Overview
A woman's quest for knowledge defies the constraints of her society, leading to a transformative journey.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- delicate
- intense
- thoughtful movie night
- musical film night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film charming, moving, distinctive, and strongly directed, while noting its protracted length, uneven score, and divisive resolution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Yentl cuts her hair and poses as Anschel to study at a boys' yeshiva.
The musical numbers primarily voice Yentl's private questions, desires, and conflicts.
Yentl pursues Talmudic learning despite restrictions excluding women from formal religious study.
Yentl's relationships with Avigdor and Hadass are shaped by her assumed male identity and unresolved attraction.
Films like Yentl, and why
Victor/Victoria
period musical drama centered on a woman challenging restrictive social conventions through disguise and self-invention
The Crying Game
romantic musical drama using performance, concealed identity, and gendered social expectations to explore desire
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
historical romance about education, autonomy, and women negotiating patriarchal institutions
The Piano
literary period drama about a woman resisting prescribed gender roles and pursuing intellectual freedom
Movie Details
- Director
- Barbra Streisand
- Release Date
- 1983-11-18
- Runtime
- 132 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (271)
Cast
- Barbra Streisand
- Mandy Patinkin
- Amy Irving
- Nehemiah Persoff
- Steven Hill
- Allan Corduner
- Ruth Goring
- David de Keyser
- Bernard Spear
- Doreen Mantle
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Yentl about?
- A determined Jewish woman disguises herself as a man to pursue forbidden religious scholarship, finding freedom and emotional complexity beyond the roles prescribed to her.
- What is Yentl like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Yentl as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Yentl violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Yentl.
- What did critics think of Yentl?
- Critics generally found the film charming, moving, distinctive, and strongly directed, while noting its protracted length, uneven score, and divisive resolution.
- Which films are like Yentl?
- Films with a similar feel include Victor/Victoria, The Crying Game, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and The Piano.
- How long is Yentl?
- Yentl runs 132 minutes.
- Where can I watch Yentl?
- In United States, Yentl streams on MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
