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Fiddler On The Roof

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Heidi Elizabeth Marcum

Fiddler on the Roof- Thank you so much for your reaction to this beautiful movie and one of my all time favorite musicals, Jay!! I absolutely love Fiddler on the Roof! And I love, love, love how the character of the fiddler on the roof shown all throughout this movie as a figment of Tevye's mind, is a symbol for the theme of tradition and the changes throughout the Jewish people's lives, as well as everyone else in the world too. Both Jews and Gentiles alike. How he represents the changes we all must go through in life. "Our lives may be as shaky as... As a fiddler on the roof!" This movie was made in 1971, but it is set in the early 1900s. I really appreciate hearing you sharing your thoughts about what happens in this movie. Your thoughts both during this movie and afterwards. I sincerely love and appreciate your commentaries, dear friend. It's so important for us all to be free to choose and live the lives we all wish and long to live. Not just the lives that our people's old traditions and former ways of life try so hard to hold us to. Some traditions are important to hold onto, but it's also important to accept some of the changes that come, so long as these changes don't affect your highest and strongest morals and beliefs, or you as a person in a negative way. And it's also important to continue to love and accept those we love, even if they stray from any or all traditions you as a person may not be able to let go of. This movie is quite special, because it beautifully shows the struggles we all go through when change comes and disrupts our lives and our traditions. In many ways, we all can connect to Tevye, as well as the rest of the characters throughout this movie. Even in the smallest ways. Jewish or not. And while this story throughout this movie, as well as its characters, are all fictional, events such as these truly happened. Many Jews were evicted from their homes simply because they are Jews, and nothing more. Because Jews were tragically and wrongly hated simply for being who they are. And this movie is a reminder to us. A reminder for us to accept we can change our traditions and move beyond the lives we know just as they are, while also remaining who we are. This movie is also a reminder of the troubles those before us have suffered so that we can all truly have the freedoms we all celebrate and are grateful for today. Jews and non Jews alike. And I am truly grateful. Now... The music alone throughout this movie is absolutely beautiful and the songs are a lot of fun! I've loved this music ever since I first saw this movie many, many years ago. And when I learned years later after having already seen this movie many times in my life, that the music was partially written and composed by John Williams, who is one of the most famous and beloved music composers of all time because of all the movies he has created music for... From Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and E.T. to Jurassic Park, etc..., I came to love the music all the more. As for my favorite songs... I absolutely love every song throughout this movie!! They're all fantastic!! However, first and foremost... I love the very first song that sets up the theme of this musical... Tradition, sung by Tevye and the rest of the cast ensemble in different parts throughout this song. I also very much love If I Were a Rich Man, also sung by Tevye. Other than Tradition and If I Were a Rich Man, I also absolutely love Far From the Home I love sung by Tevye's middle daughter, Hodel, as she sings of her love for her home and her fear of leaving it and her family, but her longing to be with the man she's now come to love and inspire her in their work in helping people to evolve with the changes as well. So emotional and beautiful. And I also love, love, love the entire nightmare sequence... the Wedding Procession sung by Tevye's and Golde's dead ancestors, as well as Lazar Wolf's dead wife Fruma Sarah. This song is just a lot of fun and it shows the creative genius within Tevye, as he conjures this whole dream sequence in the form of a nightmare to trick Golde into believing her grandmother had come from beyond the grave to bless their daughter, their family, and the wedding, in order to avoid admitting the truth about his decision to let their daughter Tzeitel and Motel marry without talking about it with his wife. Simply admitting the truth, Tevye knew Golde would be livid and would never let it go. But Tevye knew Golde would believe that Grandmother Tzeitel as well as Fruma Sarah had come to him in his dream, because people in those days believed in the meanings behind their dreams and were superstitious in numerous ways. I just absolutely love this whole sequence. The music is a lot of fun. :) And then... I also really love the all the dancing within the wedding. Especially when the men perform a traditional Jewish dance while balancing wine bottles on their hats as they dance in perfect sync. It looks amazing, and there were no tricks involved with keeping the bottles in balance on top of their hats. It was skill and raw talent. Brilliant!!! :) And a number of these songs from this movie are taken and remade in other movies, TV shows, commercials, etc..., Which is why you might have somewhat recognized bits and pieces from them. Gwen Stefani's song... Rich Girl, was inspired by If I Were a Rich Man. If you know the song, then you might recognize the tune from this song Tevye sings. It's also been used in other movies as well, as have songs such as Matchmaker, sung by Tevye's daughters. As for my favorite characters... As you can imagine, I love, love, love Tevye himself, played by Topol. A phenomenal actor, who sadly very recently passed away. He's someone I truly miss within the acting world. Tevye is a strong and powerful character that is so full of life. I love his talks with God, as he struggles with all of the changes. And he's also hilarious! Most of all, I deeply love his inner struggle throughout this film, as he struggles to cope with all of their traditions changing so much, until the changes very nearly break him. I also love the humor he brings, especially when he talks with God and to Golde and to Perchik, and upon creating the nightmare to trick his wife. Also... I love Golde because she has quite the tongue and I love her bantering and relationship with Tevye. Their song they sing together as they come to understand they truly do love one another is so adorable and beautiful too. And then... I also really love Perchik too. I love that he brings a new way of thinking into not only Tevye's life, but as well as into the lives of everyone throughout all of Anatevka. He helps them to see that the world is changing, and that change doesn't have to be scary or destructive, but wonderful. I just love his way of thinking, and I love his relationship with Hodel as well. If there was any of the three daughters' love story I would have loved to see more of, it would definitely be Hodel's love for Perchik. I love how he inspires her to be her own woman and helps her to be able to think for herself. I also love Chava's and Fyedka's relationship as well. I would have loved to see more development within their love story too. Their love brings the most chaos and pain for Tevye and their family. Because Chava is a Jew, while Fyedka is Russian and not of their faith. Even today, people marrying outside of their faith can cause trouble and pain for their loved ones. It's a struggle that has continued to exist no matter the change that comes around them. Prejudice against race, religion, etc... has existed from the beginning of time. And sadly, it will continue to exist through the end of time. People hate others back then, throughout all of history, and now just to hate. Whether their hatred and mistrust is justified or not. And sadly, people are constantly hurt and suffer from such hate. It's tragic. But I love how this storyline between Tevye, and Chava and Fyedka, goes so deep into such a painful theme. It's shows us the impact of our hate and prejudice of others. And hopefully, it can help some of us to see the error of our ways and can allow it to help us to learn from our mistakes. Just as we see Tevye learn by the very end, as he asks his oldest daughter Tzeitel to offer his third daughter and her new husband peace and happiness through God, simply by uttering these final words to her. It's so sad that he pushes his daughter away because she rebelled in such a way that nearly breaks him and Golde. However, I do believe Tevye comes around and finds peace with Chava's marriage to Fyedka, therefore offering peace of mind to them as well. Had this movie continued and if we were to see more of their story... I do believe that in time, their broken relationship would be shown to be mended and that we would see them all come together again. Like I said... I truly love Tevye's overall struggle with all the changes threatening his family's and their people's traditions and their beliefs within their faith. This overall storyline is powerful and emotional. We all go through similar and different kinds of struggles that threaten our traditions and ways of life. But in the end, our struggles can hopefully become a blessing for us if we allow ourselves to learn the lessons that come from them. Just as Tevye comes to realize by the end. And I firmly believe that God will never give us a struggle that we can't overcome. Change can be wonderful. We just have to fight through the pain that comes with it. "Our lives... They can all be as shaky as... as a fiddler on the roof!" These words couldn't be more true!! Thank you once again for this marvelous reaction, Jay!! My dear friend. I really had so much fun, and I felt so much emotion as I watched this beautiful movie again with you, as you watch it for the first time. I am so happy you loved watching this powerful musical again for me too! And I'm so happy that you truly loved Fiddler on the Roof as I do. The ending is very sad, but beautiful too. While it does end with everyone parting ways upon them losing their homes, there is also a little bit of happiness too. As Tevye comes to forgive his third daughter and begin to accept her love for Fyedka. Showing us that there is hope for them to come together again someday. Offering us hope that we can all come to find peace and acceptance of one another someday. And though it's difficult to hold onto such hope, I do have hope. And now... I can't wait for many more reactions from you to come! Thank you very much, my dear friend!! :) Sincerely, Heidi

Lipaz

Excellent reaction, Jay! yes, this movie is also filled with small anecdotes and it's sometimes hard to follow. 1. The man's name is Tevye; it's is the Ashkenazi version of the name Tuvia, which means "God's kindness" in Hebrew. 2. Those "fridges" you wonder about in minute 9:30 are a common custom for religious Jewish men. It's a commandment to wear them, taken from Numbers 15, 38-39. 3. To the joke you initially didn't understand, and is half explained later on, the story takes place in the previous centuries, when the Russian Tzardom was still in place. The Tzars, the Russian emperors, used to be very cruel towards the Jews, and the Rebbe simply wishes that the current one will stay out of their lives. Which... yeah. 4. Tuvia has 5 daughters, which is hardly uncommon. Orthodox have extensive families up to this day. It's common to have between 8 to 12 children per family.