Man of La Mancha (1972) User Reviews

A Rather Solid Musical!

[frankwhat · 8/10 · 27 November 2004]

The users on this board seemed to concur that this was somehow a bad musical but I disagree. I'm really particular when it comes to people just bursting out into song for no apparent reason and this was one of those few times where I actually liked it. I've always enjoyed the Don Quixote story and this was a fantastic turnaround. I can see why some viewers say that the singing wasn't nearly as extraordinary as it was on Broadway but few film adaptations are. Besides the acting was stellar and it drew out extreme emotions of happiness, sorrow, or laughter out of me at times. Though dirty and ragged I found Sophia Lauren to still be beautiful and her body is absolutely perfect in every way I can fathom. Peter O'Toole was great as a crazy old man set forth on an unattainable quest for glory and at the end someone who had to once again face the harsh life of reality. For those of us who haven't seen it on the stage I feel it is a wonderful performance that was thoroughly enjoyable for persons of all ages that are looking to be whisked away by a tiny bit of magic! I'm positive that I'll have some of the songs stuck in my head for at least several days now.

Final Blaze:

Movies: I don't usually see musicals on the big screen.

DVD Purchase: If my budget ever increases to a more desirable level.

Rental: An awesome choice!

My Quandry

[kcterrell-25046 · 6/10 · 26 January 2022]

I have a difficult time grading this film. I have always been prejudiced against films of stage productions. I just find that to take one medium and try to force it into another is artistically dishonest. And this movie is very much a play. But, a play/film with Peter O'Toole, arguably the best Shakespearian actor of his generation. So, if anyone can pull this off, it's O'Toole. His performance as the madman of La Mancha is riveting, and Loren is both beautiful and brilliant in this one. They both get a 10. I can't fathom why neither received an Oscar nomination for their work in Man of La Mancha. (If not for The Godfather, O'Toole would have won an Oscar the following year for The Ruling Class.) He never made a bad movie. So, this may be the only exception to my rule against cross-genre productions, and it rightfully should be considered a must-see Classic.

Lively and enjoyable musical version based on immortal novel written by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 1 September 2015]

Musical rendition upon the best literary work ever written that stands in a unique position between medieval chivalric romance and the modern novel . This ¨Man of La Mancha¨ adapted from the musical play , a hit Broadway , by Dale Wasserman , being compellingly directed by Arthur Hiller packs a nice cast such as Peter O'Toole , James Coco , Sofia Loren , Harry Andrews , John Castle , Brian Blessed , Ian Richardson and Rosalie Crutchley . Based on the classic novel written by Miguel De Cervantes , Don Quixote is considered one of the most influential works of literature from the Spanish Golden Age and the entire Spanish literary canon and deemed to be one of the greatest novels in literature history . Miguel De Cervantes (Peter O'Toole) is framed by an issue allegedly from the thunderous life and is incarcerated by the Inquisition . Don Quixote (Peter O'Toole) is the crazy , aging nobleman who embarrasses his respectable family by his feats . It follows the adventures of a nameless Hidalgo who reads so many chivalric romances that he loses his sanity and decides to set out to revive chivalry , undo wrongs , and bring justice to the world , under the name Don Quixote . To these ends, ¨Alonso Quixano¨ dons an old suit of armour , renames himself "Don Quixote", names his exhausted horse "Rocinante", and designates Aldonza Lorenzo (Sophia Loren) ,who is actually a downtrodden prostitute , as his lady love , renaming her Dulcinea del Toboso . Quijote , nearing fifty and some years of age , recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza (James Coco) , as his squire, who often employs a unique , earthy wit in dealing with Don Quixote's rhetorical orations on antiquated knighthood . Adapted from the work of Miguel de Cervantes , we then follow Don Quixote on their adventures , his squire Sancho Panza and an old horse named Rocinante . On their journeys , they rescue dames in distress in honorable acts and fight giants among other perils , with Don longing to be with the love of his life , lady Dulcinea . Backed by his faithful sidekick Sancho Panza, he duels windmills and defends his perfect lady Dulcinea named Aldonza.

This musical version of The Man of La Mancha starred by Peter O'Toole as Cervantes and Don Quixote giving nice acting . While Peter O'Toole was generally slated for his "singing" performance in the film, what many critics chose to overlook was the fact that this was not O'Toole's first musical ; indeed, his appearance in Herbert Ross' musical remake of Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969) . This is the amazing and fun story of a Hidalgo , fanatic for chivalry novels , decides to go on imaginary adventures along with his friend , the simple farmer Sancho Panza , who becomes his squire . This enduring romantic adventure deals the enthusiast , passionate knight Don Quixote and it is paced in enjoyable as well as deliberate rhythm . The film is quite amusing with emphasis on spectacle and following freely the immortal novel scripted by MIguel De Cervantes Saavedra .At the picture occurs several known episodes , such as : when ¨the knight of sad countenance¨ arrives at an inn , which he believes to be a castle , as he calls the prostitute he meets ,"lady¨ : Sophia Loren ; Don Quixote's attack on windmills that he believes to be ferocious giants ; Don Quixote attacks 'the ¨knoght of the mirrors¨who actually results to be the Bachille Sanson Carrasco played by John Castle . Being stunningly photographed by excellent cameraman Giuseppe Rotunno and well produced by Alberto Grimaldi and Saul Chaplin .

¨The man of La Mancha¨ results to be another of uncountable versions dealing with the unforgettable novel ¨Don Quijote De La Mancha¨ by Miguel Cervantes y Saavedra and in which Quixote and Sancho take on numerous dangers and adventures . Other recounting about this notorious story are the followings : ¨Don Quixote¨ (1933) by G.W. Pabst with Feodor Chaliapin Sr. ; ¨Don Quijote De La Mancha¨ by Rafael Gil with Rafael Rivelles , Juan Calvo and Sara Montiel ; Don Kikhot (1957) Russian recounting by Grigori Kozintsev with Nikolai Cherkasov as Don Quixote de la Mancha / Alonso Quixano ; ¨Orson Welles's Don Quijote¨ with Akim Tamiroff ; ¨Don Quijote Cabalga De Nuevo¨ by Roberto Gabaldon with Cantinflas and Fernando Fernan Gomez ; and for American TV : ¨Don Quijote¨ by Peter Yates with John Lightgow and Bob Hoskins ; latterly : ¨Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha¨ (2015) by Dave Dorsey . Besides , Spanish series titled ¨El Quijote de Miguel de Cervantes" (1991) TV series 1991-1992 by Manuel Gutierrez Aragon with Fernando Rey , Alfredo Landa , Aitiana Sanchez Gijon , Manuel Alexandre , among others . And for cartoon movie was made ¨Don Quijote De La Mancha¨ by Cruz Delgado and ¨Donkey Xote¨ (2007) by Jose Pozo .

maligned and misunderstood

[grahamclarke · 14 April 2003]

Bringing big Broadway musicals to the screen has always posed tremendous problems for film makers. The results have by and large been unsatisfactory, with few exceptions. The late 60's brought us "Camelot", (67),"Hello Dolly" (69) and "Fiddler on the Roof" (71), all films adhering to the unquestioned rule that bigger is better, be it casts, sets and orchestrations. All three were overblown bores. Arthur Hiller's concept for "Man of La Mancha" is clearly the antithesis of what had become expected of the musical on film. He decided to use the film media not as a device for augmentation in a broad sense, but rather to focus in on the characters and bring them as close to the audience as possible using naturally many close-ups. They are the crux of the film; not massive sets, huge choruses or dazzling choreography. "Man of la Mancha" boasts two fine songs; the rest are pretty mediocre, which justifies Hiller's keeping the music as a device to serve the characters and not the other way around. From the very start with the credits appearing, the audience is geared up for one of those massively orchestrated rousing overtures. Yet, what we are offered is an underscored, almost chamber music style overture setting the tone for the entire film. The message as with chamber music is clear; the focus is on the content, not the trappings.

The critics by and large hated the film. Maltin in particular is uncharacteristically savage in his criticism. They simply were not prepared to accept an unorthodox approach to a huge Broadway success. While "Dolly", "Camelot" and "Fiddler" tend to be almost impossible viewing today, "Man of La Mancha" remains astonishingly fresh, very much vindicating Hiller's concept of this much maligned and misunderstood movie.

Being so focused on character, the films success would lie with its principal players. O'Toole gives a bravura performance, one of his finest, while Loren too, is perfect in her role. Sure the soundtrack is not one to listen to in the way one would a Broadway musical. But both O'Toole's and Loren's shaky vocals are in perfect sync with the fragility of their characters and hence very human and very moving. If more Broadway musicals had been brought to the screen with such a clear concept as was "La Mancha", the movie musical may have enjoyed far greater success.

actually it's pretty good

[funkyfry · 7/10 · 9 February 2008]

I've always heard bad things about this film until fairly recently from some posters on here so I decided to check it out since I like the original show (which I've never seen, but I have the cast album). It's a star studded affair with Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren in the leads. An elaborate framing device sets up the story as one told by Cervantes (O'Toole) to fellow prisoners awaiting trial by the court of the inquisition. I liked the framing device, and it gave opportunities for all the actors to essentially play dual roles. There's a wealth of solid character acting here in this film -- Brian Blessed appears as a sexually violent muleteer, Ian Richardson plays a Padre (and the most enthusiastic volunteer for the play) and Gino Conforti is very funny as the barber whose shaving basin is taken for a golden helm of fable. I don't usually care all that much for Sophia Loren frankly but I thought this was some of her best work. She's got just the right combination of fiery cynicism and graceful femininity to make the character Alonza/Dulcinea work. O'Toole is fine, although his singing voice (or the one dubbed for him?) leaves something to be desired. James Coco is a bit underwhelming unfortunately as Sancho Panza. The role of Sancho Panza is the kind of thing that can really appear easy, and could be easy to play in a casual or typical fat-funny-man kind of way which is how Coco played it, but it really demands a sublime performer to bring out the interesting elements of the character. You think of someone like Zero Mostel but probably he wasn't available.

Most of the music from the show is presented here pretty much the same way it is on the album, so it seems to be fairly true to the show as far as I can tell. The idea of setting Don Quixote to music is wonderful and the play was a solid effort.

Arthur Hiller's direction is as always up to the level of his work but unremarkable in its own right.

All told, not a bad version of the Don Quixote story and not a bad vehicle for O'Toole and Loren. I'm not quite sure how this got its bad reputation. Maybe people just don't like the play; I know my mom told me she doesn't like it but she also doesn't like "Gigi" so I think she just dislikes anything with sympathetic pictures of prostitues. Maybe a lot of people feel that way, I don't know. There's also a certain aspect of this film that could seem anti-religious or anti-Catholic, which is probably why the Padre character is so much more sympathetic here than he is in Cervantes' book if memory serves. But based on what I know of the original play, this is a solid adaption and I can't imagine anyone doing significantly more with it.

Knight Of The Woeful Countenance

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 1 February 2010]

Back when I was a teen I was fortunate enough to see one of the 2328 productions of Man Of La Mancha in the original Broadway run. It ran from 1965 to 1971 which explains why it took so long to make it to the screen. Richard Kiley as Cervantes(Don Quixote) and Joan Diener as Dulcinea were magnificent, they could sing as well as act.

Sad that Kiley and Diener were never movie names because it would have been worth seeing them preserve their performances for future generations on film. In the acting department no one could complain about Peter O'Toole or Sophia Loren. It is unfortunate that they couldn't bring equally good singing voices to the songs that Mitchell Leigh and Joe Darion wrote.

Don Quixote is the story of a man who chooses to retreat from reality and go into a world that he thinks is better in the past. That's not a unique situation to a problem, some of us who don't like the world as we see it develop all kinds of mechanisms to cope. Wasn't that what Harvey was all about?

Jimmy Stewart had his giant rabbit and Peter O'Toole tilts at windmills, but the principle is the same. You can even see people not as they are, but their better natures like Sophia Loren as the tavern serving wench and friend for the night if the price is right. But to O'Toole she's the lady Dulcinea.

In real life Cervantes never faced the Inquisition which was a religious court. He did spend some time in jail for irregularities in his accounts when he was a purchasing agent for the Armada. It certainly did give him a perspective on prison and the people inside.

From the Broadway cast Gino Conforti repeated his role as the traveling barber who has a shiny shaving basin that O'Toole thinks is a golden helmet of invincibility. It's a funny and very cute role that Conforti seems to have made his own.

Man Of La Mancha also had the misfortune to be up against another long running Broadway musical which made it to the big screen in 1972. That also required a singing/acting lead and Cabaret got it with Liza Minnelli. Cabaret which won several Oscars that The Godfather didn't win that year sadly made Man Of La Mancha pale in comparison.

Allan Jones who had eschewed Hollywood years ago did summer stock productions of Man Of La Mancha for years. He would have been a perfect lead here, but he was way out of the Hollywood scene for too long.

In fact this version of Man Of La Mancha is a good film, but won't ever qualify as one of the great film adaptions of a Broadway musical.

A great movie

[tamrath · 10/10 · 1 May 2005]

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. It saddens me that there are those out there who think this movie was horrible. How can you watch O'Toole give his speech: "Maddest of all: to see life as it is and not as it should be!" and not be brought to emotion? This movie is not exactly like the theater version. However, if you note who made the screenplay changes, the song changes, etc., it's the same men who worked on the play. There are some good songs cut out. And Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren are not the world's best singers. But this movie is brilliant. Coco is a wonderful Sancho, I love his voice and his expression. O'Toole is a fabulous actor and I felt like the prisoners in the end singing "The Impossible Dream." I own this movie. I encourage anyone who hasn't seen it to go get it and watch it. It has inspired me to try to do better in everything I do, and I often watch it and sing the songs to remind me to "see life as it should be." And if this movie needs a defender, I sign up for the job.

Overblown, Confusing, but Watch Sophia Loren

[LeonardKniffel · 7/10 · 29 April 2020]

The reason the see this musical is to watch the gorgeous young Sophia Loren sing. The watching is more fun than the listening. When she is on screen, you just have to stare at her, in this otherwise overblown and confusing film that really is not much of a musical at all. Peter O'Toole is a great actor, but he cannot sing (and is not particularly well dubbed). The men in the chorus seem to know what they are doing, but none of the principals does any dancing. One wonders what Miguel de Cervantes would make of this curious reinvention of his 1605 novel, Don Quixote.

blinded by tears

[jryan-4 · 10/10 · 31 March 2003]

I must have a major blind spot because I loved this movie in 1972

when I saw it the first time and the second and the third time. Now

I have become an semi-regularly woeful countenanced man

myself and I love it even more. My heart started to stir watching

O'Toole's speech at the Oscars so I re-rented La Mancha even as

it was being removed from the active shelf at my local Hollywood

video. I took it home and played it for the youngest of my five

daughters, eleven year old Mary. She loves musicals as much as I

do. She got into it. I cried again. Sorry. I love this film. Like I said, I

must have a tin ear or a blind spot or goddamn it, maybe I'm right. Man of La Mancha is a 10 plus and a must for all O'Toole fans

which at this point should be about everybody who loves movies. Let the revisionism begin here. O'Toole and Loren> C'mon

The Conventional Wisdom is Largely Correct

[flash-104 · 7/10 · 10 March 2006]

The conventional wisdom is indeed largely correct; this movie is a disgrace to a fine play. Even allowing for the complete lack of singing ability of the leads, what should be the best parts of the performance, two magnificent songs, are handled disgracefully. Compared to the play and the original cast album, the film was such a shock that I've avoided it for decades, and was tempted to desecrate the grave of whatever Hollywood executive decided to remove Richard Kiley as lead.

This was somewhat unfair; I'd forgotten how well-handled the lesser parts of the movie were. The minor roles are very well done, both in acting and (mostly) in singing, and Peter O'Toole can indeed act when he's not pretending to sing. His vigil, and his penultimate scene, for instance, are very moving. So if you make a determined effort to forget Kiley and Diener temporarily, it's worth renting occasionally.

Lifeless and Dull

[sneedsnood · 2/10 · 19 January 2016]

Some things just shouldn't be filmed. I saw "Man of La Mancha" when it opened in 1965 at the ANTA Theater in New York. What made the show a hit was the inventive staging, in which the world of Don Quixote was created out of the imagination, making the whole experience reasonably magical. Film-wise, it made sense to open the story up and show real plains, horses, taverns and wenches, but at the same time there went the magic. It turns out that "Don Quixote" is not all that interesting, especially when told in such a plodding way and with such drab sets and costumes. When the knight of the woeful continence tilts at his first windmill and the intended humor falls flat, you know you're in for a long, dull show. A second salient point of the stage musical was the semi-operatic score, full of Spanish-sounding music that rose above the pedestrian lyrics and gave the show what little passion it has. Casting people who can barely sing in the starring roles was unwise. Peter O'Toole seems to sing some parts but is dubbed in others, and the effect is none too pleasing. Sophia Loren seems like obvious, perfect casting as Dulcinea, and she is amazingly beautiful, but sings in a low, tense voice that suggests nothing of inner fire. James Coco plays Sancho Panza in an awkward, sad and lifeless way. Coco started out as a star in "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers," and then his career sank as it became increasingly clear that his acting talents were limited. Lots of talents were used to no good purpose here.

Superb

[leftyguns2 · 10/10 · 24 February 2005]

As one who is familiar with the works of Cervantes I must say that this particular representation is among if not the best of all.

Peter O'Toole leads an ensemble of many of the best actors, and actresses of the time. Among them that classical beauty Sophia Loren, who played Aldonza/Dulcenea to perfection.

O'Toole gives what I consider to be one of his best, if not the best performance of his life. His natural style captivates audiences, totally. I have seen few actors who can act so natural, and with such eloquence. His gift of oratory is quite remarkable.

The beautiful Loren with her natural acting style, and wit gives the character of Aldonza/Dulcenea the most justice any actress can give a role.

The rest of the cast, the priest, Quijana's niece, housekeeper, play the part of self centered people fooling themselves into "they're only thinking of his (Quijana/Quixote's) well being , to the infinite degree. Equally talented were the muleteers , Pedro the head muleteer was a real card.

The audience must take into consideration the fact that almost all the actors, and actresses were playing dual roles. This in an of itself is an credit to their acting abilities.

No commentary would be complete without mentioning the music. It ranks as one of my top ten soundtracks. I listen to some of the songs on an almost daily basis.

This film is superb.

Why it doesn't work!

[gwood194 · 6/10 · 21 June 2012]

First of all, let me say that I believe firmly that a work of art should be judged on its own merits and not in comparison to its source. If we look at "Man of La Mancha" on its own it isn't bad - perhaps a little flat but not bad. The real problem is that the source (Cervantes' "Don Quixote") is simply too big to be able to confine it to the stage or screen. The subtle nuances that Cervantes gave us work beautifully when read - so that our minds can savor them. Humor is a fragile thing and that which is beautiful when written may all too often become slapstick on the stage or screen.

The difficulty in adapting "Don Quixote" to the screen is obvious - Orson Wells couldn't do it - Terry Gilliam couldn't do it. There is a TV movie with John Litgow and Bob Hoskins which is a credible effort - mostly because it doesn't try too hard.

And maybe that's the problem - maybe "Man of La Mancha" tries too hard.

Could have been much better, but it is not THAT bad

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 20 October 2013]

Man of La Mancha has often been on people's worst movie musicals list. Seeing it recently to see whether it was as bad as all that. After seeing it, it is a long way from great but it isn't as bad as I'd heard(Hair and Annie have also been maligned and are other movie musicals that are not that bad, I personally love Annie and have done since childhood). It is nowhere near as good as West Side Story, Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music, but it is better than Xanadu, Can't Stop the Music, Mame, Grease 2, Across the Universe, The Wiz, A Little Night Music and A Chorus Line.

Man of La Mancha is far from irredeemable. The best asset is the noble and commanding performance of Peter O'Toole, even if Golden Helmet is slightly overacted and his make-up is far too heavy-looking. Sophia Loren is breathtakingly beautiful, sassy and charming, and James Coco is fun and touching, his character is much more subtle here than in the stage musical. The "maddest of all..." dialogue is incredibly poignant as is the prison scene, the sets are striking and while only two or three are truly memorable(The Impossible Dream is rightfully a classic) the songs are very easy on the ear. Unfortunately The Man of Mancha has failings too. I'm going to have to agree about the singing, not only are the singers ill-suited for the songs but those who dub don't make much of an effort to sound like the actors.

That is especially true of Simon Gilbert, an unsteady and underpowered voice that doesn't sound much like O'Toole's quite noble and baritone-like speaking voice. IMDb also seems to say that Ian Richardson did his own singing for the Padre, I'm not convinced, it may have been the case but Richardson's speaking voice isn't really that similar to the reedy sound heard with the singing. Loren took a brave risk singing her own songs but it is a risk that doesn't pay off, she sounds strained and while she does have some singing ability(Harry Andrews' singing was also rather limited) her range is too low for the songs she sings. Another problematic spot was Arthur Hiller's direction, the kind that doesn't have much of an idea in how to direct the film. Often it is rather heavy-handed, self-conscious and of the try-too-hard type.

With the visual look, the sets are lovely but the photography could have done with a brighter and a more cinematic approach. There is not a fault to be had with the score and songs themselves, but in the film they seemed to have been under-scored and anaemic, more grandeur and sweep would have been more welcome. The film does deserve a little credit in trying to translate a big and quite difficult to stage already musical but it tries so hard that much of the dialogue lose their impact and the story loses momentum. Not all the support cast work, Ian Richardson is a sympathetic Padre but Brian Blessed's Pedro is wildly overplayed attired in a rather stereotypical costume.

Overall, not as bad as touted to be from a personal opinion stand-point but the criticisms are understandable actually and even with things that were done quite well Man of La Mancha could have been far better considering the talent. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Better than the play

[Bondorf39 · 21 October 2004]

There are those who would have you believe that this is a bad movie because it deviates from the stage musical. In the play, for example, Sancho has a grating high-pitched voice whereas in the movie, his voice is warmer and stronger. Another example is the deletion of certain songs such as the completely unnecessary and boring "What Do You Want of Me?" and "To Each His Dulcinea." In addition, Cervantes is jailed on stage for foreclosing a church. In the movie, he is sent before the Inquisition on grounds of heresy. This makes the whole thing that much more significant and important. It also relates to a central theme in the movie, that Cervantes' and indeed Don Quixote's way of fighting back at the world is to imagine a new world. To dream, as it were, the impossible dream.

The stage version was one of the most substantially flawed in Broadway's history. Richard Kiley (the original stage actor) had a strong, powerful voice, that is true, but it didn't sound like Don Quixote. The man who dubs Peter O'Toole's voice in the movie, however, sounds not only like Peter O'Toole, but like Don Quixote.

Indeed, the only thing about the movie that is different from the play is that the actors in the movie are GOOD! And they don't just put on big, fake, funny voices in the traditional idiotic Broadway style. They portray their characters honestly and in keeping with the spirit of the story. And it is a story that everyone should hear. If you are like me, a lifelong chaser of impossible dreams, then the story of one man's quest to slay giants which are actually windmills cannot be ignored.

And don't be such a stuck-up tight ass about film adaptations. Of COURSE they're going to be different, that doesn't make them worse.

Theatrical material not given the lusty treatment we long for...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 1 July 2008]

Dale Wasserman adapted his popular musical play for the screen, yet he failed to see this sub-Shakespearean material in cinematic terms; ditto director Arthur Hiller--who isn't very visual either--and their film muddies up that fine line between fantasy and quasi-reality, both undermined by baroque flourishes and sentiment. Peter O'Toole is alternately regal and aloof as the mad poet Miguel de Cervantes, who is arrested by the Inquisition and dumped into a dungeon; he manages to make dreamers and followers out of the prisoners there, staging the life and struggles of Don Quixote while firmly believing in the illusion. Sophia Loren (beautiful and busty in peasant garb) plays a scrub-woman/incarnation of Dulcinea, and James Coco is Cervantes' faithful assistant, Sancho Panza. Both are wonderful, as are some of the minor players, though the movie fails to take off. Hiller, not my ideal pick to stage an operetta, mixes different moods and the songs well enough, but too often he's clumsy and oafish. The cinematography is good, but the editing is a little lax (particularly during a rowdy fight sequence where the focus is never where it should be). Worth-seeing, perhaps, for Loren and Coco's work, although O'Toole's frequent soliloquies (and his reading of "The Impossible Dream") are hit-and-miss. **1/2 from ****

Two thirds of the show is here.

[Son_of_Mansfield · 6/10 · 16 April 2006]

The Don and his servant are traveling through a harsh land and Cerventes is in a dungeon, but where are the beautiful things that Don Quixote sees in his head. That most important part of the story is lost. He sees castles, dragons, and maidens, but we do not. This leaves us to believe that he is just a silly old man and destroys the ending of the film. Adding to this atrocity is the fact that neither Peter O'Toole nor Sophia Loren can sing to save their lives. Peter O'Toole is very good as Don Quixote and if this were an adaptation of the novel and not the play, that would fine. The supporting cast can sing and do sing, especially the padre, but to have no insight into Quixote and none of his singing defeats the purpose of making the musical.

Greatest Movie Ever

[kimandscott · 10/10 · 20 October 2000]

I consider myself somewhat of a movie aficionado, having seen several thousand movies over the past forty years; and I can unequivocably say that "Man of La Mancha" is my all-time favorite movie. While some of the familiar criticisms lodged against it are valid, there is still no other movie that can approach its depth or poignancy. I judge a movie by its ability to move me: to make me laugh, to make me cry, to make me think. This movie tackles one of the greatest themes of life: whether to live in a helpful illusion or live in the harshness of reality. Don Quixote's story is the ultimate in human heroism, a tragic man of courage struggling to see and live life, not as it is, but as it should be. His unwavering idealism in the face of all-too-familiar cynicism and skepticism is both foolhardy and inspiring. This movie always leaves me, not with tears trickling, but with great sobbing. I strongly recommend it for both your heart and your head.

Best if you've seen the play.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 21 January 2022]

Many, many years ago, I saw Richard Kiley in a revival of the play "Man of La Mancha". Considering Kiley received an Emmy for this role, I was fortunate to see him playing this part. But, like so many Hollywood films, instead of allowing Kiley to reprise the role, they cast another actor...one that couldn't sing! This was the case with Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady" as well as the ultra-bizarre casting of Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood in "Paint Your Wagon". So, from the onset, that's a strike against the movie. While Peter O'Toole was good, he wasn't Richard Kiley.

Fortunately, despite the odd but typical casting, attempts to denude the story of its original songs were mostly thwarted. This is a big plus since the music is the best part of the movie.

As for the story, it is not a direct retelling of Cervantes' novel "Don Quixote". Instead, it's the supposed story of the author in prison, telling part of the Don Quixote story and inspiring them in the process.

While I much preferred the play, and the film seems like a filmed play, I did appreciate how the filmmakers did not make the attack on Aldonza late in the story more explicit. It was more explicit in the play...something that really seemed unnecessary. Overall, a very watchable film that I enjoyed but might leave folks a bit confused unless they've seen the play.

Jacques Brel will make it a mystic and mythical epic

[Dr_Coulardeau · 10/10 · 16 July 2013]

The film is of course a pure creation and it is built on three layers, all of them fictitious, more or less, but always a little or a lot according to what you know or think of Cervantes and Don Quixote. First Cervantes, then Alonso Quijano and finally Don Quixote. The first one is the author. The second one is the real identity of the character. The third one is his imaginary identity in his knight errant fantasy and delusion.

The film centers on Cervantes, a playwright and actor who performs in the market place. His plays are satirical and hence attack directly or indirectly the all-powerful church in Spain. It is true Cervantes was excommunicated by the inquisition, but here he is arrested, imprisoned in an underground dungeon and finally summoned for his trial and we will never know the end of it, though we know he was not executed, far from it.

Then the film puts him on trial in the vast dungeon where he is imprisoned by the people in the dungeon, under the authority of the one who was appointed governor of this underground society by the inhabitants of this netherland. To defend himself he gets the right to perform his Don Quixote story, whose manuscript got nearly burnt. He uses his props and masks and all the people in the dungeon take part. It is thus a description of the life in such a prison and of a play that is acted in good faith and with fun by the prisoners as an entertainment. Think or dream of an entertainment in such a miserable environment where you do not see the light of day and where anyone can be summoned for trial, which means questioning (I guess this is a nice word for torturing) and then sentencing and executing.

If the play is performed in the prison, the camera takes us in real outside décor and setting and we get the Don Quixote story in the real imaginary world of Cervantes. And we get everything, the giant windmills, the horse Rocinante, the whore Dulcinea, and many other niceties of that kind draped in some fantasy or delusion by Don Quixote. That world is cruel, cruel with women first of all, cruel with people who are not "normal" then, those who seem to be slightly "crazy" or "corrugated" if not plainly "deranged suckers." Violence is the basic condiment of this life and for women it is rape, which is not rape really in those days, just using the woman the way she is supposed to exist for. Willing or not is not a question in those days and love is nothing but sex at the request of the man and no is not a possible answer from the woman. Like it or not, that's your function. The film is not fuzzy about it.

And yet that makes Don Quixote really crazy who lives in a world of chivalry that has been long gone in the sixteenth century, a world of chivalric and courteous love that has never really existed, except as a dream in the minds of some medieval poets, a world of honor, glory and enchanters, hence of some kind of magic that has never had the slightest beginning of an existence or reality.

But we evade these two worlds into the real world of the fictional character Alonso Quijano who is dying. He is on his death bed totally unaware of his fantastic adventures when his servant Sancho and the inn maid from the local inn come to visit him and try to revive his delusion to lead him to a pleasurable death. And little by little his memory comes back and he dies singing the song about reaching the unreachable star, as if dying was the surest way to do so, but it sure is a pleasant way to die for Don Quixote, or is it Alonso Quijano?

The last and fascinating aspect of the film I want to mention is the music and the songs. They are absolutely mesmerizing and they are worth a fortune of pleasure. We can understand why Jacques Brel recorded the score in its French adaptation. There is no difference between, that Don Quixote and so many of the characters in Jacques Brel's songs, Jacky, Jef and innumerable other Caporal Casse Pompon. It is a true testament about real true voracious life fantasized by a truly insane person who believes a world that was a dream in the Middle Ages is possible in today's global village. The film here works on that dimension so well that there is no hope of any salvation in this universe, nor in any other post mortem cosmos except dying singing about a dreamlike Never- never-land with a Captain Hook and a Tinkerbell in the childish mind of Peter Pan. "I could pretend I'm flying away."

Well done but not quite for younger children.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Imperfect but watchable

[BMWGriffith · 6/10 · 22 June 2008]

The material of Man of La Mancha is so perfect, not even bland direction and poorly staged musical numbers can ruin it. It remains completely watchable and entertaining.

What peeves me is much of Aldonza's songs have been cut. Sophia Loren did well with the songs and she should have been allowed to sing the entire songs.

Overall, this movie musical lacks the charm and sparkle of the big musicals that preceded it. It failed to match the box office success of Fiddler on the Roof (over 80 million dollars in grosses), Hello, Dolly! (38 million) and Camelot (over 35 million).

While three musicals won several Oscar nominations, Man of La Mancha won just a couple. Yet I'm glad there's a film version of Man of Lamancha and this version, while not perfect is quite acceptable and far from the disaster critics say it is.

This movie ruined a perfectly great play

[[e-mail] · 3/10 · 26 December 2002]

This movie is one of the worst abominations in the entertainment industry and I use it often as an example of bad production and direction gone mad. While Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren looked perfect for the roles of Don Quixote and Dulcinea, they were awful in their performances. I wonder if the producers ever thought about seeing if O'Toole could sing before they cast him in that role, and quickly come to the conclusion that they were more interested in the draw of his name than his ability to perform the role.

This is my favorite play, and someday I hope someone produces a great movie of the story. Unfortunately, there are too many "artist" directors who feel the need to put their mark on a production, like the fool who put modern army uniforms on Roman soldiers in Jesus Christ, Superstar.

Summary: Avoid the movie Man of La Mancha at all costs.

Peter O'Toole as Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote ends up with Sophia Loren as a kitchen maid turning into Dulcinea.

[clanciai · 10/10 · 17 April 2018]

I never liked the 400 year old world famous novel, as I felt its character a painful embarrassment doing nothing but making a fool of himself in a kind of madness I could never stand as completely out of all detachment. But this play and film actually makes something serious out of this dismal story, which I could never find funny in any way. What's so funny in presenting the weakness and madness of an old demented man making a painful spectacle of himself?

Instead of being only about the old painful failure and loser, it's about Miguel de Cervantes himself, who gets into trouble with the inquisition and is put in jail together with thiefs, murderers and wicked ladies. They are managed by an old ruffian nicknamed the Governor (Harry Andrews), who according to tradition puts the newcomer to trial to be prosecuted by these gangsters and murderers. For his defense Cervantes presents his character Don Quixote and stages his story.

Thus the scene changes into the poor old man's adventures with the windmill, at an inn and with his fearful relatives. The trollop at the inn Sophia Loren is eventually discovered by him as his Dulcinea, while he has a fearful rival in Brian Blessed, who is a villain indeed and makes the best of it, while they couldn't have found any better Sancho Panza than James Coco. There is also a young Ian Richardson as the priest.

To all this comes the marvel of a great musical. Mitch Leigh actually finds his way into the very element of Spanish music, there are some great dance nu,bers as well,.and the lyrics of Dale Wassermann add to make this film as paramount a filmed musical as "Fiddler on the Roof". This is a joy to behold again and again, for you cannot see this film without wanting to see it sometime again.

To this comes also the metaphysical or psychological aspect. When Don Quixote finally wakes up in his bed he has forgotten all his adventures, they are lost to him as forgotten dreams, while realíty appears as a lie. The madness of the knight of the woeful countenance was actually the truth, and Peter O'Toole manages eloquently to present this paradox in his acting, that he was true and sane as mad, while brought to reality he has lost everything that had any meaning.

This is also the greatness of the novel, and this film and play manages marvellously to bring this out.

Response

[vanalosswen · 4/10 · 30 January 2007]

I recently worked on a local production of Man of La Mancha, and while we were in rehearsal, I rented this movie. I like Peter O'Toole as an actor, and I love the play, so I figured I would like this movie.

I was wrong.

I was prepared to accept the necessary script changes; in fact, I was delighted that they kept so much of the script the same as it is in the musical. But I was not prepared for actors who couldn't sing. Yes, I like the Broadway version, and I love the version we did here. But for the movie, I'd expected the director to find actors who could convey the character (which the two leads did; I didn't like the Sancho, but I am partial to the guy we have) and who could carry the notes powerfully. Peter O'Toole, while he did a marvelous job acting the character, didn't have the vocal strength to pull off songs like 'The Impossible Dream'. And the Aldonza...I've never had a greater let-down than when I skipped ahead to her keynote song and found that she didn't have the character or the strength or the anger to manage that song. I was even prepared to accept her not singing; our Aldonza came down with laryngitis shortly before opening--she wasn't able to sing until the final weekend--and she still turned in a beautiful performance, singing what she could and speaking the rest.

So, all in all, I was disappointed by this film. The set was beautiful, and some of the casting was right on, and the prison scenes were funny and sweet...but the director failed to give us viewers actors who could sing.

The Message is More Important...

[majvince · 7 June 2003]

I'll keep it short. The message of this story is infinitely more important than any perceived flaws in casting, makeup, music, singing, etc. The emotions are there in this movie, and quite moving. The message is also there, and as fresh as it was when Cervantes wrote his famous book centuries ago. Don Quixote was a madman, yes, but his "quest" is one we should all embrace. Knight errantry, chivalry, compassion, and treating women with kindness and respect may be considered terribly out of sync with todays values, but when I read stories about a 16 year-old boy lured, by the promise of sex, to a savage beating death at the hands of his peers, I seriously question the soundness of those values. In many ways, today's world is every bit as "base and debauched" as it was during the Spanish Inquisition. Frankly, I would much rather live in Quixote's "mad" version of the world than I would in the reality of this one.

Squash the movie critic in you for a couple of hours and just enjoy the movie for it's wonderful message!

PS: I've been waiting years for Man of La Mancha to come out on DVD. Anybody know when?