Fiddler on the Roof (film)
Encyclopedia
Fiddler on the Roof is the 1971 film adaptation
of the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name
, with music composed by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, about Tevye and his Daughters. It was directed by Norman Jewison
. The film won three Academy Awards
, including one for arranger-conductor John Williams
. It was nominated for several more, including Best Picture
, Best Actor
for Topol
as Tevye, and Best Supporting Actor
for Leonard Frey
, who played Motel Kamzoil the Tailor (both had originally acted in the musical; Topol as Tevye in the London production and Frey in a minor part as Mendel, the rabbi's son). The decision to cast Topol, instead of Zero Mostel
, as Tevye was a somewhat controversial one, as the role had originated with Mostel and he had made it famous. Years later, Jewison explained that he felt Mostel's larger-than-life personality, while fine on stage, would cause movie audiences to see him (i.e., Zero Mostel the actor) rather than the character of Tevye.
Principal photography was done at Pinewood Studios
in Buckinghamshire
, England. Most of the exterior shots were done in Yugoslavia
, in what was then the Socialist Republic of Croatia
: in Mala Gorica, Lekenik
, and Zagreb
. Isaac Stern
provided the violin
solos.
The film follows the plot of the stage play very closely, retaining nearly all of the play's dialogue and even adding a new scene showing Perchik being arrested, although it omits the songs Now I Have Everything and The Rumor (I Just Heard). It takes place in the Jewish village
of Anatevka, within the Pale of Settlement
in westernmost Tsarist Russia
in 1905 and centers on the character of Tevye
, a poor milkman, and his daughters' marriages. As Tevye says in the introductory narration, the Jews have relied upon their traditions to maintain the stability of their way of life for centuries; but as times change, that stability is threatened on the small scale by Tevye's daughters' wishes to marry men not chosen in the traditional way by the matchmaker
, and on the large scale by pogrom
s and revolution in Russia. Lyrical Portions of Tevye's Dream (Tailor Motel Kemzoil), were omitted to avoid repetition or anything that was considered obvious. Also, in the song Tradition Reb Mordocha the beggar is mute, making wordless noises, omitting the dialogue between the beggar and Lazar Wolf, and the dialogue of Yente attempting to match Avram's son, with a blind daughter, was omitted. In the song Tradition, the dialogue between the two men, arguing about the "Horse and Mule" business was changed instead to a "Horse that was 6 years old, when it was really 12 years old", with Tevye whispering to one of the men that it was really "12 years old", thus starting the heated argument again.
A new song intended to be sung by Perchik was recorded, however, it was omitted from the final print. When the film was re-released in 1979, several minutes were omitted from the film, including the songs Far from the Home I Love and Anatevka.
(Chaim Topol
), a Jewish family living in the town of Anatevka, in Tsarist Russia, in 1905. Anatevka is broken into two sections: a small Orthodox Jewish section; and a larger Orthodox Christian section. Tevye notes that, "We don't bother them, and so far, they don't bother us." Throughout the film, Tevye breaks the fourth wall
by talking at times, directly to the audience or to the heavens (to God), for the audience's benefit. Much of the story is also told in musical form.
Tevye is very poor, despite working hard, like most Jews in Anatevka, also having many children. He and his wife, Golde (Norma Crane
), have five daughters and cannot afford to give them dowries. According to their tradition, they have to rely on the village matchmaker
, Yente (Molly Picon
), to find them husbands. Life in the shtetl
of Anatevka is very hard and Tevye speaks not only of the difficulties of being poor but also of the Jewish community's constant fear of harassment from their non-Jewish neighbors. In addition, Tevya has a lame horse, that adds to the misery of being poor, and has to carry the wagon by himself.
) appears throughout the film as a metaphor
ic reminder of the Jews' ever-present fears and danger, and also as a symbol of the traditions Tevye is trying to hold onto as his world changes around him. While in town, Tevye meets Perchik (Michael Glaser
), a student with modern political ideas
. Tevye invites Perchik to stay with him and his family, in exchange for Perchik tutoring his daughters.
Through Yente, Tevye arranges a marriage for his oldest daughter, Tzeitel (Rosalind Harris
), to Lazar Wolf (Paul Mann), a wealthy butcher. However, Tzeitel is in love with her childhood sweetheart, Motel Kamzoil (Leonard Frey
) the tailor, and begs her father not to make her marry the much older butcher. Initially angry because he has already made an "agreement" with Wolf, Tevye realizes that Tzeitel loves Motel and caves to his daughter's demands ("But on the other hand..."). To get Tzeitel and Tevye out of the agreement with Lazar, Tevye claims to have a nightmare, which he repeats to Golde. In the nightmare, he says that Golde's deceased Grandmother Tzeitel (Patience Collier) told him that Tzeitel is supposed to marry Motel, as it was decided in heaven. Also in the nightmare, Lazar Wolf's late wife, Fruma-Sarah (Ruth Madoc
), warns Tevye that if Tzeitel marries Lazar, she will kill Tzeitel after three weeks of marriage. Golde concludes that the dream was a message to be followed from their ancestors, and Tzeitel and Motel arrange to be married.
Meanwhile, after one of Perchik's lessons with Bielke and Shprintze (the youngest of Tevye's daughters), Tevye's second daughter, Hodel (Michèle Marsh) mocks Perchik's interpretation of the story of Leah
he told her sisters. He, in turn, criticizes her for hanging on to the old traditions of her religion and tells her that the world is changing. To illustrate this, he dances with her, because the opposite sexes dancing together is considered forbidden to Orthodox Jews. The two are shown to be falling in love, and Perchik tells Hodel that they just changed an old tradition.
Later, at Tzeitel and Motel's wedding, an argument breaks out over whether a girl should be able to choose her own husband. Perchik addresses the crowd and says that, since they love each other, it should be left for the couple to decide and creates further controversy by asking Hodel to dance with him. The two begin to dance, and gradually, the crowd warms to the idea — with Tevye and Golde joining, then Motel and Tzeitel. The wedding then proceeds with great joy. Suddenly, the military presence in the town and the constable arrive and begin a pogrom
, attacking the Jews and their property. Perchik is wounded in the scuffle with the czar's men.
, he proposes to Hodel and she accepts. When they tell Tevye, he is furious that they have decided to marry without his permission, and with Perchik leaving Anatevka, but, again, he relents because they love each other. This time, Tevye tells Golde the truth—and as a side effect, is prompted to re-evaluate their own arranged marriage and relationship. Weeks later, when Perchik is arrested in Kiev
and is exile
d to Siberia
, Hodel decides to join him there. She promises Tevye that she and Perchik will be married under a canopy
there.
Not too long afterwards, Tzeitel and Motel become parents, and Motel finally buys the sewing machine
for which he has long scrimped and saved. By now they are becoming, in their own right, respected members of the community, and a close, almost father-son relationship is developing between Motel and Tevye — who, not so long ago, had scorned Motel as a nobody.
Meanwhile, Tevye's third daughter, Chava (Neva Small
), has fallen in love with a young Russian — and Orthodox Christian — man, Fyedka (Raymond Lovelock
). She eventually works up the courage to ask Tevye to allow her to marry him. Horrified, Tevye forbids her to see him again, but they elope and are married in a Russian Orthodox church. In a soliloquy
reminiscent of those spoken by Tevye concerning his other daughters but with a radically different conclusion, Tevye concludes that he cannot accept Chava marrying a non-Jew
, in effect abandoning the Jewish faith, and he disowns her.
Finally, the Jews of Anatevka are notified that they have to leave the village or be forced out by the government; they have three days. Tevye, his family and friends begin packing up to leave, heading for various parts of America and other places. Chava and her husband, Fyedka, come to Tevye's house and tell her family that they are leaving too — unable to stay in a place that would force innocent people out. Tevye shows signs of forgiving Chava for marrying outside her faith by telling Tzeitel to tell them, "God be with them," pleasing his wife and daughters, who also tell them where they will be living in New York
, America.
Just before the closing credits
, Tevye spots the fiddler and motions to him to come along, symbolizing that even though he must leave his town, his traditions will always be with him. The film ends with the fiddler following Tevye down the road, playing the "Tradition" theme.
, the filmmakers chose to eliminate the customary film overture played before the beginning of most motion pictures shown in a roadshow
-style presentation. However, there is an intermission
featuring entr'acte
music, and exit music is played at the end after the closing credits.
in 1971. It won Academy Awards for Best Song Score Adaptation
, Best Cinematography
, and Best Sound (Gordon McCallum
, David Hildyard
).
It also won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy), and Best Motion Picture Actor (Musical or Comedy) for Topol
's acting.
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
, with music composed by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, about Tevye and his Daughters. It was directed by Norman Jewison
Norman Jewison
Norman Frederick Jewison, CC, O.Ont is a Canadian film director, producer, actor and founder of the Canadian Film Centre. Highlights of his directing career include In the Heat of the Night , The Thomas Crown Affair , Fiddler on the Roof , Jesus Christ Superstar , Moonstruck , The Hurricane and The...
. The film won three Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, including one for arranger-conductor John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
. It was nominated for several more, including Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
, Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
for Topol
Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol , often billed simply as Topol, is an Israeli theatrical and film performer, actor, writer and producer. He has been nominated for an Oscar and Tony Award, and has won two Golden Globes.-Early life:...
as Tevye, and Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
for Leonard Frey
Leonard Frey
- Biography :Frey was born in Brooklyn, New York. After college, where he studied art with designs on being a painter, he studied acting at New York City's prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse under famed acting coach Sanford Meisner, and pursued a career in theater instead...
, who played Motel Kamzoil the Tailor (both had originally acted in the musical; Topol as Tevye in the London production and Frey in a minor part as Mendel, the rabbi's son). The decision to cast Topol, instead of Zero Mostel
Zero Mostel
Samuel Joel “Zero” Mostel was an American actor of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of comic characters such as Tevye on stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus on stage and on screen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max Bialystock in the original film version...
, as Tevye was a somewhat controversial one, as the role had originated with Mostel and he had made it famous. Years later, Jewison explained that he felt Mostel's larger-than-life personality, while fine on stage, would cause movie audiences to see him (i.e., Zero Mostel the actor) rather than the character of Tevye.
Principal photography was done at Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England. Most of the exterior shots were done in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, in what was then the Socialist Republic of Croatia
Socialist Republic of Croatia
Socialist Republic of Croatia was a sovereign constituent country of the second Yugoslavia. It came to existence during World War II, becoming a socialist state after the war, and was also renamed four times in its existence . It was the second largest republic in Yugoslavia by territory and...
: in Mala Gorica, Lekenik
Lekenik
Lekenik is a village and a municipality in central Croatia, located between Sisak and Velika Gorica in the lowland region of Turopolje. The population of Lekenik is 1,857, with 6,170 people in the municipality, notably in larger villages like Pešćenica , Letovanić , Donji Vukojevac , Dužica...
, and Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern was a Ukrainian-born violinist. He was renowned for his recordings and for discovering new musical talent.-Biography:Isaac Stern was born into a Jewish family in Kremenets, Ukraine. He was fourteen months old when his family moved to San Francisco...
provided the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
solos.
The film follows the plot of the stage play very closely, retaining nearly all of the play's dialogue and even adding a new scene showing Perchik being arrested, although it omits the songs Now I Have Everything and The Rumor (I Just Heard). It takes place in the Jewish village
Shtetl
A shtetl was typically a small town with a large Jewish population in Central and Eastern Europe until The Holocaust. Shtetls were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Galicia and Romania...
of Anatevka, within the Pale of Settlement
Pale of Settlement
The Pale of Settlement was the term given to a region of Imperial Russia, in which permanent residency by Jews was allowed, and beyond which Jewish permanent residency was generally prohibited...
in westernmost Tsarist Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in 1905 and centers on the character of Tevye
Tevye
Tevye the Dairyman is the protagonist of several of Sholem Aleichem's stories, originally written in Yiddish and first published in 1894. The character became best known from the fictional memoir Tevye and his Daughters , about a pious Jewish milkman in Tsarist Russia, and the troubles he has with...
, a poor milkman, and his daughters' marriages. As Tevye says in the introductory narration, the Jews have relied upon their traditions to maintain the stability of their way of life for centuries; but as times change, that stability is threatened on the small scale by Tevye's daughters' wishes to marry men not chosen in the traditional way by the matchmaker
Matchmaking
Matchmaking is any process of matching two people for the purpose of marriage or a sporting contest.-Practice:In some cultures, the role of the matchmaker was and is quite professionalized...
, and on the large scale by pogrom
Pogrom
A pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
s and revolution in Russia. Lyrical Portions of Tevye's Dream (Tailor Motel Kemzoil), were omitted to avoid repetition or anything that was considered obvious. Also, in the song Tradition Reb Mordocha the beggar is mute, making wordless noises, omitting the dialogue between the beggar and Lazar Wolf, and the dialogue of Yente attempting to match Avram's son, with a blind daughter, was omitted. In the song Tradition, the dialogue between the two men, arguing about the "Horse and Mule" business was changed instead to a "Horse that was 6 years old, when it was really 12 years old", with Tevye whispering to one of the men that it was really "12 years old", thus starting the heated argument again.
A new song intended to be sung by Perchik was recorded, however, it was omitted from the final print. When the film was re-released in 1979, several minutes were omitted from the film, including the songs Far from the Home I Love and Anatevka.
Overview
The film centers on the family of TevyeTevye
Tevye the Dairyman is the protagonist of several of Sholem Aleichem's stories, originally written in Yiddish and first published in 1894. The character became best known from the fictional memoir Tevye and his Daughters , about a pious Jewish milkman in Tsarist Russia, and the troubles he has with...
(Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol , often billed simply as Topol, is an Israeli theatrical and film performer, actor, writer and producer. He has been nominated for an Oscar and Tony Award, and has won two Golden Globes.-Early life:...
), a Jewish family living in the town of Anatevka, in Tsarist Russia, in 1905. Anatevka is broken into two sections: a small Orthodox Jewish section; and a larger Orthodox Christian section. Tevye notes that, "We don't bother them, and so far, they don't bother us." Throughout the film, Tevye breaks the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
by talking at times, directly to the audience or to the heavens (to God), for the audience's benefit. Much of the story is also told in musical form.
Tevye is very poor, despite working hard, like most Jews in Anatevka, also having many children. He and his wife, Golde (Norma Crane
Norma Crane
Norma Crane was an actress of stage, film and television. Among her best known roles was that of Golde in the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof. She also starred in They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! and Penelope...
), have five daughters and cannot afford to give them dowries. According to their tradition, they have to rely on the village matchmaker
Shidduch
The Shidduch is a system of matchmaking in which Jewish singles are introduced to one another in Orthodox Jewish communities for the purpose of marriage....
, Yente (Molly Picon
Molly Picon
Molly Picon was an American actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a lyricist and dramatic storyteller....
), to find them husbands. Life in the shtetl
Shtetl
A shtetl was typically a small town with a large Jewish population in Central and Eastern Europe until The Holocaust. Shtetls were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Galicia and Romania...
of Anatevka is very hard and Tevye speaks not only of the difficulties of being poor but also of the Jewish community's constant fear of harassment from their non-Jewish neighbors. In addition, Tevya has a lame horse, that adds to the misery of being poor, and has to carry the wagon by himself.
Act 1
The film opens with Tevye explaining to the audience that what keeps the Jews of Anatevka going is the balance they achieve through following their ancient traditions. He also explains that the lot of the Jews in Russia is as precarious as a fiddler on a roof: trying to scratch out a pleasant tune, while not breaking their necks. The fiddler (Tutte LemkowTutte Lemkow
Tutte Lemkow was a Norwegian actor and dancer, who played mostly villainous roles in British television and films. His chief claims to mainstream familiarity were his roles as "the fiddler" in the film version of Fiddler on the Roof and the old man who translates for Indiana Jones in Raiders of...
) appears throughout the film as a metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
ic reminder of the Jews' ever-present fears and danger, and also as a symbol of the traditions Tevye is trying to hold onto as his world changes around him. While in town, Tevye meets Perchik (Michael Glaser
Paul Michael Glaser
Paul Michael Glaser is an American actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Detective David Starsky on the 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch; he also appeared as Captain Jack Steeper on the 1999 to 2005 NBC series Third Watch.-Early life:Glaser, the youngest of three...
), a student with modern political ideas
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
. Tevye invites Perchik to stay with him and his family, in exchange for Perchik tutoring his daughters.
Through Yente, Tevye arranges a marriage for his oldest daughter, Tzeitel (Rosalind Harris
Rosalind Harris
Rosalind Harris is an American actress who played Tzeitel in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof in 1971.She played "Golde", Tzeitel's mother, in a touring stage revival of the same musical nearly twenty years later with Topol, the Israeli actor as "Tevye".She appeared...
), to Lazar Wolf (Paul Mann), a wealthy butcher. However, Tzeitel is in love with her childhood sweetheart, Motel Kamzoil (Leonard Frey
Leonard Frey
- Biography :Frey was born in Brooklyn, New York. After college, where he studied art with designs on being a painter, he studied acting at New York City's prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse under famed acting coach Sanford Meisner, and pursued a career in theater instead...
) the tailor, and begs her father not to make her marry the much older butcher. Initially angry because he has already made an "agreement" with Wolf, Tevye realizes that Tzeitel loves Motel and caves to his daughter's demands ("But on the other hand..."). To get Tzeitel and Tevye out of the agreement with Lazar, Tevye claims to have a nightmare, which he repeats to Golde. In the nightmare, he says that Golde's deceased Grandmother Tzeitel (Patience Collier) told him that Tzeitel is supposed to marry Motel, as it was decided in heaven. Also in the nightmare, Lazar Wolf's late wife, Fruma-Sarah (Ruth Madoc
Ruth Madoc
Ruth Madoc is a British actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Gladys Pugh in the 1980s BBC television comedy Hi-de-Hi!, and as Daffyd Thomas's mother in the second series of Little Britain.-Early life:...
), warns Tevye that if Tzeitel marries Lazar, she will kill Tzeitel after three weeks of marriage. Golde concludes that the dream was a message to be followed from their ancestors, and Tzeitel and Motel arrange to be married.
Meanwhile, after one of Perchik's lessons with Bielke and Shprintze (the youngest of Tevye's daughters), Tevye's second daughter, Hodel (Michèle Marsh) mocks Perchik's interpretation of the story of Leah
Leah
Leah , as described in the Hebrew Bible, is the first of the two concurrent wives of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob and mother of six of sons whose descendants became the Twelve Tribes of Israel, along with at least one daughter, Dinah. She is the daughter of Laban and the older sister of Rachel, whom...
he told her sisters. He, in turn, criticizes her for hanging on to the old traditions of her religion and tells her that the world is changing. To illustrate this, he dances with her, because the opposite sexes dancing together is considered forbidden to Orthodox Jews. The two are shown to be falling in love, and Perchik tells Hodel that they just changed an old tradition.
Later, at Tzeitel and Motel's wedding, an argument breaks out over whether a girl should be able to choose her own husband. Perchik addresses the crowd and says that, since they love each other, it should be left for the couple to decide and creates further controversy by asking Hodel to dance with him. The two begin to dance, and gradually, the crowd warms to the idea — with Tevye and Golde joining, then Motel and Tzeitel. The wedding then proceeds with great joy. Suddenly, the military presence in the town and the constable arrive and begin a pogrom
Pogrom
A pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
, attacking the Jews and their property. Perchik is wounded in the scuffle with the czar's men.
Act 2
A few months later, as Perchik prepares to leave Anatevka to work for the revolutionRussian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
, he proposes to Hodel and she accepts. When they tell Tevye, he is furious that they have decided to marry without his permission, and with Perchik leaving Anatevka, but, again, he relents because they love each other. This time, Tevye tells Golde the truth—and as a side effect, is prompted to re-evaluate their own arranged marriage and relationship. Weeks later, when Perchik is arrested in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and is exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
d to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, Hodel decides to join him there. She promises Tevye that she and Perchik will be married under a canopy
Chuppah
A chuppah , also huppah, chupah, or chuppa, is a canopy under which a Jewish couple stand during their wedding ceremony. It consists of a cloth or sheet, sometimes a tallit, stretched or supported over four poles, or sometimes manually held up by attendants to the ceremony. A chuppah symbolizes the...
there.
Not too long afterwards, Tzeitel and Motel become parents, and Motel finally buys the sewing machine
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric, cards and other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies...
for which he has long scrimped and saved. By now they are becoming, in their own right, respected members of the community, and a close, almost father-son relationship is developing between Motel and Tevye — who, not so long ago, had scorned Motel as a nobody.
Meanwhile, Tevye's third daughter, Chava (Neva Small
Neva Small
Neva Small is an American actress, singer, and puppeteer.-Career:Born in New York City, Small was acclaimed for her three-octave voice from an early age. She made her Broadway debut in the 1964 musical Something More!...
), has fallen in love with a young Russian — and Orthodox Christian — man, Fyedka (Raymond Lovelock
Ray Lovelock (actor)
Ray Lovelock , is a film and television actor primarily known in Europe.-Early life:Lovelock's mother was Italian and his father was English. They met during the Allied occupation of Italy in World War II...
). She eventually works up the courage to ask Tevye to allow her to marry him. Horrified, Tevye forbids her to see him again, but they elope and are married in a Russian Orthodox church. In a soliloquy
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a device often used in drama whereby a character relates his or her thoughts and feelings to him/herself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters, and is delivered often when they are alone or think they are alone. Soliloquy is distinct from monologue and...
reminiscent of those spoken by Tevye concerning his other daughters but with a radically different conclusion, Tevye concludes that he cannot accept Chava marrying a non-Jew
Interfaith marriage in Judaism
Interfaith marriage in Judaism was historically looked upon with very strong disfavour by Jewish leaders, and it remains a controversial issue amongst Jewish leaders today. In the Talmud, interfaith marriage is completely prohibited, although the definition of interfaith is not so simply expressed...
, in effect abandoning the Jewish faith, and he disowns her.
Finally, the Jews of Anatevka are notified that they have to leave the village or be forced out by the government; they have three days. Tevye, his family and friends begin packing up to leave, heading for various parts of America and other places. Chava and her husband, Fyedka, come to Tevye's house and tell her family that they are leaving too — unable to stay in a place that would force innocent people out. Tevye shows signs of forgiving Chava for marrying outside her faith by telling Tzeitel to tell them, "God be with them," pleasing his wife and daughters, who also tell them where they will be living in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, America.
Just before the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
, Tevye spots the fiddler and motions to him to come along, symbolizing that even though he must leave his town, his traditions will always be with him. The film ends with the fiddler following Tevye down the road, playing the "Tradition" theme.
Cast
- Chaim TopolChaim TopolChaim Topol , often billed simply as Topol, is an Israeli theatrical and film performer, actor, writer and producer. He has been nominated for an Oscar and Tony Award, and has won two Golden Globes.-Early life:...
as TevyeTevyeTevye the Dairyman is the protagonist of several of Sholem Aleichem's stories, originally written in Yiddish and first published in 1894. The character became best known from the fictional memoir Tevye and his Daughters , about a pious Jewish milkman in Tsarist Russia, and the troubles he has with... - Norma CraneNorma CraneNorma Crane was an actress of stage, film and television. Among her best known roles was that of Golde in the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof. She also starred in They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! and Penelope...
as Golde - Leonard FreyLeonard Frey- Biography :Frey was born in Brooklyn, New York. After college, where he studied art with designs on being a painter, he studied acting at New York City's prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse under famed acting coach Sanford Meisner, and pursued a career in theater instead...
as Motel Kamzoil - Molly PiconMolly PiconMolly Picon was an American actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a lyricist and dramatic storyteller....
as Yente - Paul Mann as Lazar Wolf
- Rosalind HarrisRosalind HarrisRosalind Harris is an American actress who played Tzeitel in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof in 1971.She played "Golde", Tzeitel's mother, in a touring stage revival of the same musical nearly twenty years later with Topol, the Israeli actor as "Tevye".She appeared...
as Tzeitel - Michèle Marsh as Hodel
- Neva SmallNeva SmallNeva Small is an American actress, singer, and puppeteer.-Career:Born in New York City, Small was acclaimed for her three-octave voice from an early age. She made her Broadway debut in the 1964 musical Something More!...
as Chava - Michael GlaserPaul Michael GlaserPaul Michael Glaser is an American actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Detective David Starsky on the 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch; he also appeared as Captain Jack Steeper on the 1999 to 2005 NBC series Third Watch.-Early life:Glaser, the youngest of three...
as Perchik - Raymond LovelockRay Lovelock (actor)Ray Lovelock , is a film and television actor primarily known in Europe.-Early life:Lovelock's mother was Italian and his father was English. They met during the Allied occupation of Italy in World War II...
as FyedkaFyedkaFyodor is a character from the musical Fiddler on the Roof. He is the young Christian man whom Chava falls in love with and becomes her husband by the end of the story. They meet in Motel's Tailor Shop when Fyedka intervenes in the tormenting of Chava by his friends... - Elaine Edwards as Shprintze
- Candy Bonstein as Bielke
- Shimen Rushkin as Mordcha
- Zvee ScoolerZvee ScoolerZvee Scooler was an American actor and radio commentator. He was born in Kamenets-Podolsky . He performed in both Yiddish and English, on the stage, television, and film. He is probably best known for his roles in Fiddler on the Roof, playing the innkeeper in the Broadway play and the rabbi in the...
as Rabbi - Louis ZorichLouis ZorichLouis Zorich is an American actor. He is well-known for his portrayal of Paul Reiser's father "Burt Buchman" in the NBC series Mad About You. He played the role from 1993 to 1999.-Life and career:...
as Constable - Alfie Scopp as Avram
- Howard Goorney as Nachum
- Barry DennenBarry DennenBarry Dennen is an American actor, singer, and writer.Dennen was born in Chicago, Illinois. In New York City from 1960 to 1963, he had a relationship with Barbra Streisand, including living together for a year, during which time he helped her develop the nightclub act that began her successful...
as Mendel - Vernon DobtcheffVernon DobtcheffVernon Dobtcheff is a French and British actor.Dobtcheff was born in Nîmes, France, to a family of Russian descent. He attended Ascham Preparatory School in Eastbourne, Sussex, England, in the 1940s, where he won the Acting Cup...
as Russian Official - Ruth MadocRuth MadocRuth Madoc is a British actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Gladys Pugh in the 1980s BBC television comedy Hi-de-Hi!, and as Daffyd Thomas's mother in the second series of Little Britain.-Early life:...
as Fruma-Sarah - Patience Collier as Grandmother Tzeitel
- Tutte LemkowTutte LemkowTutte Lemkow was a Norwegian actor and dancer, who played mostly villainous roles in British television and films. His chief claims to mainstream familiarity were his roles as "the fiddler" in the film version of Fiddler on the Roof and the old man who translates for Indiana Jones in Raiders of...
as Fiddler - Stella Courtney as Shandel
- Jacob Kalich as Yankel
- Brian Coburn as Berl
- George Little as Hone
- Stanley Fleet as Farcel
- Arnold Diamond as Moishe
- Marika RiveraMarika RiveraMarika Rivera was a French film actress and dancer.She was born in Paris, the non-marital daughter of the Mexican artist Diego Rivera and his mistress, the Russian-born painter Marie Vorobieff-Stebelska . Rivera, who was married to Angelina Beloff, did not accept his daughter...
as Rifka - Mark Malicz as Ezekial
Musical numbers
- "Prologue/Tradition" - Tevye, Company
- "Main Title"
- "Matchmaker" - Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze, Bielke
- "If I Were a Rich ManIf I Were a Rich Man (song)"If I Were a Rich Man" is a song from the 1964 musical Fiddler on the Roof. It was written by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock. The song is performed by Tevye, the main character in the musical, and reflects his dreams of glory....
" - Tevye - "Sabbath Prayer" - Tevye, Golde, Chorus
- "To Life" - Tevye, Lazar Wolf, Male Company
- "Tevye's Monologue (Tzeitel and Motel)" - Tevye
- "Miracle of Miracles" - Motel
- "Tevye's Dream" - Tevye, Golde, Grandmother Tzeitel, Rabbi, Fruma-Sarah, Chorus
- "Sunrise, Sunset" - Tevye, Golde, Perchik, Hodel, Chorus
- "Wedding Celebration/The Bottle Dance" - Orchestra
- "Entr'acte"
- "Tevye's Monologue (Hodel and Perchik)" - Tevye
- "Do You Love Me?" - Tevye, Golde
- "Far from the Home I Love" - Hodel
- "Tevye's Monologue (Chava and Fyedka) - Tevye
- "Chava Ballet Sequence (Little Bird, Little Chavaleh)" - Tevye
- "Anatevka" - Tevye, Golde, Lazar Wolf, Yente, Mendel, Mordcha, Company
- "Finale"
Roadshow presentation
Because the film follows the play so closely, and the play did not have an overtureOverture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
, the filmmakers chose to eliminate the customary film overture played before the beginning of most motion pictures shown in a roadshow
Roadshow theatrical release
A roadshow theatrical release was a term in the American motion picture industry for a practice in which a film opened in a limited number of theaters in large cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco for a specific period of time before the...
-style presentation. However, there is an intermission
Intermission
An intermission or interval is a recess between parts of a performance or production, such as for a theatrical play, opera, concert, or film screening....
featuring entr'acte
Entr'acte
' is French for "between the acts" . It can mean a pause between two parts of a stage production, synonymous to an intermission, but it more often indicates a piece of music performed between acts of a theatrical production...
music, and exit music is played at the end after the closing credits.
Awards
The film won three Academy Awards and two Golden GlobesGolden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
in 1971. It won Academy Awards for Best Song Score Adaptation
Academy Award for Best Original Score
The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
, Best Cinematography
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
, and Best Sound (Gordon McCallum
Gordon McCallum
Gordon McCallum was an American-born English sound engineer. He won an Academy Award for Best Sound and was nominated for three more in the same category...
, David Hildyard
David Hildyard
David Hildyard was a British sound engineer. He won two Academy Awards in the category Best Sound.-Selected filmography:* Fiddler on the Roof * Cabaret -External links:...
).
It also won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy), and Best Motion Picture Actor (Musical or Comedy) for Topol
Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol , often billed simply as Topol, is an Israeli theatrical and film performer, actor, writer and producer. He has been nominated for an Oscar and Tony Award, and has won two Golden Globes.-Early life:...
's acting.