A review by Albert Sanchez Moreno
Miguel de Cervantes' great seventeenth century Spanish classic, "Don Quixote de La Mancha", is universally acknowledged as one of the greatest books ever written,and the first truly "modern" one (i.e., a novel in which the main characters evolve emotionally and intellectually,and change over a certain period of time). It is an enormously long work,and an extremely difficult one to adapt to the screen without sacrificing the philosophical insights of the novel,some of which may seem undramatic on screen, others of which are subtly hidden beneath the comic surface of the book.
Most filmmakers since the beginning of movies have opted for two approaches, a superficial stringing together of just a handful of the tragicomic misadventures of the knight and his squire Sancho Panza,while carefully pruning most of the philosophy out of the work, (as in the 1948 Spanish film,considered a monumental achievement in its native country)or a film merely suggested by the novel and heavily revising its plotline to suit dramatic purposes (as in the famous stage musical "Man of La Mancha",filmed in 1972, or the 1933 semi-operatic Chaliapin version). I have nothing against this if it is done with integrity,as in "Man of La Mancha",but some film versions,notably the Rex Harrison 1973 BBC-TV version,drastically change the entire tone of the work.
This most recent television version, starring John Lithgow as Don Quixote and Bob Hoskins as Sancho Panza,tries to do both,and succeeds remarkably,due to an excellent script by British playwright John Mortimer,who seems to be one of the few writers to truly understand how to adapt this brilliant novel without substituting his own inventions to bring out the inner meanings. Director Peter Yates also seems to understand that "Don Quixote" doesn't need to be treated in a heavy-handed,tragic style; that it is all right to trust Cervantes' own style as well as the intelligence of the audience,something that obviously isn't always learned. Lithgow is brilliant as the Don,hilariously nutty in the early scenes,and poignant in the second half of the film,in which Quixote is made the dignified victim of cruel and insensitive practical jokes. Bob Hoskins,despite his pronounced Cockney accent,does an admirable job as Sancho Panza.
The other roles are little more than cameos,even the misleadingly third and fourth-billed Isabella Rossellini,as a seemingly sweet,but inwardly horrendously insensitive Duchess,and Vanessa Williams as both the milkmaid Aldonza and the Don's imaginary ladylove,Dulcinea del Toboso,who makes HER appearances in the Don's imagination.
Director Yates is intelligent enough to resist the temptation to overplay the insensitivity of the outside world as much as possible; unlike so many other directors, he does not take sides with the characters.and tries to be as objective as Cervantes himself. He allows us to discover for ourselves the insensitivity of the Duke and Duchess,and perhaps the only unfortunate change he makes is in turning Sanson Carrasco into a wholly sympathetic figure,rather than the full-of-himself clod that Cervantes creates, and even Yates couldn't resist a "Man of La Mancha" touch in the final scene (nobody can,now,actually).
The period of the film has been updated to about 1800, to make the idea of knight-errantry seem even further in the past,though this does not really hurt the film. It is unfortunate,though,that producer Robert Halmi couldn't resist providing a sop to the now wildly popular notion of working special effects into everything. Unlike any other version, Quixote's hallucinations are vividly shown onscreen,and it must be admitted,it does lend a certain flavor to the story to see them,but the "monstrous giants" shown onscreen have more in common with a George Lucas "Star Wars" film or a Ray Harryhausen Sinbad flick than with "Don Quixote".
Still,this latest version of the novel is excellent and not to be missed. It has been beautifully photographed on location in Spain,and enhanced with a Spanish-flavored musical score. It is easily the best version of Cervantes' original novel done in English.
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