Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Remarkable adaptation of the popular stage musical by Norman Jewison, shot in a way that still seems fresh and lively. There are so many good things about this film...

The songs are strong and memorable. Plus, they work with and within the narrative. They aren’t merely irrelevant add-ons, as is often the case in lesser musicals. 

Topol’s warm, well-rounded character is extremely watchable. It's difficult to imagine anyone else filling the part so well or being so funny. He’s rolling his eyes and fourth-walling it constantly. And the device of him talking to God offers a useful way for him to directly address the audience and bring us into his inner world. 

Even when the film embraces dream sequences, it works.

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