Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Overview
In a pre-revolutionary Russia, a poor Jewish milkman struggles with the challenges of a changing world as his daughters fall in love and antisemitism grows.
Cast
Chaim Topol
Tevye
Norma Crane
Golde
Leonard Frey
Motel
Molly Picon
Yente
Paul Mann
Lazar Wolf
Rosalind Harris
Tzeitel
Michele Marsh
Hodel
Neva Small
Chava
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CinemaSerf
Topol ("Tevye") is superb in this telling of a tale of an agrarian Jewish father in late 19th century Russia who has three daughters. The basic premiss is that he has to arrange suitable "matches" for them. With the aid of some classic numbers like "Matchmaker" & "If I was I Rich Man" we share his experiences and adventures as he attempts, with varying degrees of success, to find suitable husbands for his girls. Set against a backdrop of religious intolerance, and ultimately a pogrom, this is a clever, engaging depiction of the harsh conditions endured by rural Russians in general and the Jewish community specifically. Norman Jewison contrives to reconcile sometimes quite brutal stories of religious prejudice with a defiantly gentle, joyful communal spirit in a thought-provoking and personable fashion. Jerry Bock's instantly recognisable score - based around a delicate, witty and entertaining lyric from Sheldon Harnick makes this as good as any of the genre and although it does drag a bit at the start of the second act, it passes the three hour mark with considerable style.
