Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011)
Average Rating: 7.7/10
Reviews Counted: 38
Fresh: 38 | Rotten: 0
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 7.9/10
Critic Reviews: 15
Fresh: 15 | Rotten: 0
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 609
My Rating
Movie Info
A riveting portrait of the great writer whose stories became the basis of the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness tells the tale of the rebellious genius who created an entirely new literature. Plumbing the depths of a Jewish world locked in crisis and on the cusp of profound change, he captured that world with brilliant humor. Sholem Aleichem was not just a witness to the creation of a new modern Jewish identity, but one of the very men who forged it.
Watch It Now
Cast
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Alan Rosenberg
Narrator -
Peter Riegert
Tevye -
Rachel Dratch
Sheyne Sheyndl/Stepmoth... -
Jason Kravits
Menachem Mendl -
Daniel Lerman
Motl the Cantor's Son
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (38) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (0)
Not often does a film double as a literary critic, but this is the Northrop Frye of docs. Essentially, it revises and sharpens the blunted reputation of a great writer.
Top CriticAudiences interested in Jewish literature will find Laughing in the Darkness compelling for its deep analysis of Aleichem's works, featuring a selection of experts and the writer's granddaughter, Bel Kaufman.
[An] absorbing PBS-style documentary.
A rich, winning documentary...
The film adroitly sets the writer's works, his triumphs and tribulations, against the backdrop of a tumultuous period for European Jewry.
Dorman makes the case that Aleichem is the source from whence flows modern Jewish humor.
In the end, you're certainly inspired to read Aleichem, but not necessarily to watch Dorman's film again.
Throughout the film, Dorman uses ethnographic and silent-cinema footage, along with ubiquitous klezmer music, to paint a picture of the era.
.... a thoughtful, if also conventional, overview of Aleichem's life and work, mixing straight history and biography with quotations from his writings...
It's a history lesson that also shows art informing the events, even changing them.
... a swift, fascinating 93 minutes ...
One needn't be a student of the history or literature of the period to appreciate this excellent portrait of a fascinating and important figure.
It's good, but I'd wait for TV.
Dorman's portrait is engrossing, but his Ken Burns style doesn't match his subject's vitality.
No Fiddling with 'Sholem Aleichem' Legacy
Audience Reviews for Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness yet.
Latest News on Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness
July 7, 2011:
Critics Consensus: Horrible Bosses is Certified FreshThis week at the movies, we've got scheming employees (Horrible Bosses, starring Jason Bateman and...
What's Hot On RT
Trailer for James Franco adaptation
Star Trek opens softer than expected
Rachel McAdams' time travel romantic drama
Trailer for Tom Hanks thriller
Featured on RT
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Star Trek Softer Than Expected at #1 36
- Weekly Ketchup: Will Smith to Star in Wild Bunch Remake? 34
- Critics Consensus: Star Trek Into Darkness is Certified Fresh 101
- Red Carpet Roundup: Star Trek Into Darkness Edition 0
- Video Interviews with Katie Aselton & Lake Bell of Black Rock 2
- VIP Access: Eli Roth talks Aftershock 1
- Total Recall: Star Trek Movies 94
Top Headlines
-
J.J. Abrams Talks Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Wars, and More
0
-
Vin Diesel Says Fast & Furious 7 Will Begin a New Trilogy
8
-
Mickey Rourke Confirmed for Expendables 3
4
-
Brad Bird Still Mulling Incredibles 2
0
-
Reese Witherspoon, Jena Malone, and Martin Short Join Inherent Vice
0
-
Bruce Willis Makes an Expiration Date
2
-
Drew Pearce Hired for Mission: Impossible 5
0
Fresh Links
Featured
Star Trek Movies Ranked
HitFix offers their own take on the worst-to-best of the Enterprise crew's cinematic adventures.
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Rolling Stone unveils the Enterprise's most irksome adversaries.
Celebrity Yearkbook Flashback
We'll bet you never realized how many stars were cheerleaders and high school athletes!
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Weirdest Movie Siblings
From Twins to The Royal Tenenbaums, Moviefone explores cinema's oddest siblings.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
