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Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
3 November 1971 (USA)
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Tagline:
a tradition (re-release) more
Plot:
In pre-revolutionary Russia, a poor Jewish peasant must contend with marrying off his three daughters while antisemitic sentiment threatens his home. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars.
Another 6 wins
&
13 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(31 articles)
Fierstein Fiddles For Injured Topol
(From WENN. 12 November 2009, 11:16 AM, PST)
Celebrity Biography: Lea Michele
(From PopStar. 11 November 2009, 9:34 AM, PST)
(From WENN. 12 November 2009, 11:16 AM, PST)
Celebrity Biography: Lea Michele
(From PopStar. 11 November 2009, 9:34 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Wonderful adaptation of a great stage musical.
more (120 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Topol | ... | Tevye |
| Norma Crane | ... | Golde |
| Leonard Frey | ... | Motel |
| Molly Picon | ... | Yente |
| Paul Mann | ... | Lazar Wolf |
| Rosalind Harris | ... | Tzeitel |
 | Michele Marsh | ... | Hodel |
| Neva Small | ... | Chava |
| Paul Michael Glaser | ... | Perchik (as Michael Glaser) |
| Ray Lovelock | ... | Fyedka (as Raymond Lovelock) |
| Elaine Edwards | ... | Shprintze |
| Candy Bonstein | ... | Bielke |
| Shimen Ruskin | ... | Mordcha |
| Zvee Scooler | ... | Rabbi |
| Louis Zorich | ... | Constable |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
181 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) |
Mono (35 mm prints) |
Stereo (35 mm mag-optical prints)
Certification:
Canada:G (Canadian Home Video rating) |
Argentina:Atp |
Australia:G |
Chile:TE |
Finland:K-8 |
Ireland:G |
Spain:T |
Sweden:11 |
UK:U |
USA:G |
Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
To get the look he wanted for the film, director Norman Jewison told Director of Photography Oswald Morris, who was famous for shooting color films in unusual styles, to shoot the film in an earthy tone. Morris saw a woman wearing brown nylon hosiery, thought "That's the tone we want," asked the woman for the stockings on the spot, and shot the entire film with a stocking over the lens. The weave can be detected in some scenes. Morris also shot the musical number "Tevye's Dream" in sepia rather than in full color. He had previously filmed Moulin Rouge (1952) with a color style made to resemble Toulouse-Lautrec's paintings and Moby Dick (1956) in a color style made to resemble 19th century engravings of life at sea.
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Goofs:
Factual errors: In the movie, the fact that Tevye wants to dance with his wife, as well as Motel and Tzeitel in their wedding, is portrayed in the movie as a scandal. As a matter of fact it is common for Orthodox Jews to dance with their brides on their wedding, this dance is called in Yiddish the Kosher-Tants. It is not prohibited for married men and women to dance with each other, although this does not apply to singles.
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Quotes:
[first lines]
Tevye: A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But here, in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask 'Why do we stay up there if it's so dangerous?' Well, we stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we keep our balance? That I can tell you in one word: tradition!
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Tevye: A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But here, in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask 'Why do we stay up there if it's so dangerous?' Well, we stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we keep our balance? That I can tell you in one word: tradition!
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Tripping the Rift: All for None (#2.6)" (2004)
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Soundtrack:
Tradition (reprise)
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (120 total)
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A wonderful musical film. My all-time personal favorite musical.
Director Norman Jewison gets the show off with a bang with a big production number of "Tradition". A rousing joyous song in itself, Jewison uses it and the action to get the viewer acquainted with the characters, the village and their traditions which is the essence of the whole story.
John Williams' musical arrangements for the film, incorporating violin soloist Isaac Stern, are magnificent and deservedly won Williams an "Oscar".
The cast is top-notch all the way around, all give excellent performances and they all do their own singing. I had never really heard of any of them when I saw this film during its original release in 1971. I knew who Paul Michael Glaser and Molly Picon were and I had recognized the name "Zvie Scooler" on several credit crawls, but really did not know who he was. Topel (as Tevye) and Leonard Frey (as Motel) both received "Oscar" nominations.
The costumes (designed by Elizabeth Haffenden and Joan Bridge; Haffenden having won two previous "Oscars" for "Ben-Hur" and "A Man for All Seasons" and Bridge one, also for "A Man for All Seasons"), the "Oscar" nominated sets, designed by Robert Boyle (a favorite of Hitchcock), and the locations (Yugoslavia, substituting for Russia) are all captured perfectly by cinematographer Oswald Morris who also won an "Oscar" for his work. Sound recordists Gordon McCallum and David Hildyard round out the 3 "Oscar" wins for this film.
I think those familiar with the play (with the legendary Zero Mostel in the role of Tevye) will like this film and those who have not heard of it will also like it. It is just a really good movie.
The beautiful song "Sunrise, Sunset" is what introduced me to this musical in the first place. My brother played piano and had the sheet music for this song, he would play and I would sing. Living way too far from Broadway to ever see the play, I really had no idea what the story was or anything about any other songs. It was wonderful when I finally saw the film at the theater.
I recommend this film very highly. I think you will like it.