Yentl

A very different type of musical/drama. If you watch unbiased, I think you will find it has a little something for everyone. The film has beautiful direction, wonderful performances, lovely music, some sly humor, and is truly inspirational.

Barbra Streisand had wanted to make this film since 1968, but everyone in the industry told her she was crazy. In 1979, she was still determined to make the film, even if the studio's weren't. She was turned down by every motion picture company at least twice, until finally in the early eighties, MGM/UA picked up the project. Made on a then-above average budget of about $14 million, YENTL was released to mostly positive reviews and eventually grossed a surprisingly strong $50 million in the US alone and did twice as well around the world. The only disappointment is that Streisand was snubbed by Oscar.

"Yentl" is Barbra Streisand's adaption of an Issac Bashevis Singer short story. Set in Eastern Europe at the turn of the century, it tells the story of a woman who must disguise herself as a man in order to study scripture. Along the way she falls in love with a fellow student, Avigdor, who is engaged to be married. Due to a family secret he is prevented from doing so by the bride's father. In a desperate bid to keep him from leaving, Yentl, now known as Anshel, marries her instead.

The story has been modified for the film in that the role of Yentl is somewhat older and her internal dialogue is fleshed out in the form of songs. A sort of musical narrative solely from her perspective.

The opening song "Where Is It Written", the soulful "Papa, Can You Hear Me?", "The Way He Makes Me Feel" and the closing "A Piece of Sky" are some of the stand-out performances. This is Streisand's first directing effort and she was the first woman to win a Golden Globe for it. She pulls solid performances from everyone and tells her story with a fresh sense of style rarely seen in film today. There are moments when Streisand lingers a bit long to make sure you "feel" what she is trying to convey. Her subsequent directorial efforts, the 1991 "The Prince of Tides" and the 1996 "The Mirror Has Two Faces" are more fluid. Avigdor's concern over his affection for "Anshel" is not adequately explored, but the "girl marries girl" theme is approached with great humor and tact.

For music fans, check out the "Yentl Medley" from the 1994 "Barbra - The Concert" and the soundtrack album, which contains studio versions of "The Way He Makes Me Feel" and 'No Matter What Happens". Her 1991 box set "Just For the Record" includes "The Moon and I" which was written for this film but never used.

At the end, Streisand dedicates this film to her father, and all our fathers... I'm sure he would be very proud.

*Academy Award for Best Score* *Grammy nominations for TWO songs*

I discovered this film recently when it came out on DVD in France at a knock-down price. Picture quality is no more than average and seems to have a little over-dominance of sepia. I assume the film was originally destined for a Jewish audience as many of the references contained therein concern the Jewish religion of which I know nothing ! All that said, I was very very satisfied with this film, Barbra Steisand gave a magnificent performance, you could see that she put her heart into this, apart from being really cute, her voice and songs were magnificent. There's also quite a lot of humour and potentially embarrassing situations which is normal, given the fairly original plot line. I think that the end is a satisfying one indeed the only satisfying one possible. I know little about Jewish culture but do, as an "outsider" find it attractive. Indeed this may indeed be a prerequisite to fully appreciate this film.

Despite an ostensibly somber tone and an autumnal look that gives the film a burnished coffee-table feel, Barbra Streisand's directorial debut "Yentl", about a turn-of-the-century Jewish girl disguising herself as a boy to study the Talmud (religious writings for men only), has a lot of heart, a romantic soul and a ticklish sense of humor. Streisand's strengths as an actress are never more apparent, and as a director she's thoughtful and careful, though perhaps too anxious to display her sentiment (leading to a woebegone conclusion which peaks and ebbs before the fade-out). Streisand is the only actor who sings, and the songs--though mostly ornate and melodramatic--are cleverly interwoven into the narrative. The final number (something about rebelling against "a piece of sky") is simply too much, but Barbra is in strong, assured voice throughout and she gets wonderful acting support from Mandy Patinkin (in arguably his finest performance, which should have netted an Oscar nomination) and Amy Irving (who did receive an Oscar nod). An enjoyable film with a surprisingly light-hearted quality which catches one off-guard. *** from ****

You may love her or hate but the truth should be admitted - Streisand is an extremely talented artist. "Yentl' is her baby of directing, producing, co-writing and starring as a girl who wants to study and become a rabbi and who has to disguise herself as a boy to be accepted in a college. Streisand had fought the studio for 15 years to get it made, and she put her heart into this. Barbra is a gifted director, and the film is beautifully shot. I liked her acting - I thought she was convincing and touching when her character started to fall in love with a fellow student (very appealing Mandy Patinkin, "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father: prepare to die" of "The Princess Bride") and had to hide her feelings. I also like her singing and I think that the songs belong to the film and can not be taken out of the context.

7.5/10