Feminists will love every aspect of Yentl, the film musical Barbra Streisand co-wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in. In other words, it's her baby. I'm not a feminist, but even I appreciate the enormous amount of work that went into this very well-crafted musical.
It's the story of a Polish Jewish girl who, after her father's death, dresses as a boy and enrolls in a boys' school. Obviously, swimming and bathing at the local watering hole is a problem for her. As is romance-she meets the engaged couple Mandy Patinkin and Amy Irving, but when she falls for Mandy and Amy falls for her, things get complicated. I like to think of it as a Jewish version of Mulan. She has tremendous respect for her father and taking up the mantel (learning, not fighting) in his place.
If any of you are wondering why Barbra sang all the songs, refer to her memoir. In My Name Is Barbra, she explains everything about the pre-production of Yentl. She couldn't get studio backing without turning the story into a musical (which was ridiculous, since she'd already proved she could draw audiences into a non-musical film), and she decided to give the heroine a reason for singing: her inner voice sang the thoughts she couldn't speak out loud. Naturally, the other characters couldn't join in on the fun. With lovely songs by Michel Legrand and the Bergmans, and Barbra's passionate and complex delivery, this is a film to truly appreciate.
It's the story of a Polish Jewish girl who, after her father's death, dresses as a boy and enrolls in a boys' school. Obviously, swimming and bathing at the local watering hole is a problem for her. As is romance-she meets the engaged couple Mandy Patinkin and Amy Irving, but when she falls for Mandy and Amy falls for her, things get complicated. I like to think of it as a Jewish version of Mulan. She has tremendous respect for her father and taking up the mantel (learning, not fighting) in his place.
If any of you are wondering why Barbra sang all the songs, refer to her memoir. In My Name Is Barbra, she explains everything about the pre-production of Yentl. She couldn't get studio backing without turning the story into a musical (which was ridiculous, since she'd already proved she could draw audiences into a non-musical film), and she decided to give the heroine a reason for singing: her inner voice sang the thoughts she couldn't speak out loud. Naturally, the other characters couldn't join in on the fun. With lovely songs by Michel Legrand and the Bergmans, and Barbra's passionate and complex delivery, this is a film to truly appreciate.