Fiddler on the Roof (film)

Fiddler on the Roof
Theatrical release poster by Ted Coconis
Directed by	Norman Jewison
Screenplay by	Joseph Stein
Based on	Tevye and His Daughters by Sholem Aleichem Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein Jerry Bock Sheldon Harnick
Produced by	Norman Jewison
Starring	Topol Norma Crane Leonard Frey Molly Picon Paul Mann
Cinematography	Oswald Morris
Edited by	Antony Gibbs Robert Lawrence
Music by	Jerry Bock John Williams (Adaptation)
Production company	The Mirisch Production Company
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	November 3, 1971 (1971-11-03)
Running time	179 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$9 million
Box office	$83.3 million[2]

Fiddler on the Roof is a 1971 American epic musical comedy-drama film produced and directed by Norman Jewison, and written by Joseph Stein and Sholem Aleichem. An adaptation of the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name, it stars Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon, and Paul Mann. The film centers on Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman living in Anatevka, who is faced with the challenge of marrying off his five daughters amidst the growing tension in his village.

Fiddler on the Roof was theatrically released on November 3, 1971, by United Artists to critical and commercial success. Reviewers praised Jewison's direction, the screenplay, and the performances of the cast (particularly of Topol); the film grossed $83.3 million worldwide on a $9 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1971. The film received a leading eight nominations at the 44th Academy Awards, including for the Best Picture, and won three; Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Sound.^[3]

Plot[]

The film's plot largely follows that of the musical from which it is adapted.

Act 1[]

In 1905, Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman living in the Ukrainian village of Anatevka, a typical shtetl in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia, compares the lives of the Jews of Anatevka to a fiddler on the roof (who appears throughout the film in this metaphorical role), using tradition to "scratch out a pleasant, simple tune" without breaking their necks.

In town, Tevye meets Perchik, a radical Marxist from Kiev, who admonishes those for talking but doing nothing about news of the tsar banishing Jews from their villages. Tevye invites Perchik to stay with his family, offering him room and board in exchange for him tutoring his daughters.

Tevye arranges for his oldest daughter, Tzeitel, to marry Lazar Wolf, a wealthy widowed butcher much older than she is. Tzeitel loves her childhood sweetheart, the poor tailor Motel Kamzoil, and frantically begs her father not to make her marry Lazar. Although initially angry, Tevye realizes Tzeitel loves Motel and yields to his daughter's wishes.

To convince his wife Golde that Tzeitel should not marry Lazar, Tevye claims to have had a nightmare. He says that Golde's deceased grandmother told him Tzeitel is supposed to marry Motel, and that Lazar's late wife, Fruma-Sarah, threatened to kill Tzeitel if the two marry, along with Tevye and Golde. Golde concludes the dream was a message from their ancestors, and Tzeitel and Motel arrange to be married.

Meanwhile, Tevye's second daughter, Hodel, falls in love with Perchik. They argue over the story of Leah and the place of old religious traditions in a changing world. The two dance together, which is considered forbidden by Orthodox Jewish tradition. Perchik tells Hodel that they just changed an old tradition.

At Tzeitel and Motel's wedding, an argument breaks out after Lazar presents the newlyweds with gifts. When Tevye tries to speak to Lazar about the Torah, Lazar refuses to listen, arguing that the wedding should have been his all along. Minutes later, another argument breaks out over whether a girl should be able to choose her own husband. Perchik addresses the crowd and says that, since they love each other, it should be left for the couple to decide. He creates further controversy by asking Hodel to dance with him.

The crowd gradually warms to the idea and Tevye and Golde, then Motel and Tzeitel, join in dancing. The wedding proceeds with great joy. Suddenly, the military presence in the town, along with the constable, arrive and begin a pogrom, the "demonstration" which he had earlier warned Tevye was coming. The constable stops the attack on the wedding celebration after Perchik is wounded in the scuffle with the tsar's men; however, he allows the men to continue destroying property in the village. Tevye and the immediate family stand still, until Tevye angrily orders them to clean up instead of standing around. Tevye silently asks why God allowed this to happen to them.

Intermission[]

In its original theatrical release, the film was shown with an intermission and entr'acte music.^[4]

Act 2[]

Months later, Perchik prepares to leave Anatevka for the revolution. He proposes to Hodel, and she accepts. When they tell Tevye, he is furious that they have decided to marry without his permission, but he again relents because they love each other. Tevye tells Golde his reasons for consenting to their daughter's marriage, which leads them to re-evaluate their own arranged marriage. Tevye and Golde ultimately realize that, despite having been paired by a matchmaker, they do love each other.

Weeks later, Perchik is arrested in Kiev and is exiled to Siberia. Hodel decides to join him there. She promises Tevye that she and Perchik will be married under a canopy. Meanwhile, Tzeitel and Motel become parents, and the latter finally buys the sewing machine for which he has long scrimped and saved.

Tevye's third daughter Chava falls in love with a Russian Orthodox Christian named Fyedka. Tevye tells Chava to be distant friends with Fyedka, because of the difference in their religions. When Chava eventually works up the courage to ask Tevye's permission to marry Fyedka, Tevye tells her that marrying outside the family's faith is against tradition. He forbids her from having any contact with Fyedka or from even mentioning his name. The next morning, Fyedka and Chava elope and are married in a Russian Orthodox church.

Golde learns of the marriage when she meets up with the priest. When a grief-stricken Golde tells Tevye about the marriage, he tells her that Chava is dead to the family and that they shall forget her altogether. Chava asks Tevye to accept her marriage. In a soliloquy, Tevye concludes that he cannot accept Chava marrying a non-Jew. He accuses her of abandoning the Jewish faith and disowns her.

One winter day, the Jews of Anatevka are notified that they have three days to leave the village or be forced out by the government. Tevye, his family and friends begin packing up to leave, heading for various parts of Europe, Israel, and the United States.

Yente, the Matchmaker, plans to emigrate to Jerusalem, and says goodbye to Golde with an embrace before departing. Lazar plans to emigrate to Chicago, to live with his former brother in law, whom he detests, but "a relative is a relative". Lazar and Tevye share one last embrace before departing.

Tevye receives letters from Hodel mentioning that she is working hard while Perchik stays in the Siberian prison. It is hoped that when Perchik is released, they will join the others in the United States. Chava and her husband Fyedka come to Tevye's house and tell the family that they are leaving for Kraków in Galicia, being unable to stay in a place that would force innocent people out. Tevye shows signs of forgiving Chava by murmuring under his breath "And God be with you", silently urging Tzeitel to repeat his words to Chava. Golde calls out to Chava and Fyedka, telling them where they will be living in New York with a relative.

The Constable silently watches as the mass evacuation of Anatevka takes place. The community forms their circle at a crossroad one last time before scattering in different directions. Tevye spots the fiddler and motions to him to come along, symbolizing that even though he must leave his town, his traditions will always be with him.

Cast[]

Musical numbers[]

Production[]

The decision to cast Topol, instead of Zero Mostel, as Tevye was a somewhat controversial one, as the role had originated with Mostel and he had made it famous. Years later, Jewison said he felt Mostel's larger-than-life personality, while fine on stage, would cause film audiences to see him as Mostel, rather than the character of Tevye.^[6]

Principal photography was done at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England. Most of the exterior shots were done in Yugoslavia—specifically in Mala Gorica, Lekenik, and Zagreb within the Yugoslav constituent republic of Croatia. Though the area was under heavy snow during location scouting in 1969, during the filming the producers had to ship in marble dust to stand in for snow.^[7] Three hundred extras conversant in various foreign languages were used, as were flocks of geese and pigs and their handlers.^[8] Isaac Stern performed the violin solos.^[7]

Director Jewison has a cameo as a rabbi (voice only) during Tevye's dream sequence.^{[citation needed]}

Differences from the Broadway musical[]

The film follows the plot of the stage play very closely, retaining nearly all of the play's dialogue, although it omits the songs "Now I Have Everything" and "The Rumor (I Just Heard)".^[9][4] Lyrical portions of "Tevye's Dream (tailor Motel Kamzoil)" were omitted to avoid repetition. The film's soundtrack release notably contained some of these omissions, indicating they were removed from the film during the editing process. These include Golde blessing herself before going back to sleep.

Changes were also made in the song "Tradition", with the film omitting the dialogue between Reb Nachum the beggar (who, in the film, seems unable to speak, at least clearly) and Lazar Wolf as well as dialogue spoken by Yente and Avram. In addition, in the film, two men argue about whether a horse claimed to be six years old was actually twelve, rather than whether the horse was actually a mule. The LP film soundtrack retained their names, Yitzhak and Avram, however this was also omitted in the film's release. Instead, an on-set, improvised take of Topol (saying "he sold him"), rather than the recorded dubbing, was used.

Seven additional scenes were added to the film:

1. The Constable gets orders from his superior for a "demonstration" against the Jews (referred to by the superior as "Christ-killers") in Anatevka.
2. Perchik is arrested at a workers' rally in Kiev.
3. Golde goes to the priest to look for Chava (described by her in the stage production). She is confronted there with Christian images (of historically Jewish individuals) in a juxtaposition with the synagogue montage at the start of the film.
4. Motel gets dressed for his upcoming wedding to Tzeitel.
5. The rabbi and his students inside the synagogue receive news of the arrival of Motel's new sewing machine.
6. The rabbi takes the Torah out of the ark inside the synagogue for the last time. He weeps and chants quietly about having to abandon the synagogue.
7. Tevye feeds his animals in the barn for the final time. He tells his lame horse to take care of his leg and to treat his new owner and master well.

The scene with Hodel and Perchik, where he plans to leave to start a revolution, was extended in the film. A new song sung by Perchik was recorded ("Any Day Now"), but was omitted from the final print; however, it was included in the 2004 reissue of the soundtrack. The song was later implemented in the 2018 Yiddish production as a song sung by Perchik to Shprintze and Bielke. When the film was re-released to theaters in 1979, 32 minutes were cut, including the songs "Far from the Home I Love" and "Anatevka".

In the film, Tevye and Lazar Wolf discuss Wolf's proposed marriage to Tzeitel in Wolf's home, then go to the tavern for a celebration drink. In the stage version, the two meet directly in the tavern. The film shows Wolf's home as filled with golden artifacts. Prior to Lazar Wolf entering the scene, Tevye speaks to a female servant, who tells him not to touch anything.

Although a faithful adaptation of the original stage version, Fiddler scholar Jan Lisa Huttner has noted several differences between stage and screen.^[9][10] She argues that changes in American culture and politics and developments in Israel led the filmmakers to portray certain characters differently and to offer a different version of Anatevka.^[9] For example, the Broadway production cast Bea Arthur as a tall, booming Yente, while the film portrays Yente as tiny and timid. Huttner also notes that the "Chagall color palette" of the original Broadway production was exchanged for a grittier, more realistic depiction of the village of Anatevka.^[9]

Release[]

Roadshow presentation[]

Because the film follows the stage musical so closely, and the musical did not have an overture, the filmmakers chose to eliminate the customary film overture played before the beginning of most motion pictures shown in a roadshow-style presentation. However, there is a solo by the Fiddler played over the opening credits (after the conclusion of "Tradition"), an intermission featuring entr'acte music, and exit music played at the end after the closing credits.

Reception[]

The film was a success, earning United Artists profits of $6.1 million, plus distribution profits of $8 million.^[11]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 83% rating based on 41 reviews, with an average of 7.80/10. The consensus summarizes: "A bird may love a fish - and musical fans will love this adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof, even if it is not quite as transcendent as the long-running stage version."^[12]

Roger Ebert thought the storyline of the musical was "quite simply boring", but still gave the screen version three stars out of four, explaining that Jewison "has made as good a film as can be made" from the material.^[13] Gene Siskel awarded three-and-a-half stars out of four, writing that the musical numbers were "better staged and choreographed than in any recent Broadway film adaptation".^[14] Vincent Canby of The New York Times thought the film version was inferior, explaining that by "literalizing" the show with real landscapes and houses, Jewison and Stein "have effectively overwhelmed not only Aleichem, but the best things about the stage production ... pushed beyond its limits, the music goes flat and renders banal moments that, on the stage, are immensely moving."^[15] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the film "has been done not only with such artistry, but also with such evident love, devotion, integrity and high aspiration that watching it is a kind of duplex pleasure."^[16] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post stated, "Jewison's Fiddler is a great film, by which I mean great in the sense that matters most – greatly moving, an extraordinarily powerful, emotional experience."^[17] Pauline Kael of The New Yorker called it "an absolutely smashing movie; it is not especially sensitive, it is far from delicate, and it isn't even particularly imaginative, but it seems to me the most powerful movie musical ever made."^[18]

Awards and honors[]

Year	Award	Category	Recipient(s) and nominee(s)	Result
1972	Academy Awards	Best Picture	Norman Jewison	Nominated
		Best Director	Norman Jewison	Nominated
		Best Actor	Topol	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor	Leonard Frey	Nominated
		Best Art Direction	Art Direction: Robert F. Boyle and Michael Stringer; Set Decoration: Peter Lamont	Nominated
		Best Cinematography	Oswald Morris	Won
		Best Music, Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score	John Williams	Won
		Best Sound	Gordon K. McCallum and David Hildyard	Won
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy		Won
		Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy	Topol	Won
		Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture	Paul Mann	Nominated
		Best Director	Norman Jewison	Nominated
	BAFTA Awards	Best Cinematography	Oswald Morris	Nominated
		Best Editing	Antony Gibbs, Robert Lawrence	Nominated
		Best Sound Track	Les Wiggins, David Hildyard, Gordon K. McCallum	Nominated
	American Cinema Editors	Best Edited Feature Film	Antony Gibbs, Robert Lawrence	Nominated
	British Society of Cinematographers		Oswald Morris	Won
	David di Donatello	Best Foreign Actor	Topol	Won
	Motion Picture Sound Editors	Best Sound Editor - Dialogue		Won
	Sant Jordi Awards	Best Performance in a Foreign Film	Topol	Won
	Writers Guild of America Award	Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium	Joseph Stein	Nominated
2007	Satellite Awards	Best DVD Extras (for the collector's edition)		Nominated

American Film Institute recognition

• AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies - Nominated^[19]
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
  • "Sunrise, Sunset" - Nominated
  • "If I Were a Rich Man" - Nominated
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers - #82
• AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals - Nominated^[20]

Remake[]

On May 28, 2020, it was announced that MGM and producers Dan Jinks and Aaron Harnick will remake the film, with Thomas Kail (known for his work on Hamilton and Grease Live!) directing and co-producing, and Dear Evan Hansen librettist Steven Levenson penning the screenplay.^[21]

See also[]

• List of American films of 1971

References[]

Sources[]

• Bial, Henry (2005). Acting Jewish: Negotiating Ethnicity on the American Stage & Screen. University of Michigan Press. p. 78. ISBN 047206908X.
• Isenberg, Barbara (2014). Tradition!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, the World's Most Beloved Musical. St. Martin's Press. p. ix. ISBN 978-1466862524.

External links[]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Fiddler on the Roof (film)

• Fiddler on the Roof at AllMovie
• Fiddler on the Roof at IMDb
• Fiddler on the Roof at the TCM Movie Database
• Fiddler on the Roof at Box Office Mojo
• Fiddler on the Roof at Rotten Tomatoes