Impossibly Somber Yet Uplifting
I first saw the movie version of Man of La Mancha in high school, then a few years ago I saw the stage play. I’ve had a mixed reaction to it both times I’ve seen it, so when I sat down to watch the movie again, I hoped to figure out why.
The movie is a musical retelling of the story of Don Quixote, but with a twist. We first meet his author, Miguel de Cervantes (Peter O’Toole) as he is being arrested for mocking the Spanish Inquisition. When he and his manservant (James Coco) are cast in a dungeon, Cervantes has to figure out a way to keep his fellow prisoners from destroying his chest of costumes and props, but especially his manuscript. And so he starts to tell them the story of Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza (also Peter O’Toole and James Coco) with various prisoners taking on other characters in the story.
Don Quixote is a nobleman who has lost his mind, thinking he is a knight on a noble quest. After fighting giants (windmills), he lands at an inn he thinks is a castle and meets a maid he thinks is the fair lady Dulcinea (Sophia Loren). Are his delusions harmless? Or will he return to reality?
I must admit that I don’t know the true tale of Don Quixote, so I can’t tell what they left out of the book or how they twisted stuff together for this adaptation. I can tell you that the story presented here works. Outside an overly long prologue getting Cervantes thrown in jail, the film is well paced with enough events happening to keep us engaged in both stories. Yes, we do jump back to the jail every so often, but the result works for the story.
This musical is best known for “The Impossible Dream,” which is an inspiring ballad as Don Quixote attempts to explain his mission to Dulcinea. Personally, I find myself humming “Don Quixote” the most when I think of this film. What the musical doesn’t have is big dance numbers. The rest of the songs are good, but nothing that really sticks out to me.
But back to how I started this review. You may have figured out by now that I love upbeat stories and happy endings. This movie leaves more open than it resolves, and what little it resolves isn’t happy. And yet, I still find it inspiring. Ultimately, I think the reason it works is the message that one person can make a difference in the life of one other person just by believing in them.
However, the journey to get there isn’t always pleasant. This movie earns its PG rating. Dulcinea is quite obviously a prostitute when Don Quixote first spots her, not that we are told in explicit terms. The movie does a good job of hinting at some of the more somber parts of the story without showing them, something that truly impresses me. Still, parents will want to know about that before they let their kids watch it.
Ultimately, Man of La Mancha inspires us to go out and help those around us. Is there anything better in a work of art?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for stopping by. In order to combat spam, I moderate most comments. I'll get to your comment as soon as I can.