Fiddler's Journey to the Big Screen

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Fiddler's Journey to the Big Screen

2022

1h 28m

Documentary

History

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23 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

The fall of 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of Fiddler on the Roof, the film Pauline Kael (The New Yorker) called "the most powerful movie musical ever made." Narrated by Jeff Goldblum, FIDDLER'S JOURNEY TO THE BIG SCREEN captures the humor and drama of director Norman Jewison's quest to recreate the lost world of Jewish life in Tsarist Russia and re-envision the beloved stage hit as a wide-screen epic. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Daniel Raim puts us in the director's chair and in Jewison's heart and mind, drawing on behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen stills as well as original interviews with Jewison, Topol (Tevye), composer John Williams, production designer Robert F. Boyle, film critic Kenneth Turan, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, and actresses Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh, and Neva Small (Tevye's daughters). The film explores how the experience of making Fiddler deepened Jewison as an artist and revived his soul.

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Critics Consensus

Fiddler's Journey to the Big Screen does exactly what it sets out to do, honoring a classic film's legacy while telling the entertaining story behind the scenes.

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Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

May 24, 2022

3/4

In the words of “Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen,” it isn’t just a documentary about the film’s transition from stage to screen, but a “chronicle of a spirited creative quest.”

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Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (LAist)

May 10, 2022

It really lays out so lucidly the history... The clips that they show are revelatory in so many ways.

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Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

May 5, 2022

“Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen” is as wondrous, buoyant and heartwarming as the film it celebrates.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Nov 9, 2022

4/5

…For Fiddler fans, and for those interested in the portrayal of Jewish history on screen, Raim’s documentary demonstrates considerable affection for its subject…

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Mark R. Leeper

Mark Leeper's Reviews

Sep 14, 2022

7/10

FIDDLER'S JOURNEY TO THE BIG SCREEN is more than a "making-of" documentary; the people involved with making the film talk not just about making the film, but their own backgrounds and emotions, and how they affected their work.

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James Verniere

Boston Herald

Jun 3, 2022

A-

A rousing account of the making of the great 1971 Norman Jewison musical.

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William

May 9, 2022

Very interesting behind the scenes story from many perspectives of how much thought and work went to making this Classic Movie.

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Elaine

May 9, 2022

Such a wonderful film about one of my favorites, "Fiddler on the Roof." A wonderful perspective on Norman Jewison and the background of the movie, including interviews with many of the actors. Definitely recommend.

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dave d

@RT34924333 Nov 23, 2022

A celebration of Fiddler on the Roof with a nifty tribute to its director, Norman Jewison, tucked inside. It is a deep dive from casting to production design to set design to conceptual beginnings of Fiddler largly from the perspective of cast, and crew which include an over 90 year old Jewison. The director and producer tells some great stories while we learn about his career and activism through film. Final Score: 8.4/10

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S O

@ShelO Sep 16, 2022

The documentary, "Fiddler's Journey to the Big Screen", clearly told a wonderful and uplifting story of the behind-the-scenes work to make a landmark film. The interviews of the director, the musical director, the designer, the main star, and some of the other performers added considerably. The comments by Norman Jewison provided great insight about his thought processes and his personal growth from the film, "Fiddler on the Roof", that he directed.

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Daniel Raim

Director

Jeff Goldblum

Narrator

Norman Jewison

Self

John Williams

Self

Sheldon Harnick

Self

Topol

Self

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Synopsis

The fall of 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of Fiddler on the Roof, the film Pauline Kael (The New Yorker) called "the most powerful movie musical ever made." Narrated by Jeff Goldblum, FIDDLER'S JOURNEY TO THE BIG SCREEN captures the humor and drama of director Norman Jewison's quest to recreate the lost world of Jewish life in Tsarist Russia and re-envision the beloved stage hit as a wide-screen epic. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Daniel Raim puts us in the director's chair and in Jewison's heart and mind, drawing on behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen stills as well as original interviews with Jewison, Topol (Tevye), composer John Williams, production designer Robert F. Boyle, film critic Kenneth Turan, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, and actresses Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh, and Neva Small (Tevye's daughters). The film explores how the experience of making Fiddler deepened Jewison as an artist and revived his soul.

Director: Daniel Raim
Producer: Daniel Raim, Sasha Berman
Screenwriter: Michael Sragow, Daniel Raim
Distributor: Zeitgeist Films
Production Co: Adama Films
Genre: Documentary, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 29, 2022, Limited
Runtime: 1h 28m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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