Screenwriter], Sheldon Harnick [Lyricist] and Jerry Bock [Composer via Telephone Interview, March 2006] (archive sound only).
Special Feature: Songs of ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [14:43] Screenwriter Joseph Stein, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, and original composer Jerry Bock reflect on the creation of ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ signature melodies and lyrics, who were the original team behind the music with a mix of new interviews, and some older recordings which allows all to participate in this segment even though two of them have now sadly passed away. We also get to view some clips from the film, plus we also get to hear personal and insightful comments from Joseph Stein [Screenwriter], Sheldon Harnick [Lyricist] and Jerry Bock [Composer via Telephone Interview, March 2006] (archive sound only) talk about the original play and how much they really liked the film version.
Special Feature: Deleted Song: “Any Day Now” [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [3:07] This song was meant to introduce Perchik [Paul Michael Glaser] to the film, but was decided not to be included in the film and we get to hear a rare audio demo song of the deleted musical number “Any Day Now,” but thankfully was saved and kindly provided by composer Jerry Brock. Since it was never filmed, here it is accompanied by a series of black-and-white and colour still images, as well clips from the film.
Special Feature: Tevye's Daughters [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [16:28] Here we get a hear the three oldest daughters that appeared in the film, which are Rosalind Harris [Tzeitel], Neva Small [Chava] and Michele Marsh [Hodel] talk about how they were hired for the film and recount their experiences working on the film. We also get to hear comments from Lynn Stalmaster [Casting Director] and Sheldon Harnick [Lyricist]. This is a wonderful interview with the three woman and they each talk about how important the film was to them personally and what an amazing time in their lives it was to be in this wonderful film. They also praise the director Norman Jewison, as they found him to be a very kind person and also felt he had a soul. We also once again get to see some rare black-and-white and colour behind-the-scene images from the film, as well as clips from the film.
Special Feature: Set In Reality Production Design [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [9:50] Here we get a talk with Robert Boyle [Production Designer] who discusses the locations and sets in making an effort to make the village look real and well used. Robert Boyle also informs us how he really wanted Anatevka to be a real place and not just a film set and that is why so many pains went into making the place seem as real as possible. Apparently due to the German army in the Second World War removed and destroyed so many towns like the one in this film, it was difficult to find the perfect shooting location, but in Yugoslavia they were able to find just the right location. We also get to compare the roughly drawn storyboards with the actual film clips from the film, as well as rare black-and-white images.
Special Feature: Storyboard To Film Comparison [2006] [1080i] [1.37:1] [21:04] Here we get to view a view the comparison of several musical sequences from the roughly drawn storyboards and with the finished scenes in the film, especially relating to Tradition; Matchmaker; Introduction to Miracle of Miracles; Tevye’s Dream; Lazar Wolf and Tevye.
Special Feature: Trailers, Teasers and TV Spots: Here we to view six separate trailers and they are as follows: Original Theatrical Trailer [1971] [480i] [1.33:1] [4:04]. Original Re-release Theatrical Trailer [1971] [480i] [1.33:1] [1:52]. “Reserve Your Seat” Teaser [1971] [480i] [1.33:1] [1:46] With information for reserve seat ticket purchasing. “Will Rogers” Teaser [1971] [480i] [1.33:1] [2:03] This was a screening to benefit the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital. TV Spot [1971] [480i] [1.33:1] [00:31]. TV Spot [1979] [480i] [1.33:1] [00:28] to promote the theatrical re-release. With the “Reserve Your Seat” and “Will Rogers” Teaser Trailers, for some unknown reason they showed the image squeezed that should have been viewed in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio.
Finally, ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ [1971] is a totally sheer delightful film from start to finish! The acting is wonderful throughout, performed to perfection by a strong ensemble cast. There is a marvellous chemistry among all the actors, so it’s hard to single out any one performance as being more exceptional than the others. Topol who was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award® for his performance and reprises his Broadway role as the tradition-bound yet dreamy Tevye and he succeeded the late Zero Mostel, who originally played Tevye on stage. The late Norma Crane is equally brilliant as the strong-willed, sharp-tongued Golde. The part of Perchik, the radical student who wins the heard of Hodel, is expertly played by one of the few widely recognizable faces in the cast Paul Michael Glaser. This film version of ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ remains remarkably true to the stage version. Despite the length of the film, which is nearly three hours long, but despite this the film ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ is sheer magic and entertainment at its best. It also offers some great music that makes you want to get up and sing the “IF I WAS A RICH MAN” and feel you are dancing with Tevye. Norman Jewison did an admirable job directing this film, because it could have easily veered away into saccharine or gone too dark. The film does an admirable job of blending generous humour along with some heavy themes. Add in the amazing original music and the contributions of John Williams and you have a winner. So, go ahead journey back in time to the dusty Russian village of Anatevka and fall in love with Tevye and Golde and Lazar Wolf, Yente, Mendel and Mordcha. It is a journey well worth making! Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
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mr leaman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2018
excellent
Wayne Robinson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Revisiting a classic movie with the 40th Anniversary Edition of Fiddler on the Roof
Reviewed in Canada on August 14, 2020
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical masterpiece about a poor Jewish milkman through his love, pride and faith help him cope with the challenges of raising a family in czarist Russia . Fiddler on the Roof is from 1971 and was nominated for eight academy awards including Best picture,Best actor Topol and Best Directing (Norman Jewison) and it’s filled with wonderful music , some of the songs were forgotten but when you hear them they will take you right back.
With this Blu-ray/DVD 40th Anniversary the picture quality for the Blu-ray is in 1080p and looks great and the sound is in 7.1 DTS HD/ Master Audio which I was surprised for a disc from 2011. Overall a very enjoyable picture that the whole family could enjoy and now it’s even better than ever.
With this Blu-ray/DVD 40th Anniversary the picture quality for the Blu-ray is in 1080p and looks great and the sound is in 7.1 DTS HD/ Master Audio which I was surprised for a disc from 2011. Overall a very enjoyable picture that the whole family could enjoy and now it’s even better than ever.
3 people found this helpful
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BD.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Glittering and inspiring
Reviewed in Canada on May 4, 2018
Can this version ever be surpassed? A beautifully produced sad yet hopeful, classic movie made from the original stage play, FIDDLER is exquisitely performed by an excellent cast, and ably directed by its renowned director. Topol is unforgettable as "Tevye". I highly recommend this wonderful show. A must-see, spectacular production!
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