Don Quixote (2000)

Somewhere in the great wlsewhere there is a higher calling, a nobler ambition. Don Quixote is sure because he's read so in books about chivalry. But aged Quixote is not merely content to read. So he adorns himself in armor, takes up a makeshift lance and rides off to set the world right. Peter Yates directs from a script by John Mortimer and serves up a dreamy array of special effects both subtly and grandly scaled. Why would Quixote engage windmills in battle? Better yet, why not? To see the world through his eyes is to embrace life as the fullest adventure.

Average with inapropriate casting of Dulcinea

The movie is reasonably made and it somewhat sticks to the original story. However, the casting of Vanessa Williams as Dulcinea is wrong. Dulcinea was a Spaniard from La Mancha in the city of El Toboso. 99.9% of Spaniards are white, mostly with dark hair but light to olive skin and fine facial features. Vanessa Williams is a mulata (a mix of white and african black). The Cervantes story originates in the 15th century (around the time of Christopher Columbus' Discovery). The mulatos did not come into being until the 17th century and much more in the 19th century and later. This was when the Black African slaves mixed with the European (French, British, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese) whites. Therefore, this is like picking Tom Hanks to play Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his biographical movie.Anglos need to stop inproperly labeling "hispanics" and learn a little bit of history, anthropology and sociology. June 19, 2008

The best Quijote production ever

This film does an amazingly good job of balancing the humor (or should I write "humour"?) of the novel with the serious themes. The settings seem very authentic, and the English phrasing of the lines is impeccable. It takes a mature viewer to appreciate the film throughout, as just viewing it for entertainment value (instead of for reflection) will have you tiring of the theme at several spots. I think that if Cervantes were a film-maker, this is what he would have given us! May 1, 2008

Not the man I know

This movie completely misses the mark. Notwithstanding the assurances of other reviewers, it does not adhere to Cervantes' story. The instances of deviation are far too numerous to mention in spite of the fact that I was unable to watch beyond the 32nd minute. (The speeding automobile in the background almost forced me to stop even sooner.) It is apparent that these reviewers have either not read the book or have forgotten the details.

To begin with, John Lithgow's performance is condescending and farcical. He behaves like a buffoon. A close reading of Cervantes suggests that Alonso Quijano is respected and taken seriously by his friends, niece, servant, and neighbors. Even though errant knighthood is a thing of the past in his time, deference - however grudging - toward the nobility is not. In this movie, though he is addressed with respect by those he encounters, he is too readily taken for a fool. The book makes it clear that Don Quixote, in spite of his delusions, preserves his characteristic gravity and noble bearing. His interlocutors are, for the most part, inclined to believe and respect him until his excesses refute their initial bemusement. This sequence of reflexive trust followed by sudden realization is part of what makes the book so funny. On the other hand, the erudition that is the cause of the gentleman's mental and physical divagations makes possible his beautiful "Golden Age" speech, delivered to goatherds who are perhaps too pastoral to conclude that something is terribly wrong with their guest. Similarly, his madness does not keep him from discerning the essential truth of Marcela's defense, unlike his simple companions who continue to berate her. Lithgow is unable to bring any of this complexity to life. The role called for someone like the late Richard Harris, who could have provided the seriousness, capriciousness, and labored determination it requires.

As for Cervantes' Sancho Panza, he is so in awe of his master's self-professed greatness that he allows ambition and admiration to subvert clear evidence of the nobleman's insanity. To use an example that few readers seem to proceed beyond - though it takes place very early on - Sancho's faith allows him to dismiss Don Quixote's attack on the windmills as failed perception, not delusion. His goal of seeing himself governor of an island has hardly been dealt a blow. Bob Hoskins' rendition, on the other hand, does not convince us that any of this is going on in the squire's mind. He seems too sly for the role of a faithful rustic.

I wish I could say that this is at least harmless entertainment, but it's not. If you watch this without having first read the book, you are likely to come away wondering what all the fuss is about, and believing that notions of what constitutes humor invariably go out of style - so Chaplinesque is Lithgow's performance. I have not been able to make up my mind as to whether Don Quixote or Hamlet is the greatest story ever told, but had I not read either, Zeffirelli's Hamlet would have encouraged me to read the play, whereas this production, which is barely an improvement on Three Amigos, would persuade me that my time could be better spent.
March 16, 2008

Another Spanish Teacher

I agree with Merlino. I keep looking for this in DVD (and I already have the video). It is outstanding--too classic not to be on DVD. January 22, 2006

Why isn't there a DVD, Region 1 version of this movie??

I bought this movie on VHS a few years back, and was hoping that it would eventually be released on DVD. I was in Spain, and saw the DVD version there. The DVD version has scenes that are not on the VHS version and not to mention the option of watching the movie in Spanish!! I really would like to buy the DVD version of this movie that can be played in North America! This movie is very faithful to the spirit of the original book it came from. People who are familiar with this masterpiece of Cervantes and anyone who just likes a good story will be happy with this movie. I highly recommend it! August 15, 2005

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