Review of Yentl (1983) by Greg S — 15 Apr 2008

Barbra Streisand's amazing directoral debut made during the height of her film and singing career.

Yentl is more than a story about a woman who wants to make it in a man's world, it is a paralel to Streisand's own life story and speaks to anyone who has struggled to find their identity in a world that dictates who and what you should be.

Though the ending deviates from th ending of the original novel, the film is unified and very strong. Every scene captures the emotion of the moment as does the score. The cast is wonderful, includding a oung and up and coming Mandy Patinkin. Patinkin and Streisand play well off of each other, helping in the process to review the depths of their characters.

My only complaint about this film is taht there weren't enough vocal performances, and all were done by streisand, as reflections of Yentl's feeling. That said, the score is very string and the movie soundtrack features some contemporary pop versions of the Hasidic-style ballads. The best fo these is the amazing "The Way He Makes Me Feel.".

I highly recommend this film, especially for date night. Though you'll definitely need to have tissues handy as the ending very bitter-sweet.