Fiddler on the Roof         

By Jenny Brown

This rousing musical, based on the stories of Shalom Aleichem, takes place in pre-revolutionary Russia and centers on the life of Tevye (Topol), a milkman who is trying to keep his family's traditions in place while marrying off his three older daughters. Yet, times are changing and the daughters want to make their own matches, breaking free of many of the constricting customs required of them by Judaism. In the background of these events, Russia is on the brink of revolution and Jews are feeling increasingly unwelcome in their villages. Tevye--who expresses his desire for sameness in the opening number, "Tradition"--is trying to keep everyone, and everything, together. The movie is strongly allegorical--Tevye represents the common man--but it does it dexterously, and the resulting film is a stunning work of art. The music is excellent (it won Oscars for the scoring and the sound), with plenty of familiar songs such as "Sunrise, Sunset" and "If I Were a Rich Man," which you'll be humming long after the movie is over. Isaac Stern's violin--he provides the music for the fiddler on the roof--is hauntingly beautiful. And despite the serious subject matter, the film is quite comedic in parts; it also well deserves the Oscar it won for cinematography.

Academy Awards

Fiddler on the Roof received Academy Awards for Cinematography (Oswald Morris), Music Scoring Awards (Best Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score; John Williams), and Sound (Gordon K. McCallum, David Hildyard). Fiddler on the Roof also received Academy Awards nominations for Best Picture (Norman Jewison - Producer), Actor (Topol), Supporting Actor (Leonard Frey), Directing (Norman Jewison), and Art Direction/Set Decoration (Robert Boyle - Art Direction, Michael Stringer - Art Direction, Peter Lamont - Set Decoration).

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		Your Memories Shared!

"I grew up with film "The Fiddler on the Roof" in Iran; my entire family (4 girls + Mum and Dad) associated the Tsars tyranny over the Jews as the Mullah's tyranny over women, non-Muslims and non-religious people in Iran. In the late Awesome80s we fled Iran and as "foreigners" in Western Europe, we encountered much prejudice and racisms just as Tevye and his people had experienced for centuries in their homeland Russia. They too had to eventually leave their homes, just as we were by the Mullahs. The sequence when they sing about Anatevka and their fear of the un-known future is identical to our feelings about leaving our beloved Iran. We too felt that unfortunately we will soon be just a stranger..in a strange landlooking for a familiar face. Though we do try to integrate (and have done so to a great extent), taking on board our host country's "good" traditions, and abandoning our "bad" ones. I still cry when I watch The Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye is like my Dad (although my Iranian Dad is far more progressive than him, for his time that is). The Fiddler on the Roof is a universal story about the benefits of egalitarian households, the abandonment of oppressing traditions; especially those placed on women, tyranny of States and forced immigration/asylum seeking due to oppression... If semi-illiterate Tevye of the early 20th century could abandon thousand-year-old oppressing traditions, so can we all!!! We all belong to the human race, lets look out for each other and welcome each others ideas!!!" --gbashi

"I just bought the 30th anniversary DVD and it has to be one of my favorites in the colletion. Great recollections from director Norman Jewison, along with commentary by he and Topol. The best added bonus is an archivial 1971 Canadian special on the production of the movie. Great behind the scenes stuff, and an interesting insight into the genius of Jewison. What's inspring about Jewison is that he's STILL making great movies, like HURRICANE with Denzel Washington. The wide screen transfer is a must have. The pan and scan video is only half as enjoyable without appreciating the sweeping pan shots and the sly choreography of the songs. I've loved this movie for over 30 years and still consider one of my all time favorites." --DC