This film is dedicated to my father . . . and to all our fathers. ~ Barbra Streisand, 1983
AN INTRODUCTION
Not only have 15 years passed since Yentl first delighted film audiences in November 1983, but it also took 15 years for Barbra Streisand to bring the story to the screen. Beginning in 1968, when she read the first words of Isaac Bashevis Singer's short story, "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy," - "After her father's death..." - Barbra was instantly absorbed. She had never known her own father, Emanuel, a beloved teacher and scholar, who passed away when she was only 15 months old. Determined to portray Yentl on film, Barbra worked arduously through the years to secure film rights, conduct research, read and draft screenplays, find collaborators, gain the courage to direct, and finally convince a major studio to back production and release the film. In the end, with Yentl, Barbra Streisand became the first woman
since the early silent film era to direct, produce, write, and star in a theatrical feature film; she also sings in the 134-minute picture. Most important, Barbra worked tirelessly with an international group of talented collaborators, actors, and crew members, who were inspired to help her achieve her vision. "The joy is in the work for me," she remarked. Certainly, Barbra and Yentl's motto, "Nothing's impossible," guided the project to success.
Yentl opened in the U.S. on November 18, 1983 and overseas in March and April 1984. It created opportunities in the industry for female directors, especially actresses, and led to Barbra's subsequent directorial projects - The Prince Of Tides (1991) and The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996). Many of Barbra's fans regard Yentl with the highest esteem and hold it dear to their hearts. Transcending time and setting, this inspired story elevates the human spirit and speaks with a depth rarely seen in contemporary film. A labor of love for its publisher, this unique Web site applauds and celebrates Yentl and Barbra Streisand's distinguished achievement, which should continue to enchant audiences for years to
come, especially with the 2009 release of Barbra's personally supervised
Director's Extended Edition 2-disc DVD.
To Make A Short Story Long
"Yentl the Yeshiva Boy," a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, is about a girl who loves to study Talmud. Her mother is dead, and she is raised by her scholarly father, who teaches her behind draped windows and locked doors; girls did not openly study Talmud in the ambience of Jewish Eastern Europe. After her father's death, Yentl leaves her home town, takes on the guise of a boy, assumes her dead uncle's name, and enters a talmudic academy. Intriguing adventures take place as circumstances force her into playing many roles simultaneously — daughter, man, student, friend, husband, woman — until she finally reveals her identity to the young man, Avigdor, who has become her closest friend and whose former fiancé she has married.
- Chaim Potok, October 1982
In adapting Singer's short story for film, Barbra Streisand altered some details, such as Yentl assuming her late brother's name. She enhanced the plot, giving the tale greater romanticism and universality. The addition of Academy Award winning, story-driven music by Michel Legrand and Alan & Marilyn Bergman breathes life into Yentl's interior monologue. On par with her best work, Streisand's wonderful vocal performances range from expressing delicate vulnerability to soaring emotions, offering genuine truth at every moment.
Listen to Barbra's June 1994 in-concert summary of the film Yentl.
[RealAudio, 75 sec.]
View the 1983 Yentl U.S. theatrical trailer. [RealVideo, 3 min.]
Listen
to Amazon.com's March 2009 interview with Barbra.
