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.
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.