Director: Norman Jewison
Original Release: 1971
Choice: My Wife's
My Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5
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| via Wikipedia |
All of us seem to be getting in on the movie musical game these days. However, anyone who has seen Fiddler knows that it's a lot more than just a showcase for catchy ditties. The story itself is a simple one. Tevye, a Jewish dairyman in Tsarist Russia, shares his life troubles, primarily the marrying off of his five daughters when he and his wife cannot afford much of a dowry for any of them. Meanwhile, the world around their small village of Anatevka is closing in around them, challenging the very foundations of their way of life - a sad truth which repeats itself eternally through human history.
Regular visitors to The Squid may have caught on to the fact that I'm very picky when it comes to musicals. I tend to put them into two categories: those which have strong music and those which have a strong story. My Fair Lady would fit in the former category, Singin' in the Rain the latter. There's only one I feel is equally strong in both: West Side Story, the best of the best. The power of Fiddler is the story. I like the music well enough, especially the songs which are most faithful to the Eastern European Jewish tradition. But Fiddler is the movie that it is for the story. One cannot watch without falling in love with Tevye, his family and his community. The injustices committed against them are felt by us all. From the perspective of history, we all know life is only going to get a lot worse for the Jews in the Ukraine. The end of the movie is entirely predictable and thoroughly heartbreaking.
This was a new portion of world history for our daughter. Halfway through the movie, we took a break for dinner preparation and I brought her over to our world map to explain about the Jewish diaspora and the pogroms in Russia. I think she got the general idea, at least enough to understand what was happening for the rest of the film. She says she enjoyed the movie. This one might be interesting to revisit in a few years after she learns more about the history.
It's a heavy story, but there's plenty of light, too. My favorite scene:
The bottle dance is pretty awesome, too:
Excellent movie choice!
ReplyDeleteI'm the only one in my family who loves musicals so I have to watch them always by myself. I like your tradition.
Actually, it's usually not my go-to genre either - a bit surprising given our choices over the past few weeks, not to mention my chosen profession. It's been fun exploring these with our daughter, though. For both this one and My Fair Lady two weeks ago, these have been first-time viewings for her.
DeleteLovely insight into your family dynamic.
ReplyDeleteI'll be interested to see if you profile another musical you feel is strong on both score and narrative.
Don't hold your breath. There are a few, of course, which I've never seen and there may be some hidden gem out there which I've failed to consider. We'll see.
Deletewow, it's been a LONG time since I've seen Fiddler. I remember loving it at the time, but the details are fuzzy. Methinks it's time to fix that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the invite to the book club, unfortunately I don't post on Fridays :(
If you do watch it again, I'd be interested to know your thoughts.
DeleteNow this one I've seen, and from a certain point of view have actually lived. I was an active fiddler in my younger days, and played the iconic theme for a community concert event some twenty years ago.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I was a little worried when you said you'd lived it. The pogroms were a long time ago but sadly there are many 21st century equivalents. I assume you performed on solid ground?
DeleteLoved these videos. I need to hunt this movie to watch. Thanks for posting about it.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will. I'd love to know your thoughts once you do.
DeleteFiddler is a great musical. I performed in a community theater version of it, and it was so much fun.
ReplyDeleteFun! What part did you play?
DeleteI haven't watched the movie, but I saw the play in college. Actually, I attended with my Orthodox Jewish roommate, who hadn't seen it either. Interestingly, some of the cultural stuff was new to him, since his family was from Canada and they weren't plugged into the more "Joys of Yiddish" type traditions that came over from Eastern Europe. Traditionnnn!
ReplyDeleteI've only seen it on stage once - a dinner theater performance in... Northern Virginia, maybe? Not actually sure.
DeleteJoys of Yiddish - ha! Our favorite bookstore is in the middle of a vibrant Hasidic Jewish neighborhood in Montreal. They are well plugged in - no time to bother with the gawking gentiles on their way to temple, that's for sure!
I adore Fiddler. I cry like a baby all the way through it, which drives my kids insane. Never seen it on stage but I'd love to.
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful story, and a great one to watch at different stages of life, too.
DeleteMy Sunday school teacher actually took us to see it. She was wonderful like that - I've loved musicals ever since!
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful thing. Lechaim!
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