Um Violinista no Telhado

I LOVE this musical but I weep a little always for the Yiddish culture lost forever. The world is so much poorer.

I apologise for straying from the artistic merit to linger on the loss to Humanity

Nevertheless this film is a permanent record of the fact that we enjoyed a wondrous Yiddish culture in our midst in Europe but after a series of Pogroms culminating in the Holocaust the heart was ripped out of our culture here in Europe

The music, the humour, the humanity, gone forever from the Heart of Europa. Europe's loss

Irish Gentile

The range and audacity of `Fiddler on the Roof' is stunning. By comparison today's musicals are timid, quaking things, terrified of frightening their audiences away however much `social relevance' bravado they may assume. This old musical is older than it looks. The film dates from 1971; the musical itself from 1963; but even then it was clear that it was the last of its kind, a delayed swan-song from the 1950s. There's sentiment, but no promise of a happy ending; humour, but not a trace of postmodern knowingness; realism, but and a willingness to indulge in fantasy, too. Musicals can't really survive without fantasy, and `Fiddler', along with `West Side Story', may very well mark the limit of just how serious it is possible to get without losing it. The songs are uniformly good. I don't know if Bock's music was usually so fitting, or if he happened to strike gold just once - not that it matters.

As for the film ... I only wish I'll get a chance to see it in a cinema, for the photography is beautiful - and it IS the photography that's doing it, since we're made to realise that neither the village nor its setting is picturesque in itself. Norman Jewison has assembled a cast not one member of which jars and makes the most of it. This film is quite long, and feels longer, but neither length nor apparent length is a liability.

I know people have complained about the length of this movie. Yeah, it is long, three hours approximately, but there are so many things that compensate. Norman Jewison's direction is very good, and the film is stylishly filmed, with some nice cinematography and there are nice scenery and costumes. The choreography is great, energetic in parts and graceful in others. Next, the music is outstanding. The incidental music largely reminiscent of Russian folk music is a real treat, but the songs are outstanding. The beautiful "Sunrise, Sunset", the fun "Tradition", the idealistic "Match Maker" and the energetic "If I Were A Rich Man", all amazing. Also, Topol, what an absolutely brilliant performance. He put body and soul into Tevye, successfully mixing humour, wisdom and poignancy and the result is one of the most memorable performances in any musical to grace our screens. All the other performances are wonderful, I liked it all five daughters had distinct personalities, and Norma Crane is fantastic as the mother. The story is both tight and poignant, about a milkman of Jewish values, who wishes his five daughters to marry. In conclusion, wonderful and definitely memorable. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Let me say up front, I am not predisposed to enjoy a movie like this. On the contrary, as a straight WASP, the last thing I want to watch is a broadway musical or a bunch of Jews 'kavetching' about how bad they have it. That is definitely NOT what this film is about. Though the subject matter is Jewish, to say it is a Jewish film would grossly limit it's significance. It is about the human experience. Any one who has felt pain and persecution will relate to it. Therefore I say every human should love this film. It has an indomitable optimism and remarkable pathos that causes the viewer to empathize with the characters, namely Reb Tevye, played by Topol in arguably one of the finest dramatic performances ever. Considering the lack of success Topol has had with the rest of his career it would literally seem he was born to play this part. This film will most likely not be enjoyable for those looking for spoon fed, mindless entertainment or titillation, but for anyone who appreciates the beautiful things in life, it is high art. I recommend you set aside an undisturbed block of time, (use the can first, it's three hours long) when you are feeling relaxed, eat some good homemade soup and watch this masterpiece. Perfect casting, cinematography, pacing, art direction, wardrobe and best of all, an exquisite soundtrack by the great, and very young, John Williams. Listen to this movie on a powerful sound system and it will sweep you into each musical number. Especially (my favorite) the bar room dance scene. Fiddler on the Roof should be on every top 100 list that exists. Like no other movie I can think of, 'Fiddler' reaches deep into the heart and begs one to look at what things in life are worth living for and dying for.

"Fiddler On the Roof" is the stage-to-screen adaptation of the famous musical. It tells the story of Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman in the tiny Russian village of Anatevka. This role is played by Topol, who played the character onstage in the London production of "Fiddler." We see him as a man mired in traditions, but struggling between his devout faith and the changing times when three of his daughters feel the urge to marry. The movie is beautifully shot, and tempers the story, which deals with the harsh realities of Jewish life in pre-Revolutionary Russia, with classic musical numbers sure to put a smile on your face. Between its incarnations on the stage and on screen, "Fiddler" will be immortal.