Fiddler on the Roof Movie Review

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

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Written by: Sholom Aleichem (adapted from stories), Arnold Perl (adapted from Sholem Aleichem stories by special arrangement with), Joseph Stein (stageplay, screenplay)
Directed by: Norman Jewison
Starring: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon, Michele Marsh
Rated: G
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Plot
In pre-revolutionary Russia, a Jewish peasant contends with marrying off three of his daughters while growing anti-Semitic sentiment threatens his village.

Verdict
A look at the contentious nature of tradition and contemporary society from the perspective of an empathetic father as he watches his daughters grow up and fall in love. While it's an older movie, being a period piece masks that, and the ideas remain relevant today. It captures the emotions of Teyve's daughters falling in love and the contemplation of how society advances and when tradition should continue or stop with the fiddler serving as a metaphor for how precarious traditions can be.
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Review
Teyve, the patriarch has to fight against tradition and contemporary ideas. His marriage was arranged. While he loves his wife, he disregards tradition and lets his daughter marry for love. Teyve respects tradition, but can't bear to force his daughter into an unwanted marriage. The movie is a contemplation on how to respect tradition while realizing that is isn't always correct. Topol does a great job as Teyve, and his fourth wall breaking is well done. Teyve steps back from a situation and ponder what he should do, breaking the wall and it's so fluid.

Topol plays Teyve

How does tradition and contemporary society fit together? It's an idea that will always be relevant. It's Teyve's compassion that steers most of his decisions. He even uses a 'message' from his ancestors to thwart tradition.

While Teyve stretches the bounds of tradition, he cannot abide with completely breaking religion when his daughter wants to marry a man that isn't Jewish. While he disowns her, he still has some compassion for her. Traditions change incrementally and Teyve couldn't accept such a stride.

Teyve and his family.

Towards the end Teyve and his family are forced from their homes with tradition (the fiddler) following as the town disperses to various location in the United States. The fiddler is a metaphor in the movie for tradition. He's in the background providing a tune, but he's on the rooftop always teetering and on the verge of falling off. Yet at the end, the fiddler and tradition will still follow.