YENTL

US, 1983, 127 minutes, Colour.
Barbra Streisand, Mandy Patinkin, Amy Irving, Nehemiah Persoff.
Directed by Barbra Streisand.

Yentl is a Barbra Streisand film. Not only does she star, she also directs. In collaboration with Jack Rosenthal, she wrote the screen play based on Isaac Bashevis Singer's short story, 'Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy'. She also sings songs, especially interior monologues, composed by Michel Legrand with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

The film is beautiful to look at, with use of Czechoslovakian locations. While Barbra Streisand is centre screen, she directs her supporting cast very well and gives them prominence. Mandy Patinkin (Ragtime) is an effective leading man. Amy Irving (The Fury, The Competition) received an Oscar nomination for her supporting role Nehemiah Persoff has a very good role as Yentl's father.

Not only does the film show Barbra Streisand's interest in the traditions of European Jewry and orthodox reflection on the Bible, it also has a strong feminist tone as Yentl goes into the area reserved solely for men, the study of Torah. Like Singer, Yentl moves at the end of the film to the United States for hope for a new world. Another version of a Singer story was Menahem Golan's The Magician of Lublin with Alan Arkin (a far less successful film). Jeremy Paul Kagan's version of Chaim Potok's The Chosen preceded the release of Yentl by some months. They are both interesting films focusing on Jewish tradition.

1. An entertaining film? Charm? Delight? Insight?

2. Barbra Streisand's achievement from co-writing to screenplay to direction? The quality of her performance? Her impersonation of a man? The music, her singing, the dramatic monologues?

3. The work of Isaac Bashevis Singer: interest in European Jews, Central European traditions, the study of Torah, Jewish orthodoxy and tradition? The role of the Sacred Scriptures? The importance of study? Study reserved to men? The place of women in Jewish communities, in Europe? The transition to the 20th. century and changes? His belief that women should be allowed to study Scripture? The quality of his short story and its translation into a long and big-budgeted film?

4. The strengths of the adaptation to the screen: larger and longer than the original story? The preservation of the story elements? The dramatising of the characters? The capturing of the quality of atmosphere, locations? A star vehicle for Barbra Streisand? The introduction and placement of the songs?

5. The colour photography, the Czechoslovakian locations? A sense of period? European atmosphere? Central Europe? Poland? Audience knowledge of the transition from the turn of the century Jewish communities and the ghettos to the destruction under the Nazis? The destruction of the Polish Jews? The world of the old village, the ghetto, the rabbinical schools? The transition at the end in hope to the United States?

6. The quality of the music: Michel Legrand's score, the Bergmans' lyrics? The recitative style, monologues, meditative tone? The quality of the melodies? Their insertion into the plot? Revelation of character, Yentl's emotions, situations? The interior world and the exterior world?

7. Audience knowledge of Jewish traditions? Jewish history in Europe, Christian persecution, the establishment of the ghettos, the laws restricting Jews to the ghettos? The Jewish ethos? Strong religious faith? Faith and culture? The importance of the Word of God, the sacredness of the law, the importance of interpretation?

8. Barbra Streisand as Yentl: at her age portraying a young Jewish girl? Her creating the character of a blue-stocking, her transition to impersonating a boy (of a young age)? Her relationship with Avigdor as a boy? Her relation to Hadass as boy, suitor, husband? The credibility of the marriage situation? Audiences suspending disbelief? Credible visually, emotionally, psychologically?

9. The theme of identity: Yentl as a girl, the importance of her name, her roles in the household, reading, shopping, the fish market etc.? Her father teaching her Talmud? Her transition to the disguise? The critique of women and their subservient role? The relationship with Avigdor as Anschul? Two friends? Her shyness, the difficulties of moving in a man's world, the swimming scene and her reserve and prudery? The discussions with Avigdor about the.role of a wife, the discussions about Hadass? Her friendship with Hadass? Her critical attitude towards Hadass' subservience and place in the household? Her response to Hadass' passionate love for her? Her silence, her attitude towards Hadass' parents? Teaching Hadass Talmud? Breaking with the tradition, with law, the hope of the U.S.? The audience response to Barbra Streisand as woman portraying man? Sexual implications, relationships, love, equality? A film of the '80s? A feminist viewpoint?

10. The initial situation: Yentl at home, the shopping, the expectations for a woman, her criticism by the people in the town? Buying the fish, the novels? The travelling librarian? Yentl as different? The details of life in Europe, home, meals? The secret teaching by her father? Yentl's knowledge, instruction? Her sensitivity? The later memories of her father's love for her and her teaching - and their inclusion in the songs, her meditation on her father's memory? Her sensing his continued presence? The impact of his death? The importance of Yentl and her decision to read at his funeral?

11. Yentl's transition to Anschul? The cutting of her hair, the change of dress, the hitchhiking, money and her being tricked, the town, eating, keeping up her disguise and its effect, the encounter with the students, the atmosphere of young men and comradeship and her learning how to enter in. arm-wrestling? Her caution. hopes? The risk? A feminine sensibility in a man's world?

12. Her accommodation, the irony of staying with Avigdor? Her friendship with him? Her ability to study, cramming? Her going to the rabbi, the examination, the acceptance? Her relishing the developments and study, arguing with Avigdor and the students? Application. respect, reputation? Her goal - and final achievement? The importance of her teaching Hadass? Her place ultimately in American Jewry?

13. Yentl as vibrant, cautious with her disguise (the bed sequence, putting off the lights. the importance of the swimming sequence and its innocent nudity. her reserve, Avigdor's taking her for granted)? Explaining her youthful look to people? The visit to Hadass, the meal? Songs? The change in Avigdor's fortune and his grief, her visiting Hadass for him? Hadass' falling in love? The courtship, the approval of the parents. going through the marriage ritual? Her coping with Avigdor and his grief? Her reserve with Hadass? The discussions about teaching. the law, sexual relationships and marriage? Moving to the city? Telling Avigdor the truth, his response? Her departure - and her love for Avigdor but her having to be contented that he was happy with Hadass?

14. Avigdor and his strength, geniality, friendliness, protective of Anschul? A religious man? His desire to study? The friendship with Anschul, sharing the rooms, the bed, the swimming, taking him to visit Hadass? Love, the possibility of a happy marriage with Hadass? (And his assuming that he would be the submissive Jewish wife)? The revelation about the suicide in the family, the parents' suspicion? His telling the story to Anschul? His wanting to go away, Anschul persuading his to stay? His hovering around Hadass, presents to her through Anschul? Going to the city, the talk with Yentl and his reaction to the truth - his anger, a realisation of the ambiguous feelings - attracted to Yentl yet seeing her as Anschul? A decision about love and friendship? His return to Hadass?

15. Hadass as the elegant Jewish girl? The enclosed life she led (and the darkened house with its wealth, draperies etc.?), her relationship with her parents, elegant style, the meals? Her manners? Obedient? Her seeming to be mindless? Her losing Avigdor? The friendship with Anschul, the courting, the meals, the repetition of the courtship, the marriage ceremony, the reserve on the night, drinking? Her falling in love with Anschul? Observing Yentl and Avigdor and the accidents? Her beauty? Her reconciliation with Avigdor?

16. The older Jewish people: Yentl's father and his love for his daughter, teaching her, the pathos of the sequences together, his death? Hadass' parents and their style, class? The rabbis and their authority,, knowledge of the Scripture? The older Jews and tradition?

17. The contrast with the students, their zest?

18. A film of beauty, colour, moods, light and darkness?

19. A pervading atmosphere of humour e.g. the bed sequence, the swimming, the meals, Anschul's accidents at the table?

20. The prospect of the American ending - a new world? Taking the traditions and hoping that they would grow and change in a new world? A satisfying emotional experience? ~Insight into Jewish tradition?