ReelBob: ‘Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles’ ★★★★½
By Bob Bloom
Two sequences stand out in “Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles”: the first features a series of groups — from The Temptations in 1969 to contemporary country-western singers — that offer their own renditions of the song, “If I Were a Rich Man.” The other sequence shows a few adaptations of the musical, including one from Japan, performing the “Do You Love Me?” number.
What this excellent and tuneful documentary points out is the universal appeal and timelessness of the musical, “Fiddler on the Roof.”
This documentary traces the origins of the musical, which opened on Broadway in 1964, with book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and choreography and direction by Jerome Robbins.
The movie uses new and archival interviews with the show’s creators, cast members from the original production, as well as revivals and the film version of the musical, to offer their views of why “Fiddler” continues to resonate with audiences around the world.
“Fiddler” is engaging because it not only offers anecdotal information about the musical, but also delves into the social climate of the era in which it debuted and looks at its relevance to today’s issues involving immigrants and refugees.
Most of all, the documentary examines “Fiddler’s” deep connections to tradition and family, and how circumstances — personal and outside forces — can challenge those long-held beliefs and practices.
The musical, one person observes, is a “happy version of a dark history” in the lives of Eastern European and Russian Jews who, in 1905 — the year the story is set — were murdered during pogroms or forced by edict to abandon their homes and property. They basically were banished from villages where they and their ancestors had lived for decades.
A strength of the movie is how it ties that experience to those forced to flee their homelands today because of ethnic cleansing, civil wars or political strife. It also points out the widespread influence of the show, which connects to theatergoers in the Netherlands, Japan and Thailand, as well as students at a predominately black high school who staged the show.
The love and respect director Max Lewkowicz, who coauthored the script with Valerie Thomas, has for the show is evident from the outset. The movie is alive as it cuts from reminiscences to different productions and recording sessions.
What is really enlightening is the depiction of how the show evolved from Bock and Harnick’s songs and lyrics, expanding with themes built upon by Stein and depth added through Robbins’ choreography and staging.
Lewkowicz and Thomas detail how “Fiddler on the Roof” is more than a simple musical about Eastern European Jews. They focus on it as a microcosm that enables any society or culture to appreciate and understand.
As the filmmakers see it, that is “Fiddler’s” miracle of miracles.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES 4½ stars out of 5 (PG-13), language
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsAXHDowVaU