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Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness

Play trailer Poster for Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness Released Jul 8, 2011 1h 33m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 43 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Filmmaker Joseph Dorman presents the life, work and legacy of the Yiddish writer who used the vernacular of the common man.

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Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness

Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness

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Critics Consensus

Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness serves as an effective primer on its subject, as well as an evocative portrait of the era in which he lived.

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Critics Reviews

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Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times The result is more than an examination of the contradictory life of the celebrated humorist and storyteller, it's a compelling cinematic look at the complex world of Eastern European Jews. Sep 23, 2020 Full Review Rick Groen Globe and Mail 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. Rated: 3/4 Feb 24, 2012 Full Review Anita Li Toronto Star Audiences 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. Rated: 2.5/4 Feb 23, 2012 Full Review Susan G. Cole NOW Toronto An important doc for anyone who cares about literature. Rated: 4/5 Sep 23, 2020 Full Review Chris Knight National Post Dorman's well-researched documentary is aided by numerous archival photographs, both of 19th-century Jewish life and of Sholem Aleichem himself. Rated: 3/5 Sep 23, 2020 Full Review Clint O'Connor Cleveland Plain Dealer Dorman's documentary reveals how one man's prolific writings could have such a profound effect on both assessing and advancing a language and a culture. Rated: A Sep 23, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member It would be hard to rate a documentary about how the stories that make up one of my favourite movies / musicals with anything less than five stars. I've probably seen the movie Fiddler on the Roof 20 times. I've seen the musical 3 times. I know the stories. I love the stories. So given the opportunity to hear about the author and how he came to these stories was a great thrill. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member A deep, almost academic, exploration of the ground-breaking Yiddish writer's work. If you enjoy Fiddler on the Roof, you will find this fascinating. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member A very nice documentary about the man who first wrote the stories of "Tevye the Milkman" which became the basis for the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." The documentary can also serve as an invitation to better appreciate the Romantic movement of the time, which helped produce most of the modern nation states of Europe as well as the modern state of Israel. - http://frdennismoviereviews.blogspot.com/2011/09/sholem-aleichem-laughing-in-darkness.html Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Not bad. Only because I want to make Fiddler on the Roof a real, living woman and make her the mother to our children. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member is Sholem Aleichem an anagram for Holmes Michael/Michael Holmes? Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Very well made. It's very surprising that his children did not know Yiddish. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness

Sholem Al Eichem as seen in "Sholem Al Eichem: Laughing in the Darkness." Sholem Al Eichem as seen in "Sholem Al Eichem: Laughing in the Darkness." Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011) Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011) Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011) Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011) Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Filmmaker Joseph Dorman presents the life, work and legacy of the Yiddish writer who used the vernacular of the common man.
Director
Joseph Dorman
Producer
Joseph Dorman
Screenwriter
Joseph Dorman
Distributor
International Film Circuit [us]
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 8, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$906.7K
Runtime
1h 33m
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