Barbra Streisand developed the production of Yentl for over a decade before she was able to direct in it in the early 80’s. Worth the wait, this adaptation of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s short story stars Streisand herself as an intellectually curious young woman who subverts the laws of her old country shtetl in order to study Talmud by disguising herself as a man. Her masquerade is complicated by feelings she develops for her passionate classmate (Mandy Patinkin). This heartfelt musical reverses its many gender expectations and interrogates key questions of Semitic identity at the dawn of the twentieth century. Barbra’s enduring efforts were rewarded, as she became the first (and so far only) woman to win the Best Director Golden Globe.
“It has a distinctive and surprising spirit. It’s funny, delicate, and intense – all at the same time.” – Pauline Kael, The New Yorker
“Yentl takes its masquerade seriously, it treats its romances with the respect due to genuine emotion, and its performances are so good that, yes, I really did care.” – Roger Ebert
