DVD: Fiddler on the Roof - 1971 Epic Historical Musical

Description: Fiddler on the Roof is a 1971 American epic historical musical film produced and directed by Norman Jewison, and written by Joseph Stein and Sholem Aleichem. An adaptation of the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name, it stars Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon, and Paul Mann. The film centers on Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman living in Anatevka, who is faced with the challenge of marrying off his five daughters amidst the growing tension in his village. Fiddler on the Roof was theatrically released on November 3, 1971, by United Artists to critical and commercial success. Reviewers praised Jewison's direction, the screenplay, and the performances of the cast, while the film grossed $83.3 million worldwide on a $9 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1971. The film received a leading eight nominations at the 44th Academy Awards, including for the Best Picture, and won three: Best Score Adaptation, Best Cinematography, Best Sound. REAR COVER An outstanding accomplishment in every way, this lavishly produced and critically acclaimed screen adaptation of the international stage sensation tells the life-affirming story of Tevye (Topol), a poor milkman whose love, pride and faith help him face the oppression of turn-of-the century Tsarist Russia. Nominated for eight Academy Awards® (1971), including Best Picture and Best Director and featuring such classic songs as "If I Were A Rich Man", Matchmaker" and "Sunrise, Sunset", Fiddler On The Roof is a universal story of hope, love and acceptance a musical masterpiece. MUSICAL NUMBERS & SCORE The music for the film was conducted and adapted by John Williams from the original score by Jerry Bock. Williams also composed additional music and an original cadenza for Isaac Stern. The score was orchestrated by Alexander Courage and John Williams. "Prologue / Tradition" – Tevye and Company "Overture" "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" – Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze and Bielke - 20:00 "If I Were a Rich Man" – Tevye - 24:50 "Sabbath Prayer" – Tevye, Golde and Chorus "To Life" – Tevye, Lazar Wolf, Townsmen and Cossacks - 49:20 "Tevye's Monologue (Tzeitel and Motel)" – Tevye "Miracle of Miracles" – Motel "Tevye's Dream" – Tevye, Golde, Grandmother Tzeitel, Rabbi, Fruma-Sarah and Ghostly chorus "Sunrise, Sunset" – Tevye, Golde, Perchik, Hodel and Guests "Wedding Celebration / The Bottle Dance" "Entr'acte" – Orchestra "Tradition" (Reprise) – Chorus "Tevye's Monologue (Hodel and Perchik)" – Tevye "Do You Love Me?" – Tevye and Golde "Far from the Home I Love" – Hodel "Chava Ballet Sequence (Little Bird, Little Chavaleh)" – Tevye "Tevye's Monologue (Chava and Fyedka)" – Tevye "Anatevka" – Tevye, Golde, Lazar Wolf, Yente, Mendel, Mordcha and Full company "Exit Music" A 2-LP soundtrack album was released by United Artists in 1971. A cassette release shortly followed which featured two instrumental tracks not on the original LP release ("Entr'acte" & "The Pogrom" (Tracked as "First Act Finale" on later CD releases). In 2001, EMI Records released a remastered soundtrack CD to commemorate the film's 30th anniversary. This was the first time the "First Act Finale" and "Entr'acte" were featured on CD. This release also included the previously unreleased "Wedding Procession" track. It also featured the demo of "Any Day Now", a song that was cut from the final film. On December 7th 2021, La-La Land Records released a 3-disc limited edition soundtrack which featured alternate versions of songs, as well as unreleased instrumental score composed by Williams. In February 2022, the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance presented a concert version of Fiddler using the arrangements written by John Williams for the film. Broadway performers Chuck Cooper and Loretta Ables Sayre played the roles of Tevye and Golde with The Grand Rapids Symphony as the backing orchestra. The event would be the first live performance of Williams' orchestrations for the film. DETAILED PLOT The film's plot largely follows that of the musical from which it is adapted. Act 1 In 1905, Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman living in the Ukrainian village of Anatevka, a typical shtetl in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia, compares the lives of the Jews of Anatevka to a fiddler on the roof (who appears throughout the film in this metaphorical role), using tradition to "scratch out a pleasant, simple tune" without breaking their necks. In town, Tevye meets Perchik, a radical Marxist from Kyiv, who admonishes those for talking but doing nothing about news of the tsar banishing Jews from their villages. Tevye invites Perchik to stay with his family, offering him room and board in exchange for him tutoring his daughters. Tevye arranges for his oldest daughter, Tzeitel, to marry Lazar Wolf, a wealthy widowed butcher much older than she is. Tzeitel loves her childhood sweetheart, the poor tailor Motel Kamzoil, and frantically begs her father not to make her marry Lazar. Although initially angry, Tevye realizes Tzeitel loves Motel and, upon seeing that Motel is equally devoted to Tzeitel, and impressed with his maturity and work ethic (“Your daughter will not starve”) yields to his daughter's wishes. To convince his wife Golde that Tzeitel should not marry Lazar, Tevye claims to have had a nightmare. He says that Golde's deceased grandmother told him Tzeitel is supposed to marry Motel, and that Lazar's late wife, Fruma-Sarah, threatened to kill Tzeitel if the two marry, along with Tevye and Golde. Golde concludes the dream was a message from their ancestors, and Tzeitel and Motel arrange to be married. Meanwhile, Tevye's second daughter, Hodel, falls in love with Perchik. They argue over the story of Leah and the place of old religious traditions in a changing world. The two dance together, which is considered forbidden by Orthodox Jewish tradition. Perchik tells Hodel that they just changed an old tradition. At Tzeitel and Motel's wedding, an argument breaks out after Lazar presents the newlyweds with gifts. When Tevye tries to speak to Lazar about the Torah, Lazar refuses to listen, arguing that the wedding should have been his all along. Minutes later, another 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. He creates further controversy by asking Hodel to dance with him. The crowd gradually warms to the idea and Tevye and Golde, then Motel and Tzeitel, join in dancing. The wedding proceeds with great joy. Suddenly, the military presence in the town, along with the constable, arrive and begin a pogrom, the "demonstration" which he had earlier warned Tevye was coming. The constable stops the attack on the wedding celebration after Perchik is wounded in the scuffle with the tsar's men; however, he allows the men to continue destroying property in the village. Tevye and the immediate family stand still, until Tevye angrily orders them to clean up instead of standing around. Tevye silently asks why God allowed this to happen to them. Intermission In its original theatrical release, the film was shown with an intermission and entr'acte music. Act 2 Months later, Perchik prepares to leave Anatevka for the revolution. He proposes to Hodel, and she accepts. When they tell Tevye, he is furious that they have decided to marry without his permission, but he again relents because they love each other. Tevye tells Golde his reasons for consenting to their daughter's marriage, which leads them to re-evaluate their own arranged marriage. Tevye and Golde ultimately realize that, despite having been paired by a matchmaker, and had never met before their wedding, they do love each other. Weeks later, Perchik is arrested in Kyiv and is exiled to Siberia. Hodel decides to join him there. She promises Tevye that she and Perchik will be married under a canopy. Meanwhile, Tzeitel and Motel become parents, and the latter finally buys the sewing machine for which he has long scrimped and saved. Tevye's third daughter Chava falls in love with a Russian Orthodox Christian named Fyedka. Tevye tells Chava to be distant friends with Fyedka, because of the difference in their religions. When Chava eventually works up the courage to ask Tevye's permission to marry Fyedka, Tevye tells her that marrying outside the family's faith is against tradition. He forbids her from having any contact with Fyedka or from even mentioning his name. The next morning, Fyedka and Chava elope and are married in a Russian Orthodox church. Golde learns of the marriage when she meets up with the priest. When a grief-stricken Golde tells Tevye about the marriage, he tells her that Chava is dead to the family and that they shall forget her altogether. Chava asks Tevye to accept her marriage. In a soliloquy, Tevye concludes that he cannot accept Chava marrying a non-Jew. He accuses her of abandoning the Jewish faith and disowns her. One winter day, the Jews of Anatevka are notified that they have three days to leave the village or be forced out by the government. Tevye, his family and friends begin packing up to leave, heading for various parts of Europe, Israel and the United States. Yente, the Matchmaker, plans to emigrate to Jerusalem, and says goodbye to Golde with an embrace before departing. Lazar plans to emigrate to Chicago, to live with his former brother-in-law, whom he detests, but "a relative is a relative". Lazar and Tevye share one last embrace before departing. Tevye receives letters from Hodel mentioning that she is working hard while Perchik stays in the Siberian prison. It is hoped that when Perchik is released, they will join the others in the United States. Chava and her husband Fyedka come to Tevye's house and tell the family that they are leaving for Kraków in Galicia, being unable to stay in a place that would force innocent people out. Tevye shows signs of forgiving Chava by murmuring under his breath "And God be with you", silently urging Tzeitel to repeat his words to Chava. Golde calls out to Chava and Fyedka, telling them they will be living in New York with a relative. The Constable silently watches as the mass evacuation of Anatevka takes place. The community forms their circle at a crossroad one last time before scattering in different directions. 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.

Price: 6.5 AUD

Location: Bundaberg, Queensland

End Time: 2025-01-04T22:45:11.000Z

Shipping Cost: 13.59 AUD