Lost in La Mancha (2002)

Terry Gilliam's doomed attempt to get his film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018), off the ground.

Directors:

Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe

Stars:

Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp, Jeff Bridges

2 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tony Grisoni	...	Self - Co-Writer
Philip A. Patterson	...	Self - First Assistant Director (as Phil Patterson)
René Cleitman	...	Self - Producer
Terry Gilliam	...	Self - Writer & Director
Nicola Pecorini	...	Self - Director of Photography
José Luis Escolar	...	Self - Line Producer
Bárbara Pérez-Solero	...	Self - Ass't. Set Decorator
Benjamín Fernández	...	Self - Production Designer (as Benjamin Fernandez)
Andrea Calderwood	...	Self - Former Head of Production, Pathé
Ray Cooper	...	Self - Longtime Gilliam Colleague
Gabriella Pescucci	...	Self - Costume Designer
Carlo Poggioli	...	Self - Co-Costume Designer
Bernard Bouix	...	Self - Executive Producer
Fred Millstein	...	Self - Completion Guarantor
Jeff Bridges	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

Director Terry Gilliam is the latest filmmaker to try and bring Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra's "Don Quixote de la Mancha" to the big screen, the movie to be called The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Before filming even begins, Gilliam, who has moved from Hollywood studio to European financing, will have to scale back his vision as his budget has been slashed from $40 million to $32 million, still astronomical by European standards. But Gilliam is a dreamer, much like his title character, and his vision for the movie is uncompromising, meaning with the reduced budget that there is no margin for error and that some of his department heads may have to achieve miracles with their allotted moneys. During pre-production and actual filming, what Gilliam does not foresee is contractual and health issues with his actors, and the effects of Mother Nature. The question is does Gilliam have a Plan B if/when things go wrong.

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Plot Keywords:

making of film | don quixote | making of | troubled production | low budget filmmaking | 

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Taglines:

They've got a story...but have lost the plot.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

On June 4, 2017, Terry Gilliam announced that production of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote had finally wrapped. A few days later, he jokingly posted on Facebook that he had accidentally deleted the film.

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Quotes

Tony Grisoni - Co-Writer: The most painful thing was seeing reality win over Don Quixote in the end, 'cause it did.

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the credits we see the footage of the giants running menacingly towards the screen (which Gilliam admitted would make a great trailer). Just before it fades to black, the words "COMING SOON" are emblazoned across the screen. At the fadeout, we hear Gilliam's distinctive laugh.

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Alternate Versions

Although the U.S. home video version has a listed running time of 93 minutes, the version on the tape runs only 89 minutes.

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Connections

References Brazil (1985)

User Reviews

This is one of the saddest, most painful films I've ever seen.

I thought I had it bad on the set of my little student film in college.

Whew!

Watching this documentary was very difficult and very interesting at the same time. I enjoyed it, despite the tragedy that played out on the screen.

What makes the film so heartbreaking is that you know that the film will inevitably fail. So the entire movie-watching experience is steeped in dramatic irony. We, the viewers, know the outcome of this ill-fated film project known as "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote." But the filmmakers themselves, at the time of the filming, obviously do not know that all their actions are essentially in vain.

A great film, and a powerful warning to those who thinking making movies is easy.

Details

Official Sites:

Official page

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Spanish French

Release Date:

2 August 2002 (UK)

Also Known As:

Lost in La Mancha

Filming Locations:

Monasterio de Piedra, Nuévalos, Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$63,303, 2 February 2003

Gross USA:

$732,393

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,407,019

Company Credits

Production Co:

Quixote Films, Low Key Productions, Eastcroft Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1