Fiddler on the Roof

In a small Jewish town in tsarist Russia, the milkman Tevye tries to marry off his three daughters according to tradition, and each time the tradition breaks a little further. The directing choice began with a misunderstanding: the studio hired Norman Jewison partly because it believed he was Jewish. Casting Chaim Topol instead of Zero Mostel as Tevye was contested, since Mostel had created the role on Broadway and was identified with it. Jewison later explained his reasoning: Mostel's larger-than-life personality worked on stage, but he thought film audiences would see Mostel rather than the character. Isaac Stern played the violin solos, and John Williams wrote him a special cadenza. It was shot in Yugoslavia and at Pinewood in England. Croatian locations including Mala Gorica, Lekenik and Zagreb were chosen because the crew had seen heavy snow while scouting in 1969. When filming began in 1970 no snow fell, and the production had to ship in marble dust as a substitute. On a 9 million dollar budget it grossed 83.3 million worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of 1971, winning three Academy Awards including cinematography and sound. Who it is for: viewers who love classic musicals and the argument between tradition and change. Who it is not for: anyone sensitive to length. It runs close to three hours and the second half slows noticeably.