Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Mister C

  
  TRADITION!!!! TRADITION!!! And it doesn't get any better this this Oscar winning musical based on the Broadway show of the same name. Just to watch the great Topol in action is worth seeing. A Marvelous classic!!! One of the great movie musicals to ever grace the 1970's

• moon r

  
  I can't believe that it took me so long to see this deservedly acclaimed work by Norman Jewison about how life, as John Lennon said, is what happens while we were making other plans. Rousing and heartwarming with songs that do not offend but rather enhance the affair, as well as… More
  I can't believe that it took me so long to see this deservedly acclaimed work by Norman Jewison about how life, as John Lennon said, is what happens while we were making other plans. Rousing and heartwarming with songs that do not offend but rather enhance the affair, as well as a look at life in a small Jewish village in Poland in the days before the revolution.

• Zach B

  
  From the stage play that this film is based on, it is obvious that special care had to be taken place due to the strong and loyal fan base that is around this musical of hope and tradition. While watching this film, it is clear to see that Norman Jewison has taken special care in the… More
  From the stage play that this film is based on, it is obvious that special care had to be taken place due to the strong and loyal fan base that is around this musical of hope and tradition. While watching this film, it is clear to see that Norman Jewison has taken special care in the production of the film. Visually, this film is beautiful seeing the country side and showing how it changes from a poor village to an overworked piece of land that is barely holding on. The story for this film is, sadly, one of the weakest parts. One thing that a lot of people hate is repetition. This is a film that repeats itself quite a bit. The basic formula is this: Daughter gets married, Father is upset, he gives in. Now, one of the redeeming parts of this overworked plot is that it continues to work every time. Acting wise, the only person worth mentioning is Topol as Tevye. He is seriously the only actor that develops his character, and actually makes it worthwhile and good. The rest of the cast is mostly (and sadly) one dimensional and I personally do not care for that. They introduce some good characters that I would have loved to see changed and developed, but the acting of Topol makes up for them all (thankfully). Now, the score is the complete highlight of this film and what makes this film worth the watch. There are few films that treat the subject of Judaism with respect and this is one of those films that does. The music, the set props, all capture the beauty of this heavily abused and neglected and tortured religion, and finally there is a film that gives dignity. So, overall, I say see this film if you love the original stage play, like the works of Norman Jewison, or like good musicals. But if you are expecting a deep, philosophical story line, then you are looking in the wrong place. Now, why am I recommending this story? Simple: It does what it does and what it does it does well.

• Cynthia S

  
  I just watched this again after maybe 20 years. With every wonderful song I felt chills to my core..... This is a timeless gem. Fiddler on the Roof is a wonderful family movie. The music is timeless. The historical content is appropriate for all ages. It is informative, and very… More
  I just watched this again after maybe 20 years. With every wonderful song I felt chills to my core..... This is a timeless gem. Fiddler on the Roof is a wonderful family movie. The music is timeless. The historical content is appropriate for all ages. It is informative, and very entertaining.

• Chris W

  
  This film is a bit overlong, and a little boring here and there, but aside from that, it is wonderful. It works better as a stage production, but it's still fine as a film. For the longest time, everthing I knew about Jewish culture came from this film. It's portrayal of the… More
  This film is a bit overlong, and a little boring here and there, but aside from that, it is wonderful. It works better as a stage production, but it's still fine as a film. For the longest time, everthing I knew about Jewish culture came from this film. It's portrayal of the Jewish people and culture (specifically Russian Jews) is quite accurate by many accounts, but a little laughable and stereotypical if taken out of context. I really like this movie, and it is one of my favorite musicals, but this isn't something I can bring myself to watch very often. It's a good story, but man, it's so depressing. I guess in the long run the story has a happier ending, but if you discount that, it's got a very bittersweet conclusion that seems to further reinforce the idea that Jews have such a miserable and downbeat history. The acting is mostly pretty great. Some are better than others, though. It was controversial to cast him, but Topol makes for a great Tevye. It would have been awesome had they gotten Zero Mostel to repise the role though. The music is basically the star of the show, and it's essentially flawless..unless you don't like musicals. It that's the case though, then you have no business watching this. I also really love the sets, costumes, and the camera work. The attention to detaiil is fantastic, and things just look gorgeous. I'll conclude this review with an interesting story: my dad, good Roman Catholic man that he is, enjos this story so much that he tried to persuade my mom to name me Lazar Wolf instead of the name I ended up with. That's awesome.

• jay n

  
  A fine performance by Topol, nice location filming and some beautiful and of course memorable music is what this has going for it. It moves at perhaps too leisurely of a pace although it is an almost exact rendering of the stage show, still a good entertainment.

• erika b

  
  it shows that things have to change at some point. It had little bit of lame plot and not the best acting.

• Wahida K

  
  Very well made.

• danny d

  
  beautiful but difficult to watch. fun and charming but depressing. completely unoriginal in its basic themes but more unique than any film in history in its culture, presentation, and use of landscapes. when one looks past the dichotomies whats left is a near spotless and epic… More
  beautiful but difficult to watch. fun and charming but depressing. completely unoriginal in its basic themes but more unique than any film in history in its culture, presentation, and use of landscapes. when one looks past the dichotomies whats left is a near spotless and epic musical. a truly wonderful film.

• Anthony L

  
  The best musical ever made. Topol's Tevye is probably the most lovable film character ever and this is one of my favourite films of all time!

• Tim S

  
  Again, I might be wrong about musicals. I think the thing about this one that I appreciated the most was the cinematography which is gorgeous (it's like the entire film is shot during magic hour). There is also the performance of Topol who is amazing. There were some characters… More
  Again, I might be wrong about musicals. I think the thing about this one that I appreciated the most was the cinematography which is gorgeous (it's like the entire film is shot during magic hour). There is also the performance of Topol who is amazing. There were some characters that annoyed me (and it could have been a little shorter), but overall a very enjoyable viewing experience.

• Jason S

  
  This is a good musical with a great cast. A little long but worth it.

• Pierluigi P

  
  Great direction, script, songs and performances. painfully slow at times but overall a joyful celebration of life. L'chaim!

• Tom E

  
  One of the BEST EVER -- Immortal songs, and a really tearjerking story --

• Lafe F

  
  Very rustic and involving tale of a mostly-Jewish village in Russia. The songs are shot and edited quite impressively. Somewhat interesting music. It was a nice visit to a traditional setting.

• Curtis L

  
  Awesome film with great music that shows the degradation of religious traditions, as well as good history.

• Byron B

  
  TRADITION! Well actually the movie is about changing, bending, breaking traditions. The Fiddler on the roof as described by Tevye in the opening of the movie is symbolic for existentialism. It is a metaphor for the challenge of balancing your life and knowing your place in the… More
  TRADITION! Well actually the movie is about changing, bending, breaking traditions. The Fiddler on the roof as described by Tevye in the opening of the movie is symbolic for existentialism. It is a metaphor for the challenge of balancing your life and knowing your place in the world. Traditional religious rituals and customs give the community where Tevye's family lives the supposed comfort to get through the balancing act. However, Tevye's three oldest daughters challenge tradition in their romantic lives and the "outside" world is entering into a time a extreme turmoil. The ways of the older generation clash with those of the younger generation. And through it all Tevye is really pretty progressive for a man in his society. The story is serious and humorous. The film is shot beautifully. The songs are great, some more catchy than others. Tevye's constant dialog with his "best friend," God is thought provoking and often funny. Since it is based on the book Tevye's Daughters, it is appropriate that his daughter's romantic awakenings be the main concern of the plot. The oldest daughter challenges tradition a little by pledging her love to a man of her choice, but he is a (soft-spoken) tailor from the same village and they still have a customary wedding. The middle daughter bends tradition by falling for a progressive teacher and budding revolutionary. I love that in the existential crisis he claims humankind must take much more responsibility for balancing on the roof and that traditions are not going to keep us safe up there. The youngest of the three daughters of marrying age meets another intelligent reader, but he is a Russian Kazakh and Christian. This is breaking the tradition entirely by having a marriage of two faiths. It is because the relationships of the three daughters and the father-daughter relationships are so well rendered that this story is more than a Jewish story.

• Dannielle A

  
  Great story. Humorous. Unfortgetable music.

• Darik H

  
  As a general rule, I can't stand musicals. Hello Dolly, West Side Story, Grease... (shudder). Movies like this are overdone, overbearing, and too kitsch-y for my tastes. To date, there are only three musicals that I can stand: South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, the Phantom of… More
  As a general rule, I can't stand musicals. Hello Dolly, West Side Story, Grease... (shudder). Movies like this are overdone, overbearing, and too kitsch-y for my tastes. To date, there are only three musicals that I can stand: South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, the Phantom of the Opera, and this, a humble, earnest tale of the poorest, most hated people on the planet trying to live their lives in the face of changes from outside and in. It helps, of course, that John Williams did the score, thus elevating what may have been underwhelming stage orchestrations into full-blooded symphonic movements. The characters are far more relatable here than in most musicals, where people are pared down to two-dimensional caricatures (which, don't get me wrong, happens here, but the core characters are very human). This is a much more subdued musical than most, giving almost plausible explanations for everyone to suddenly burst into song (my biggest problem with similar musicals). I have always held that if a character's going to burst into song, there has to be a sincere emotional driving force; the song has to be an expression of something inside the characters beyond "Hey- I can sing!" Here, we get that- we get the dizzying highs of celebration and the abysmal lows of despair, all in equal measure, and always motivated by the people on-screen, not by the director. And wonder of wonders, this is a musical that doesn't end too happily to be believed, instead trying to fit some stark reality in with the fanciful musical numbers, creating an intriguing blend. Its a melodic tragedy, but with hope for the future and faith in a higher power built into every moment. When it goes for fun, though, it doesn't come across as overdone or hammy, but instead honestly joyful and truly lighthearted (unlike the artificial Technicolor brightness of, say, Singing in the Rain). This is one of those movies that can leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside without making you feel like you've been manipulated, and you might even find that you can't get the songs out of your head once you've heard them. This movie isn't so much a musical, actually, as a fantastic comedy/drama with an incredible score (that the characters happen to sing to), and that's why I love it- because even when the everyone becomes part of a clearly rehearsed song-and-dance number, it just never seems fake to me.

• Constanza B

  
  The film is closely adapted from the original, hugely successful Broadway musical, which was itself derived from a series of short stories entitled Tevye and his Daughters by the Ukranian writer Sholom Aleichem. Beautifully photographed and buoyed by its exuberant musical numbers;… More
  The film is closely adapted from the original, hugely successful Broadway musical, which was itself derived from a series of short stories entitled Tevye and his Daughters by the Ukranian writer Sholom Aleichem. Beautifully photographed and buoyed by its exuberant musical numbers; Fiddler On The Roof remains one of the most exquisitely crafted and emotionally satisfying of film musicals ? an upbeat film which reminds us that, however bleak things get, life is still worth living.

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