Customer Reviews
Heart rending but brilliant musical - By: Dodster, 29 Oct 2007 
The story of life in the village of Anatevka, in Russia, as told through the eyes of the Jewish milkman, Tevye (Chaim Topol).
All of life's emotions are in this film. Joy, despair, fear... All brought to life by brilliant acting, humour & song such as 'If I were a rich man', 'Sunrise, sunset'.
You cannot watch this movie & remain untouched by the plight of the Jewish people, as they sought to go about their business, but suffer bitter persecution for no other reason than being Jewish.
One of my favourite quotes is when a student asks the Rabbi if there is a blessing for the Czar. The Rabbi thinks, then smiles...'May God bless the Czar & keep him... far from us!'
This is a long movie at 3 hours, but it draws in you to such an extent that the time flies.
Highly recommended. One for alll the family.
Interesting, but overlong musical - By: FAMOUS NAME, 26 Feb 2007 
Dreadfully overlong film, but interesting in an unusual subject.
Topol is marvellous as Tevye - the merciful father that agrees to alll his daughters marrying against his wishes - & the 'tradition'; a father who many women would have prayed for to be spared from the mortal fear of being forever tied in wedlock to a stranger for a husband, whom they did not know - let alone love!
The highlight to this movie has to be the graveyard scene - stolen by a young Ruth Madoc (Hi-De-Hi). The wedding celebration coming in as a close second.
Superb film in every sense! - By: Beccs, 15 Nov 2005 I have seen this film quite a few times now & it just gets better & better! It has become my favourite film of alll time because it contains such a gripping storyline combined with delightful songs & is filled with lovely humour offset by heart-wrenching tragedy. Each scene is executed superbly & the casting is perfect (Topol is marvellous as Tevye & Norma Crane is excellent as Golde, his wife).
This is a funny, deeply moving & delightful film; one that reminds us what is truly important in life. It is a film to get totallly absorbed in for nearly 3 hours! Highly recommended.
A must-see classic! - By: , 11 Jul 2005 I've loved this film since I was a child & I find it as moving & fun to watch now that I am 'grown-up'. The extras on the second disk are well worth seeing - some very moving & informative story-telling.
One of the best musicals ever made - By: Dorie, 22 Apr 2005 "Fiddler on the Roof" is one of the best films ever made. It is a musical with wonderful songs, but at the same time, it is so much more. First & foremost, it is a film about family ties, values, & conflicts. It is a film about love. It is a historical film. It is very funny, very witty, & very sad, alll at the same time. I laughed, & then I cried. It has memorable characters: Haim Topol, who played Tevya the milkman on the stage in London, is made for the role, & has become identified with it. He portrays an authoritative, yet sympathetic father, & he is the source of many witty & very funny comments about life. Just to give you a few examples: "Would it spoil some vast eternal plan / If I were a wealthy man?" or "A bird may love a fish, but where will they build a house together?" or in attempting to explain why it is necessary to stick to tradition, "I'll tell you. I don't know."
Norma Crane is wonderful in playing Tevye's wife. Life has not been good to her, & this shows, & she has never experienced romantic love. It takes 25 years to realize that she loves Tevye, to whom she was married through the matchmaker. But she is a good, loving, & despite her bitterness, forgiving mother.
There are other memorable characters, such as Yente the matchmaker, Lazer Wolf the butcher, & Mottel the tailor. The three eldest daughters are beautiful & dream of a great match. Their song, "Matchmaker," is one of the best songs ever written for a musical. Going contrary to tradition, each of them foregoes the services of the matchmaker & marries out of love, even if the price is poverty, suffering, or banishment from the family.
The first part of the film focuses on ordinary everyday life in the village of Anatevka. The second part dramatizes a dark page of history, as the village Jews first suffer a pogrom, & are eventuallly driven out of their village at the orders of the czar. Some of them head for America, others for the Holy Land, but some move to a different part of Russia or to Poland, & we cannot supress the knowledge that this is a very sad ending indeed, as we know that they & their children will end up in Nazi concentration camps.
The film is replete with humour, wit, love, & great songs, among which "Tradition" (accompanied by wonderfully clever film shots, "Matchmaker," "If I Were a Rich Man," "To life," "Sunrise, Sunset," "Anatevka," some merry, some hearbreaking, alll utterly enjoyable & touching.
Pay attention to the opening shot of the film, it is absolutely brilliant. The cinematography is splendid, the colours are strong & fresh. The locations are beautiful & faithfully recreate village life.
The second disc is replete with information, such as a documentary on the shooting of "Fiddler," on location in Yougoslavia, in 1971, which is excellent & in parts brought me to tears, as the director talked about the historical context of the film; a shorter interview with the director, Norman Jewison, reminiscing about the making of this film (by the way, he recounts that the producers at MGM thought he was Jewish, because of his name, & were surprised to learn that he is actuallly Christian); authentic period photographs; the director reading from two stories by Shalom Aleichem; a deleted song, "Any Day Now," which I regretted they deleted; posters, trailers & TV spots.
I reallly urge you to buy this DVD, it is a film you will constantly love to rewatch, & to which you cannot remain indifferent. You will laugh, cry, be entertained, as well as deeply touched. It is one of my most treasured DVD acquisitions, & one that will never lose its grip. I had seen it on TV several times before, & I still wanted to purchase it so as to be able to return to it time & again.
