Dom Quixote de Orson Welles (1992)

The story of a Spanish gentlemen gone mad and his dim-witted squire sancho panza, who set forth on a journey to right wrongs and accomplish good deeds in the name of chivalry.

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra (novel) (as Miguel de Cervantes), Javier Mina (dialogue adaptation)

Stars:

Francisco Reiguera, Akim Tamiroff, Pepe Mediavilla

Cast

Cast overview:
Francisco Reiguera	...	Don Quijote (archive footage)
Akim Tamiroff	...	Sancho Panza (archive footage)
Pepe Mediavilla	...	Don Quixote (voice) (as José Mediavilla)
Juan Carlos Ordóñez	...	Sancho Panza (voice) (as Juan C. Ordóñez)
Constantino Romero	...	Narrator (voice)
Paola Mori	...	Woman on Motorscooter (archive footage)
Juan Serrano	...	(archive footage)
Beatrice Welles	...	(archive footage) (as Beatriz Welles)
Oja Kodar	...	(archive footage)

Storyline

After reading too many novels about knights and heroic stories, Don Quijote and his servant Sancho Panza decide to wander the roads of Spain to protect the weak and to accomplish good deeds. But the real world is not as magical and fairy as Don Quijote imagines it to be. Following the plot of Cervantes classical book, Don Quijote fights with windmills thinking they are giants but unluckily, he manages to be defeated by them.

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Plot Keywords:

don quixote | don quixote character | sancho panza character | sancho panza | windmill | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Frank Sinatra gave $25,000 to Orson Welles to help him keep the cameras rolling.

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Connections

Version of Don Chisciotte (1983)

User Reviews

Flawed and fascinating, and with a debt to Doré

Orson Welles legendary project is nigh on impossible to find here, but I did have the good fortune to attend a free screening. Including myself and my wife there must have been all of eight people in the theater.

Welles interpretation of Quixote is peculiarly reminiscent of some of the illustrations of Gustave Doré (and to a lesser extent Salvador Dali) of Cervantes' masterpiece. I thought this an attractive approach, as it indicated a degree of recognition for others who had explored this fascinating work.

Given the wild fluctuations in film stock and equipment, the film is at times somewhat difficult to watch: but these sudden transitions are only a little more extreme than in F for Fake. The travelogue like sequences toward the end of the film are also a little jarring, but do give some indication of Welles fascination with Spain.

As a student of film, or as a student of Welles you should try to see this flawed film. It's great moments far outshine the weaknesses. I am not an Orson Welles fan, but I certainly prefer this to The Lady from Shanghai. If you are not interested in Welles or film history you will probably be disappointed. As with F for Fake, there is little of the slickness we associate with Welles films.

Details

Country:

Spain Italy USA

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

10 November 2005 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Dom Quixote de Orson Welles

Company Credits

Production Co:

El Silencio Producciones

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Black and White