Movie Review Of Yentl Essay, Research Paper

MOVIE REVIEW: YENTL

Everyone at one time or another has felt out of place. Feeling unsure of one’s place in society is an experience that every young adult faces but deals with differently. Some rebel while others comply with whatever has been set out for them by society or their parents, or both. The role of the woman in society is forever changing. Where women were once obligated to stay in the home and dote on their husbands, they are now working in the same types of jobs as their husbands. What was typically the male role has been blurred and practically obliterated. Religious roles have followed society’s lead in their evolution. For example, since its creation over five thousand years ago, the Jewish religion has evolved in some movements to involve women and men equally in ceremonies. The orthodox movement has always remained traditional in its belief that women have their place in the home, cooking and raising children, and serving their husbands. Education remains the man’s duty. The movie Yentl starring Barbara Streisand, shows this traditional belief through its plot, characterization, music, lights, camera angles, and symbolism.

Set in Eastern Europe in 1904, Yentl captures the essence of the Jewish woman’s eternal struggle. It is the story of a young girl, in love with learning but forbidden to do so by Jewish tradition. Upon her father’s death, Yentl disguises herself as a boy to attend a yeshiva (religious school) and continue her studies. She befriends Avigdor, a male scholar at the yeshiva, and falls in love with him. Driven by her love for him, Yentl will do all that she can to ensure that he is near her and that her secret is not revealed. Yentl struggles with her secret until the day she can no longer remain silent. She tells Avigdor what she has done, and of her love for him, but he cannot accept a woman who refuses to act as a traditional woman should. So Yentl departs for America in hope of a different mentality, but never forgetting her love for Avigdor and all that she has learned.

Based on Isaac Bashevis Singer’s acclaimed short story, “Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy,” the story is somewhat unrealistic but serves its purpose in proving a point; the point being that women have always been just as capable as men in studying and education, and that a person’s role should not be defined for them. It describes a woman’s search for freedom and her discovery not only of love but of herself. Yentl, or Anshel as she is known throughout most of the film, is played by Barbara Streisand who also directed, produced, and co-wrote this film. She captures the character beautifully, the expression in her eyes and voice displaying clearly the feelings of a woman struggling for knowledge and love but torn between her desire to learn and the tradition of her religion. When Avigdor says “What could she possibly be thinking?” the mentality of the Jewish Orthodox man is revealed completely: a woman exists but to serve a man.

Yentl’s inner conflicts and thoughts are revealed through the music she sings. It sets the mood and exposes Yentl’s feelings of despair. If it were not for the lyrics of her songs, the audience would not be aware of Yentl’s inner struggle. She tells us that she doesn’t know if she likes the way that she feels – in love with Avigdor but forced to remain silent, she tells us of her desire to please her father even though he is dead, and she tells us of her plans to uncover her secret to Avigdor. The music that Barbara Streisand sings, as well as the background music, helps to reveal feelings and mood as well as the passage of time.

The mood and the passage of time are also indicated by the lighting. When Yentl is accepted as a student at the yeshiva (a thing forbidden to women), light streams in the window as if to show hope and happiness for Yentl. When Yentl first disguises herself as a male, she sings her thoughts of fear, a feeling also displayed by the candle which is lit and the light of which, reflected on her face, shows her sadness. Often, the camera angle looks downward on Yentl, perhaps to show that her efforts may seem large in her life, but in the large picture of the Jewish religion, she will not be making large changes. It may also be that this camera angle displays the assumed insignificance of a woman, or her feelings of insignificance. The lighting, as well as the camera angles contribute to the theme and mood of the film.

Symbolism plays a large role in the portrayal of theme in Yentl. A bird soaring through the sky is frequently shown throughout the film. This symbolizes Yentl’s struggle and eventual conquering of her feats. She, like the bird, is able to soar – through the prejudices of her traditions and through the world of knowledge for which she so longs. She displays this thought in the last line of the movie when she sings “Papa watch me fly.” As well, when Yentl transforms herself into Anshel, the boy, she looks at herself in a cracked mirror and cuts her hair. This displays her uncertainty of herself and her place in Jewish society, and the cutting of her hair symbolizes her transformation and the beginning of a new life for her. Symbolism throughout the film, contributes to the film’s theme of self-discovery and role reversal.

The plot, characterization, lighting, camera angles, and symbolism reveal thoroughly the plot of this highly thought-evoking film. The plot mainly contributes to proving that a woman’s place is not solely in the home. That “story books for women, sacred books for men”, as the bookseller says at the beginning of the story, is not an accurate assessment of a woman’s intellectual capabilities. Because of Barbara Streisand’s fabulous and complete characterization of Yentl, this movie comes to life and touches the hearts of its viewers.