The Smartest Man Since Jesus Walked The Earth

Fiddler on the Roof is one of the greatest musicals ever created. It shows the life of a Jewish man named Teyve, and the daily tsuris that he experiences. Teyve lives in Czarist Russia, where antisemitism is rampant in the nation. Teyve and his family reside in a small Jewish village that is overseen by a Russian military officer, Constable, who, despite being an anti-semite, likes and respects Teyve. The community lives mostly peacefully (not counting the daily squabbles that the denizens of the village get into), but there is an underlying tension between the villagers and the surrounding gentile communities.  Most scholars interpret that the overall moral of the story is the importance of never giving up on your values -- despite the discrimination and harassment you may face because of it.   I have a very different interpretation.  I don't believe the story was ever about keeping "tradition" or staying "true to your values." I believe the real conflict of th

When I saw Al Pacino completely transform into Michael Corleone in the first two Godfather movies, I never thought I would see a greater acting performance. Al Pacino's Michael Corleone started off as a mild-mannered man who didn't want to take any part in his family's illegal mafia activities. However, after his father is attacked by a rival gang, Michael Corleone reluctantly takes it upon himself to avenge him. He kills both Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo, who initiated the attack, and the corrupt police captain Mark McCluskey in a fine Italian restaurant (I wonder if that place is still in business) -- I heard the veal was the best in town.  Michael Corleone initially flees to Sicily to escape the authorities, but when his older bother Sonny Corleone is killed as retribution for his actions, Michael Corleone comes back and takes over as the Don of the family. His father, Vito Corleone, dies of a sudden heart attack -- but not before giving him final instructions on