Containing one of the most instantly recognizable soundtracks of any offering to come out of that big budget-era of widescreen musicals we saw through the 60’s and into the 70’s, director Norman Jewison’s classic “Fiddler on the Roof” (1971) has arrived on Blu-ray for the very first time in a 40th anniversary, two-disc edition that includes a splendid transfer and a host of terrific extras. Filmed mostly on-location and anchored by Topol’s unforgettable and iconic performance as Tevye, a village milkman in pre-revolutionary Russia, “Fiddler” tells a thematically sprawling tale that carries with it an emotional wallop which lingers (along with the tunes) long after the credits roll.
“Tradition” is not only the title of one of the film’s best known songs, but also the story’s over-arching theme that plays out as we watch the beautiful and time-honored Jewish faith and culture put to the ultimate balancing test (like a fiddler on the roof) due to unrelenting social change and terrible political circumstances. In the form of three different suitors for his three cherished daughters, Tevye will — with varying levels of success — be forced to accept circumstances outside of what he’s always known in matters of love and marriage. These personal conflicts, however, pale when compared to the antisemitic attacks launched by the Russian government that always threaten to undermine the tranquility of Tevye’s modest village — a dot on a map filled with colorful characters just looking to eke out a quiet life, worship in their own way, and be left alone.
With such timeless songs as “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” and “If I Were a Rich Man,” along with composer John Williams’ toe-tapping score, a screenplay that keeps the story turning, and sure-handed direction by Jewison, the 181 minutes simply fly by. Topol is such a bear of paternal warmth and the people around him so accessible (though nicely flawed), that you never want to to leave them. The film’s greatest success, though, is that right along with Tevye and his family and neighbors, you feel their crushing sense of loss as political and social winds — even in those rare instance when it’s for the better — undermine the village’s serenity.
The entire production defines the word “infectious” and looks gorgeous in high-definition, probably as good as it ever has. The intricate details only found on-location, along with the actors’ faces and even the texture of the fabrics, pop out in ways that only help to draw you deeper into the story and world. The sound, mixed in 7.1 DTS-HD, sounded just perfect through my antiquated 5.1.
Though all the performances are universally note-worthy, the whole show really is Topol who, amazingly, was only 34 or 35 years old during filming. A perfect part cast with this perfect of an actor is a rarity and such a unique kind of pleasure that you can’t help but smile every moment he’s on screen. Topol played the part on the stage and how lucky we are — like Anthony Quinn in Zorba and Brando in Streetcar — to have this Academy Award- nominated performance forever captured on film.
The Blu-ray comes with a ton of extras, including a number of short features that look at specific aspects of the film, including the score and production design. There’s also a deleted song and audio commentary by Jewison and Topol. An extra almost as good as the film itself is a revealing, 50-minute documentary that examines Jewison as a director during the arduous “Fiddler” shoot. Not to be missed.
I not only love this movie and always have, but I also love how deceptively complicated it is. “Fiddler” is about about some very big social and political issues, but it explores and handles them in ways that are never divisive, preachy, or turn the rich subtext into text. The people might be Jewish but their humanity –like the film’s themes — are universal. Not only do musicals not get much better than “Fiddler on the Roof,” neither do films about social and political issues.
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