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Yentl is a 1983 romantic musical drama film directed, co-written, produced, and starred in by Barbra Streisand. The movie is based on the play "Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy" by Isaac Bashevis Singer, and the film's plot follows the story of a young woman who desires to study the Talmud, the religious text of the Jewish religion, which was forbidden to women during the 1900s.

Barbra Streisand's role as Yentl marks the singer's first time writing and directing a motion picture. The film is set in a small, rural Jewish town in Eastern Europe, where Yentl, a bright and inquisitive young woman, is forbidden from studying the Talmud because of her gender. Yentl's father, a respected scholar, encourages her to continue studying on her own, despite the social norms of the time.

Yentl's father dies, and she decides to leave her village and poses as a man, Anshel, in search of a place to study the Talmud. She meets and befriends Avigdor (Mandy Patinkin), a handsome young man who is engaged to be married. Yentl is attracted to Avigdor but cannot reveal her true identity as a woman. Yentl gains acceptance into the Yeshiva, the male academy where she can study the Talmud, but is constantly afraid of being discovered as a woman.

As Yentl continues to study and deepen her knowledge of the Talmud, she also grapples with her feelings for Avigdor and the limits of her own identity. Meanwhile, Avigdor's fiancée, Hadass (Amy Irving), begins to suspect that Anshel is not who he claims to be, and becomes increasingly jealous of Yentl's relationship with her fiancé.

The film explores themes of gender and identity, as Yentl struggles to reconcile her own desires with the expectations of the world around her. The songs and lyrics in Yentl are written by Streisand, with music composed by Michel Legrand, and they serve to accentuate the emotional depth of Yentl's journey.

Yentl was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $40 million at the box office and receiving four Academy Award nominations. The film's success was attributed to Streisand's star power and her ability to tell a universal story that resonated with audiences of all backgrounds.

The film showcases stunning cinematography, establishing shots of small-town life, wide-shots of academics studying in the yeshiva, as the story blossoms into a romantic musical tale. Streisand's performance is convincing as she transforms before the audience and presents as a genuinely masculine character. In addition, the film is captivating because of the perfect harmony between the music, plot, and shots.

Overall, Yentl is a timeless film about the struggle for education, identity, and love that transcends cultural and societal boundaries. The movie is a tour-de-force for Barbra Streisand, showcasing her dramatic and musical talents in one of her most acclaimed performances. Yentl is a must-see film for anyone interested in exploring themes of identity and love while being entertained by clever, well-choreographed songs and dances.

Yentl is a 1983 music movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 12 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.6 and a MetaScore of 68.