Tradition!
The Film
Without tradition, our lives would be as unstable as a fiddler on the roof. - Tevye the Milkman
Some forty years later, those prophetic words uttered by Tevye the poor milkman still ring true. There is a school of thought among some Talmudic scholars that Jewish suffering throughout the ages can be directly linked to periods in history where adherence to tradition was rather lax. Having argued this point with professors ad nauseum, I'll respectfully disagree and move on. Tevye (Golden Globe winner Topol) would probably disagree with me as well, as life falls apart for him and the rest of the Jewish residents of Anatevka in Tsarist Russia in 1905 following a break with tradition. Norman Jewison's epic Fiddler on the Roof (which was adapted from Sholom Aleichem's story "Tevye and his Daughters") captured life in the Jewish Shtetl and resonates with audiences still today.
Topol (Flash Gordon, For Your Eyes Only) was not the original actor cast in the Broadway production which opened in 1964; the role of Tevye was played by the brilliant Zero Mostel who won a Tony for his performance. Israeli-born Chaim Topol (who performed the role of Tevye as late as 2009 before an injury forced him to quit a touring version of the musical) brought a different approach to Tevye in the London production of Fiddler on the Roof which debuted in 1967; which ultimately earned him the role in 1971 film adaptation. Fiddler was a huge hit at the box office (both in theaters and on Broadway) and the film earned three Academy Awards; it would lose the Best Picture Oscar to The French Connection.
Fiddler was rife with great performances; Leonard Frey earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Motel the Tailor (he was also superb in the play), and Norma Crane (Golda) was superb as the overly kvetchy wife looking to marry off her three teenaged daughters -- wonderfully portrayed by Rosalind Harris (Tzeitel), Michele Marsh (Hodel), and Neva Small (Chava). Michael Glaser (who would later change his name to Paul Michael Glaser - Starsky and Hutch) stars as Perchik, the young idealist from Kiev who gets himself invited to the Sabbath meal and eventually steals the heart of Hodel (they both end up in Siberia). One of the finest ensemble performances in film history; a rather demanding one that involved singing and dancing from all involved. The music is so wonderful, it brought audiences to tears. The Tevye "shuffle" from "If I Were a Rich Man" became a guilty pleasure for many; although it made my late-grandparents worry that I suffered from Tourette's Syndrome.
Tevye the poor milkman must confront the ever changing world; and struggle with his faith in G-d and the traditions that he holds so sacred. The winds of change (and the rampant anti-semitism) are not kind to the people of Anatevka, but Tevye regains his faith even as the family is forced to flee Russia and move to America. Fiddler touched a rather raw nerve when it was released; primarily because so many Jewish immigrants of Eastern European descent could relate directly to the story. The questions it raised in regard to adherence to tradition in the face of change are still a source of debate today.
The Picture
Fiddler doesn't push a lot of bright colors; the sets and clothing are intentionally quite drab, so don't look for the image to pop off the screen. The colors, however, are extremely accurate looking. Skin tones are also very natural looking. Topol was only 36 years-old when the film was shot, but he looks about 60; kudos to the make-up and costume directors for such great work. You can see every last wrinkle and whisker on his face, which is not the case with the DVD.
The film is offered in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio in glorious 1080p. The MPEG-4 AVC encoding has a low bit rate of 20 MBPS, which may explain some of the mosquito noise and grain. Overall, it is a really significant improvement over the DVD.
The Sound
Legendary film composer John Williams took home the Oscar for Fiddler; although most of the credit should have gone to Jerry Bock who composed the wonderful music for both the film and the play. Violinist Isaac Stern (who was also born in the Ukraine) carries the film with his beautiful playing and it is one of the films where you can just close your eyes and let the music tell the story. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack may be the best part of the new remaster; gorgeous sounding vocals, a soundstage as wide as the Russian steppes, and exceptional clarity.
There is a limited amount of LFE, but it is quite noticeable when it pops us. The surround channels don't get a huge workout but the additional ambience during the musical numbers makes for a more immersive experience. Topol has a wonderful voice and you can really feel the strength of his performance on the 7.1 encoding. You are dead from the neck down if you don't feel the need to dance along with Tevye. Fantastic stuff.
The Extras
MGM has loaded this Blu-ray up with a basket of goodies and all of it is relevant and interesting. The audio commentary with director/producer Norman Jewison and Topol is informative and quite funny; Jewison clearly didn't have to push the veteran theater actor too hard to get what he wanted. There is also a profile of Jewison (who despite his last name is Protestant), the most successful Canadian filmmaker of all-time. Jewison (during an interview on TCM that I watched years ago) admits to being teased by his classmates about his last name (he grew up in a part of Toronto in the 1930s that was not known for its acceptance of Jewish immigrants), who assumed that he was Jewish, and that the experience stuck with him and influenced his decision to make Fiddler on the Roof.
If you ever wondered how Jewison came up with the idea for the infamous dream sequence (where Tevye convinces Golda that Tzeitel should marry Motel), the answer is on Blu-ray release.
Final Thoughts
Fiddle on the Roof is one of those rare films whose message will be relevant one hundred years from now, and MGM has done a terrific job on this 40th anniversary Blu-ray release. The picture quality could be better, but the inspiring audio more than makes up for it. As Tevye said -- To life to life, l'chaim. L'chaim l'chaim to life. Highly recommended.
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