Yentl (1983)
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, so while there were some scenes I appreciated, I wasn’t emotionally moved.
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.
What I don’t understand is while Barbra Streisand sings the famous “Papa, Can You Hear Me” and “The Way He Makes Me Feel,” she didn’t give any songs to her costar Mandy Patinkin, who has a beautiful voice and loves to sing. I guess it was one more notch in the feminism belt, but it bothers me. This film is such a “girl power” flick, it’s pretty much impossible to enjoy unless you have that axe to grind. Since I don’t have that issue, I won’t be adding this movie to my list of favorites. I did appreciate the historical and cultural aspects of the film, so if you’re interest in that time period and Jewish customs, you might want to check it out.
More Barbra Streisand movies here!
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.
What I don’t understand is while Barbra Streisand sings the famous “Papa, Can You Hear Me” and “The Way He Makes Me Feel,” she didn’t give any songs to her costar Mandy Patinkin, who has a beautiful voice and loves to sing. I guess it was one more notch in the feminism belt, but it bothers me. This film is such a “girl power” flick, it’s pretty much impossible to enjoy unless you have that axe to grind. Since I don’t have that issue, I won’t be adding this movie to my list of favorites. I did appreciate the historical and cultural aspects of the film, so if you’re interest in that time period and Jewish customs, you might want to check it out.
More Barbra Streisand movies here!