Movie Review: Yentl Essay, Research Paper

Movie Review: Yentl

Everyone at one clip or another has felt out of topographic point. Feeling unsure

of one & # 8217 ; s topographic point in society is an experience that every immature grownup faces but

trades with otherwise. Some Rebel while others comply with whatever has been

set out for them by society or their parents, or both. The function of the adult female in

society is everlastingly altering. Where adult females were one time obligated to remain in the

place and dote on their hubbies, they are now working in the same types of occupations

as their hubbies. What was typically the male function has been blurred and

practically obliterated. Religious functions have followed society & # 8217 ; s lead in their

development. For illustration, since its creative activity over five thousand old ages ago, the

Judaic faith has evolved in some motions to affect adult females and work forces every bit

in ceremonials. The Orthodox motion has ever remained traditional in its

belief that adult females have their topographic point in the place, cookery and raising kids,

and functioning their hubbies. Education remains the adult male & # 8217 ; s responsibility. The film Yentl

starring Barbara Streisand, shows this traditional belief through its secret plan,

word picture, music, visible radiations, camera angles, and symbolism.

Set in Eastern Europe in 1904, Yentl captures the kernel of the Judaic

adult female & # 8217 ; s ageless battle. It is the narrative of a immature miss, in love with

larning but out to make so by Judaic tradition. Upon her male parent & # 8217 ; s decease,

Yentl disguises herself as a male child to go to a yeshiva ( spiritual school ) and

go on her surveies. She befriends Avigdor, a male bookman at the yeshiva,

and falls in love with him. Driven by her love for him, Yentl will make all that

she can to guarantee that he is near her and that her secret is non revealed.

Yentl battles with her secret until the twenty-four hours she can no longer stay soundless.

She tells Avigdor what she has done, and of her love for him, but he can non

accept a adult female who refuses to move as a traditional adult female should. So Yentl

departs for America in hope of a different outlook, but ne’er burying her

love for Avigdor and all that she has learned.

Based on Isaac Bashevis Singer & # 8217 ; s acclaimed short narrative, & # 8220 ; Yentl, the

Yeshiva Boy, & # 8221 ; the narrative is slightly unrealistic but serves its intent in

turn outing a point ; the point being that adult females have ever been merely every bit capable as

work forces in analyzing and instruction, and that a individual & # 8217 ; s function should non be defined

for them. It describes a adult female & # 8217 ; s hunt for freedom and her find non merely

of love but of herself. Yentl, or Anshel as she is known throughout most of the

movie, is played by Barbara Streisand who besides directed, produced, and co-wrote

this movie. She captures the character attractively, the look in her eyes

and voice exposing clearly the feelings of a adult female fighting for cognition

and love but rupture between her desire to larn and the tradition of her faith.

When Avigdor says & # 8220 ; What could she perchance be believing? & # 8221 ; the outlook of

the

Judaic Orthodox adult male is revealed wholly: a adult female exists but to function a adult male.

Yentl & # 8217 ; s interior struggles and ideas are revealed through the music she

sings. It sets the temper and exposes Yentl & # 8217 ; s feelings of desperation. If it were

non for the wordss of her vocals, the audience would non be cognizant of Yentl & # 8217 ; s

interior battle. She tells us that she doesn & # 8217 ; t cognize if she likes the manner that

she feels & # 8211 ; in love with Avigdor but forced to stay soundless, she tells us of

her desire to delight her male parent even though he is dead, and she tells us of her

programs to bring out her secret to Avigdor. The music that Barbara Streisand sings,

every bit good as the background music, helps to uncover feelings and temper every bit good as

the transition of clip.

The temper and the transition of clip are besides indicated by the lighting.

When Yentl is accepted as a pupil at the yeshiva ( a thing forbidden to adult females ) ,

light watercourses in the window as if to demo hope and felicity for Yentl. When

Yentl first disguises herself as a male, she sings her ideas of fright, a

experiencing besides displayed by the taper which is lit and the visible radiation of which,

reflected on her face, shows her unhappiness. Often, the camera angle expressions

downward on Yentl, possibly to demo that her attempts may look big in her life,

but in the big image of the Judaic faith, she will non be doing big

alterations. It may besides be that this camera angle displays the false

insignificance of a adult female, or her feelings of insignificance. The lighting, as

good as the camera angles contribute to the subject and temper of the movie.

Symbolism plays a big function in the portraiture of subject in Yentl. A bird

surging through the sky is often shown throughout the movie. This

symbolizes Yentl & # 8217 ; s battle and eventual conquest of her efforts. She, like the

bird, is able to surge & # 8211 ; through the biass of her traditions and through the

universe of cognition for which she so longs. She displays this idea in the

last line of the film when she sings & # 8220 ; Papa watch me fly. & # 8221 ; As good, when Yentl

transforms herself into Anshel, the male child, she looks at herself in a cracked

mirror and cuts her hair. This displays her uncertainness of herself and her

topographic point in Judaic society, and the film editing of her hair symbolizes her

transmutation and the beginning of a new life for her. Symbolism throughout

the movie, contributes to the movie & # 8217 ; s subject of self-discovery and function reversal.

The secret plan, word picture, illuming, camera angles, and symbolism

reveal exhaustively the secret plan of this extremely thought-evoking movie. The secret plan chiefly

contributes to turn outing that a adult female & # 8217 ; s topographic point is non entirely in the place. That

& # 8220 ; narrative books for adult females, sacred books for work forces & # 8221 ; , as the bookseller says at the

beginning of the narrative, is non an accurate appraisal of a adult female & # 8217 ; s rational

capablenesss. Because of Barbara Streisand & # 8217 ; s fabulous and complete

word picture of Yentl, this film comes to life and touches the Black Marias of

its viewing audiences.