Set in early 20th-century Imperial Russia, the film centers on Tevye (Chaim Topol), a poor Jewish milkman who is faced with the challenge of marrying off his five daughters amidst the growing tension in his shtetl.

Filmed at Pinewood Studios in England and on-location in SR Croatia, Fiddler on the Roof was theatrically released on November 3, 1971, by United Artists to critical and commercial success.

The film received a leading eight nominations at the 44th Academy Awards, including for Best Picture and Best Director, and won three: Best Score Adaptation (Williams), Best Cinematography (Oswald Morris) and Best Sound (Gordon K. McCallum, David Hildyard).

[12] The film centers on Tevye, a Jewish milkman, and his family, who live in the small (fictional) village of Anatevka in Tsarist Russia.

Life in the shtetl of Anatevka is very hard, and Tevye speaks not only of the hardships of poverty but also of the Jewish community's constant fear of harassment from their non-Jewish neighbors.

Tevye explains that the lot of the Jews in Russia is as precarious as a fiddler on a roof, trying to eke out a pleasant tune while not breaking their necks.

Through Yente the matchmaker, Tevye arranges for his eldest daughter, Tzeitel, to marry widower Lazar Wolf, an affluent butcher, many years older than she.

Tevya, tipsy from celebrating the proposal, is warned by the Constable that the locals would attack (calling it an "Unofficial Demonstration"), on an indefinite date, and the milkman wonders why God would allow this to happen.

In a soliloquy, Tevye concludes that while he could accept his older daughters' choosing their own husbands, he cannot countenance Chava marrying a non-Jew, in effect abandoning the Jewish faith.

[14] Huttner also notes that the "Chagall color palette" of the original Broadway production was exchanged for a grittier, more realistic depiction of the village of Anatevka.

Rosalind Harris, who played Tzeitel, was previously Bette Midler's understudy in the role during the original Broadway production.

[13] Assi Dayan, a well-known Israeli actor and filmmaker, was originally cast as Perchik, but couldn't handle the English dialogue and was replaced by Paul Michael Glaser.

[20] Richard Thomas was Jewison's choice to play Fyedka, but ultimately Italian actor Ray Lovelock was cast in the part.

Norman Jewison makes two cameo appearances, first as the voice of the rabbi the "Tevye's Dream" number, and later as a wedding guest.

Williams also composed additional music and an original cadenza for Isaac Stern, who performed the various violin solos in the film.

[24] Gene Siskel awarded three-and-a-half stars out of four, writing that the musical numbers were "better staged and choreographed than in any recent Broadway film adaptation".

[25] Vincent Canby of The New York Times thought the film version was inferior, explaining that by "literalizing" the show with real landscapes and houses, Jewison and Stein "have effectively overwhelmed not only Aleichem, but the best things about the stage production ... pushed beyond its limits, the music goes flat and renders banal moments that, on the stage, are immensely moving.

"[26] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the film "has been done not only with such artistry, but also with such evident love, devotion, integrity and high aspiration that watching it is a kind of duplex pleasure.

In conclusion, he wrote that it "remains beloved," and that "As Tevye told us, we are all fiddlers on the roof, fighting to maintain balance in a tumultuous and unpredictable world.

"[30] In 2023, the film ranked number 15 on IndieWire's list of "The 60 Best Movie Musicals of All Time," with Jude Dry writing "It's hard to go wrong with such great material, yet many have failed in their attempts to translate the epic nature of a live Broadway show to the comparatively flat screen.

Led by Israeli actor Chaim Topol as the indefatigable narrator Tevye (though the decision not to cast Zero Mostel was controversial at the time), the movie delivers all of the laughs, tears, and chills of the musical ... From its rousing opening to its plaintive final notes, Fiddler on the Roof is nothing less than a cinematic tradition.

On December 7, 2021, La-La Land Records released a 3-disc limited edition soundtrack which featured alternate versions of songs, as well as unreleased instrumental score composed by Williams.

In February 2022, the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance presented a concert version of Fiddler using the arrangements written by John Williams for the film.

Broadway performers Chuck Cooper and Loretta Ables Sayre played the roles of Tevye and Golde with The Grand Rapids Symphony as the backing orchestra.

[9][10][11] On May 28, 2020, it was announced that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and producers Dan Jinks and Aaron Harnick will oversee a remake, with Thomas Kail (known for his work on Hamilton and Grease Live!)