FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

It's no small feat to combine serious issues like arranged marriage, anti-Semitism, women's rights, and classism in a tour de force musical that winds up feeling as joyous as it is poignant.  The 1971 film version of Fiddler on the Roof easily accomplishes this task in a rendering of the stage musical that does Sholom Aleichem's original stories proud.  Forty years after its original release, viewers of all ages will still delight in the timeless portrayal of relationships and in the fabulous (infinitely singable) songs.

Tevye the Milkman (played by Topol) has always lived his life according to "Tradition", but with the world on the brink of change, his values and his way of life are threatened.  As a father of five daughters, he must secure their future through marriage, but lacking the ability to provide a dowry limits the pool of available men.  The girls alternately shudder and swoon when considering their options, ultimately bursting into song, "Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch."  How would the fate of Tevye's daughters be different if he were a rich man?  Rest assured that he tackles that topic in song.

Too often the Matchmaker returns with unsuitable suggestions, leaving one daughter to break with tradition and rebel by marrying for love.  Her intended is her dear childhood friend, a poor tailor, and the arrangement calls the family's beliefs about love and marriage into question.  Though Tevye and his wife have a workable relationship, the fact that their marriage was arranged leaves them asking, "Do You Love Me?"

Though often lighthearted and thoroughly musical, Fiddler on the Roof also deals with the destruction of village life through anti-Semitism.  While we see that aspects of progress are positive, the film does not shy away from the heart-wrenching loss (both tangible and emotional) experienced by these characters.

The Blu-Ray Combo edition includes audio commentary by director Norman Jewison and Topol, the deleted song "Any Day Now", a storyboard to film comparison, and Tevye's Dream Sequence.  Featurettes on Norman Jewison, the music from Fiddler On The Roof, Tevye's daughters, and the film's production round out the extras.  The original trailers, teasers, and TV spots are also included.