Fiddler on the Roof

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Norman Jewison's adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical is set in the Ukranian ghetto village of Anatevka (the film was actually lensed in Yugoslavia). Israeli actor Topol repeats his London stage role as Tevye the milkman, whose equilibrium is constantly being challenged by his poverty, the prejudicial attitudes of non-Jews, and the romantic entanglements of his five daughters. Whenever the weight of the world becomes too much for him, Tevye carries on lengthy conversations with God, who does not answer but is at least more willing to listen than the milkman's remonstrative wife Golde. After arranging a marriage between his oldest daughter Tzeitel and wealthy butcher Lazar Wolf, Tevye is forced to do some quick rearranging when the girl falls in love with poor tailor Motel Kamzoil. Fancying himself more broad-minded than his gentile oppressors, Tevye cannot accept the notion that his other daughter Chava would want to marry Fyedka, a non-Jew. And after shouting the praises of "tradition," Tevye must change his tune-and his entire life-when he and his neighbors are forced out of Anatevka by the Czar's minions. Topol's co-stars include Norma Crane as Golde, Yiddish theater legend Molly Picon as Yente the matchmaker, and Leonard Frey as Motel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Subtitle: Eng/Spa
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Adaptation and Original Song Score - 1971 (John Williams)
•     Won Best Cinematography - 1971 (Oswald Morris)
•     Won Best Sound - 1971 (Gordon K. McCallum, David Hildyard)
•     Nominated Best Actor - 1971 (Topol)
•     Nominated Best Art Direction - 1971 (Michael Stringer, Peter Lamont, Robert F. Boyle)
•     Nominated Best Director - 1971 (Norman Jewison)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1971 (Norman Jewison)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 1971 (Leonard Frey)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Won Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comed - 1971 (Topol)
•     Won Best Picture - Musical or Comedy - 1971
•     Nominated Best Director - 1971 (Norman Jewison)
•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pictu - 1971 (Paul Mann)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Topol - Tevye
       Norma Crane - Golde
       Leonard Frey - Motel
       Molly Picon - Yente
       Paul Mann - Lazar Wolf
       Rosalind Harris - Tzeitel
       Aharon Ipale - Shefrel

• Director:

  Norman Jewison

• Producer:

  Norman Jewison, Harold Prince

• Screen Story:

  Arnold Perl

• Screenwriter:

  Joseph Stein

• Book Author:

  Sholom Aleichem

• Cinematographer:

  Oswald Morris

• Musical Arrangement:

  John Williams

• Songwriter:

  Sheldon Harnick

• Composer (Music Score):

  Jerry Bock

• Editor:

  Antony Gibbs, Robert Lawrence

• Production Designer:

  Robert F. Boyle, Michael Stringer

• Associate Producer:

  Patrick Palmer

• Set Designer:

  Peter Lamont, Michael Stringer

• Costume Designer:

  Joan Bridge, Elizabeth Haffenden

• Makeup:

  Wally Schneiderman

• First Assistant Director:

  Terry Nelson

• Choreography:

  Jerome Robbins, Thomas Abbott, Sammy Bayes

• Conductor:

  John Williams

• Lyricist:

  Sheldon Harnick

• Book (Musical):

  Joseph Stein

• Vocal Coach:

  Eric James

REVIEW:

• Spirited, funny, and deeply affecting, 1971's Fiddler on the Roof is a successful adaptation of its stage counterpart. Topol makes the transition from the London stage production with ease, and the supporting performances are similarly strong. Most crucial, however, is the quality of the big set pieces: gorgeously staged and musically flawless, the joyous "Tradition" and the tear-inducing "Sunrise, Sunset" leap from the screen. Director Norman Jewison makes full use of the advantages of film; thanks to the rich, on-location scenery, the material doesn't feel as if it's been subjected to a quick big-screen makeover. Fiddler was a huge success -- it was the second highest-grossing movie of the year (after The Godfather) and took home Oscars for cinematography, sound, and score. Without a doubt, it's much more sentimental than the New Hollywood films that dominated the era, but it never hits a false note. ~ Matthew Doberman, Rovi