Fiddler on the roof

Jyoti Rayaprol   | Retro | December 22, 2009 at 7:42 pm         Print

“If I were a rich man… Yabba Dibby Dibby Dibby Dibby Dibby Dibby Dum… All day long I’d Biddy Biddy Bum”, sings Tevye. And he does Biddy Biddy Bum quite a lot, although perhaps not in the same way that a rich man would. Tevye is a poor man in adverse times and faced with many odds and contradictions makes his life hard and for most of us one that would make any Biddy Biddy Bumming absolutely impossible. And yet Tevye is blessed with a spirit that makes it quite possible. Tevye lives in a small village in Tsarist Russia with his wife Golde and his five daughters. However, there is someone else who lives with him, or rather on his roof- the fiddler, who plays a merry tune at the oddest occasions though constantly at risk being precariously placed on top of a roof maintaining a fine balance in more ways than one.

Tevye belongs to the orthodox Jewish community and has been raised with such values. He does not have the education to break the age old traditions. However, what he does have is a habit of questioning himself, talking to himself and of weighing pros and cons- “On the one hand… but on the other…” He keeps this up until he’s weighed all sides and then comes to any decision. And then it is a matter of getting his wife’s consent on the subject which he manages with tact and sometimes with some trickery. Golde is also an orthodox Jew and is firm in her beliefs about the “right” thing to do, and tries to follow those beliefs. However, she does have a soft side that makes her family and children more important than any values that she may hold dear.

Tevye’s children have been raised with the same orthodox Jewish values as their parents. However, they have inherited their father’s ability to question things and make their own decisions, and yet they use this ability sparingly and for important matters, rather than being rebellious for frivolous issues. For the most part they play their roles in society well, as obedient children and conduct themselves with dignity as women. However, they all test their father’s ability to continue to enjoy the fiddler’s tune and dance to it.

Tevye

When the old and widowed but rich butcher from their village asks Tevye for his oldest daughter Tzeitel’s hand in marriage, Tevye consents. After some celebration, Tevye is returning home when a policeman alerts him of possible disturbance in the village (referring to the political unrest) and Tevye asks the heavens why he should receive such an unpleasant message on such a day. “I know we are the chosen people, but once in a while couldn’t you choose someone else?” and immediately goes on to thank God for the match. This is an example of the humour with which Tevye deals with adverse situations throughout the movie and the constant duality of happiness and sorrow that is symbolized by the fiddler on the roof. When Tzeitel learns of the match, she confesses her love for Motel, the tailor to her father. Tevye is faced with a choice between tradition and judgement. He decides to support the two despite his reservations about Motel’s ability to support a family. He feigns a nightmare with messages from beyond the grave to convince his wife to agree to the match and the wedding is fixed. The day of the wedding is a happy one with traditional and customary feasting and merriment. The wedding sees more traditions being broken and ends on a sad note when authorities order that the homes of the Jews in the village be plundered and they watch as their possessions are destroyed. Good cheer soon returns, as Tevye talks about Tzeitel who is happy and works hard along with Motel, though they are extremely poor. Tevye’s spirit is not broken as he asks God who He takes His troubles to, showing that Tevye did not see himself as a victim and that he knew that each one had one’s own troubles- even God.

Barely have things settled down when Tevye’s second and third daughters throw more challenges at Tevye, and he deals with both situations again by relying on his judgement, faith, trust, simplicity and customs and traditions. He continues his merry dance to the fiddler’s tune, but is unable to forgive his third daughter for secretly marrying a Christian and disowns her, though he understands her and wishes her well in his heart.

As the political situation worsens, the Jewish villagers are notified by authorities to evict the village. The rabbi advises the villagers to comply. Saddened by the orders the villagers prepare to pack and leave, consoling themselves that they would not be losing much as they didn’t have much anyway. “Our forefathers have been evicted from many, many places” comments a villager to which Tevye replies “maybe that’s why we always wear our hats!” Tevye’s spirit is mirrored by the villagers who each find a silver lining even in such circumstances. Tevye’s heart is warmed when he sees that his third daughter and husband have also decided to leave as a mark of protest against the injustice, but remains silent and blesses them. It is truly sad to watch as people leave their homes, possessions, cattle, livestock, etc and leave on carts with minimum supplies, separating from friends and family to be subjected to an unfamiliar fate. Tevye, however, is not friendless on this new path, for he is followed in his new journey by his old friend- The fiddler on the roof.

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The movie is inspiring. On the one hand one feels burdened and saddened by the struggles of the poor community that must survive against all odds. And on the other hand one learns from the attitude that the villagers take to their circumstances and how face these trials with good cheer and resilience. It teaches the importance of simplicity- of traditions, customs, good judgement, faith and character. While the story speaks of Tevye and his family, it is made evident that the entire community mirrors Tevye’s attitude and that each family must have their own story not unlike Tevye’s. There are some rather humourous and inspiring dialogues in the movie that are very quotable. The Jewish traditions and customs are showcased well and the music is hummable and catchy. It is a movie that must be watched time and again in one’s life to regain one’s appreciation of life and the strength to go on with a positive attitude and a little Biddy Biddy Bum.