Review: FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES examines the enduring legacy of Fiddler on the Roof

More than 50 years after its Broadway debut, Fiddler on the Roof remains one of the most popular musicals of all time. Something about the musical transcends any religious or language barriers; the story of balancing traditional practices against the march of modernity has resonated across the globe, a phenomenon documentary filmmaker (and onetime Montrealer) Max Lewkowicz examines in FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES.

From its roots as a New York production in the 60’s, Lewkowicz shows how the memorable songs and themes of the musical have managed to remain relevant to such a wide-ranging audience over the decades. Fiddler on the Roof opened in 1964, in the midst of a time of major upheaval in the United States. Against the backdrop of the civil rights and women’s liberation movements, a story about a Jewish family in turn of the century Russia might not have seemed terribly relevant, but the musical nevertheless struck a major chord with audiences. Inspired by the stories of author Sholem Aleichem, the production was based on a book by Joseph Stein, with lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and music by Jerry Bock. Starring the larger-than-life Zero Mostel as Tevye, a father struggling to maintain his Jewish traditions in a small Russian village while his three daughters push to break free from his grasp, the musical ends on a decidedly dour note as the Tsar eventually forces the Jews to flee from the village. The musical was such a success that it spawned a Hollywood adaptation, with Norman Jewison helming the 1971 film with Topol taking over the role of Tevye.

With classic earworms like “If I was a Rich Man” and “Tradition,” the klezmer-infused music of Fiddler on the Roof is much of the reason for its longevity, but as many of the subjects in the film point out, it’s the overarching theme of the importance of family that has made Fiddler such an enduring classic. With footage of a recent Yiddish adaptation in the US to a performance in Thailand (in Thai no less), Lewkowicz interviews Broadway cast members, cultural critics, and Fiddler experts (seemingly its own cottage industry), to piece together the enduring impact of Fiddler on the Roof across the globe. Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda is such a fan that he even incorporated one of the musical’s songs into his own wedding ceremony, the footage of which stands out as one of the film’s most endearing moments.

Apart from the notion of keeping religious practices ongoing despite a push towards a more secular world, Lewkowicz also shows the impact that Fiddler‘s feminist message has had on audiences over the years, specially in the song “Matchmaker,” which highlights the dark underside of arranged marriages within a seemingly comic song: “You heard he has a temper / He’ll beat you every night / But only when he’s sober / So you’ll alright.”

Unfortunately, Fiddler has also remained relevant because the notion of forced exile and racism is still very much with us. Much as Tevye’s family and their fellow villagers are exiled from their home due to their religion, Lewkowicz draws a line from the ending of Fiddler through to the ongoing refugee crisis and the rise of violent extremism around the world, a stark reminder of how little has changed in the decades since Tevye and his extended family first danced and sang their way into the public’s consciousness over five decades ago.

FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES opens at Cineplex Cinemas Quartier Cavendish on August 30.