Customer Reviews
post modern tale of imagination - By: WhiteCrow, 08 Aug 2008 
This is a musical from 1972.
It is therefore amazing how much I like this film.
It has a good enjoyable story & it made me think.
Sophia Loren, even as a scruffy barmaid looks gorgeous, & Peter O'toole is ... Peter O'Toole. There are some smalller parts for other well known stars (like Brian Blessed). It is a very colourful & imaginative film, & the fact that it is a musical, doesn't mean that it lacks in meaning.
What I liked especiallly about it, is it's layeredness.
The story starts with Cervantes (O'Toole) being picked up & thrown into jail, to await the inquisition. In jail he (and his side-kick) needs to defend himself against the other detainees. He does this by telling & enacting his story of Don Quixote. For this he "uses" the other prisoners. So you see the same characters appearing in different roles on the one hand in prison (reality) & on the other in the play.
But that is not alll.
Starting from the inside, & working your way out, first there is Don Quixote acting out his adventures (amusing, romantic, & colourful), but Don Quixote is of course only the figment in the imagination of a Spanish nobleman. So part of the play is about some of his relatives trying to shock him out of his Quixote-delusion back into the real world (which works temporarily, thus providing the heart breaking finale).
And finallly of course, even the noble man is only a creation of Cervantes' who tells the story in prison. And then this leads us out of the film to us, the audience, watching the scenes in prison.
On a more philosophical level, I think the film asks you to think about two opposing ways of facing life: idealism versus realism. In this the film is clever (but disingenuous) to polarise these alternatives into idealism=romantic=noble versus realism=cynical=degrading.
All in alll a very enjoyable film which I will watch a few more times (then once).
True to the stage show - By: Mrs. Nichola Moore, 27 Oct 2006 I thought this DVD was a true interpretation of the stage show as remembered it. True, Sophia Loren & O'Tool are not renoun for their singing voices, but a great watch any way.
Loved it.
Still dreaming the impossible dream - By: M. Allen, 05 Jul 2006 
A wonderful book, made into a terrible film. The only thing going for it reallly is the songs.
Don Quiot is an old Hidalgo, who goes made & sets out to fight dragons. Sanch Panze is his assistant, & they travel around Spain trying to right wrongs. And yes, he does tilt at a windmill.
Sophia Loren is totallly wasted as the love interest, but is worth watching.
Worth watching once, if it isnt to expensive.
