Yentl

4.50
    Yentl
    1983

    Synopsis

    Rebbe Mendel is a single father who teaches the Talmud, a sacred text of Judaism, to the boys of his small Polish town. Behind closed doors, he also instructs his daughter, Yentl, despite the fact that girls are forbidden to study religious scripture. When Yentl's father dies, she still has a strong desire to learn about her faith -- so she disguises herself as a male, enrolls in a religious school, and unexpectedly finds love along the way.

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    Cast

    • Barbra StreisandYentl
    • Mandy PatinkinAvigdor
    • Amy IrvingHadass
    • Nehemiah PersoffRebbe Mendel
    • Steven HillReb Alter Vishkower
    • Allan CordunerShimmele
    • Ruth GoringEsther Rachel
    • David de KeyserRabbi Zalman
    • Bernard SpearTailor
    • Doreen MantleMrs. Shaemen

    Recommendations

    • 88

      Chicago Sun-Times

      The middle 100 minutes of the movie are charming and moving and surprisingly interesting.
    • 88

      The Associated Press

      Miss Streisand excels in all departments. [21 Nov 1983]
    • 80

      Washington Post

      Yentl is Streisand. Either you like her or you don't. And if a little Streisand means a lot, then a lot is what you've got. [09 Dec 1983, p.25]
    • 70

      Variety

      In league with ace cinematographer David Watkin, Streisand has created a fine-looking period piece, working on Czech locations and in English studios.
    • 63

      Miami Herald

      Perhaps because we see so few musicals at all, the Streisand model seems welcome on any terms. But there is also a great deal of warmth in the picture, and it has what one-man shows do when they are working right: It has conviction, and a sense of the artist's vision. This movie was not made by committee, and hence it is free in a way that few American films are. [09 Dec 1983, p.D12]
    • 60

      The New York Times

      The best thing about Yentl is its earnestness. It may resemble a vanity production from afar (or at close range, too, for that matter), but even at its kitschiest it seems to be heartfelt. That goes a long way, though not far enough, toward saving the film from its own built-in difficulties.
    • 60

      Empire

      Not to everyone's taste, but an earnest and hearfelt tale nonetheless.
    • 60

      TV Guide Magazine

      Streisand is actually quite credible in her role and she elicits beautifully shaded performances from a large cast, particularly Patinkin and Irving.

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