Brian Blessed, Gino Conforti, Harry Andrews

It's hard to imagine a finer Don Quixote than Peter O'Toole, who's spent most of his career with a slightly mad, dreaming look in his marvelous eyes. O'Toole's suitability for the role is tested by th...( read more  read more... )e Broadway treatment of Man of La Mancha, the film version of the hit stage musical. Everybody knows "The Impossible Dream," that indomitable hymn to, well, quixotic questing, and it is indeed the best of the Spanish-inflected songs. Despite the location shooting in Italy, Love Story director Arthur Hiller can't elude the stagey concept (in which Cervantes, imprisoned by the Inquisition, acts out the tale of Don Quixote for his fellow prisoners). James Coco, as Sancho Panza, is overshadowed by the film's irresistible Dulcinea: Sophia Loren, at her mature peak. (Her singing, alas, is not as ripe as her beautiful self.) If you love Cervantes for his earthy ironies, this movie will seem a curious slice of inspirational shtick. --Robert Horton

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74% liked it

4,773 ratings

PG, 129 min.

Directed by: Arthur Hiller

Release Date: December 11, 1972

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DVD Release Date: May 11, 2004

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Flixster Reviews (216)


  • May 24, 2009
    Imprisoned, awaiting a hearing before the Spanish Inquisition on a trumped-up charge of heresy, Miguel de Cervantes is put on trial by his fellow prisoners, who threaten to destroy the unfinished manuscript of Don Quixote unless he can prove to them it is worth saving. Cer...( read more)vantes stages an enactment of the novel as his defence, with himself as the knight errant, his manservant as Sancho Panza and the other inmates taking the supporting roles.

    To be honest, I was expecting to hate this film and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's worth seeing for Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren's performances alone. Contrary to a lot of negative criticism I've read about Loren's poor singing, I think her limited ability suits her character perfectly well, and O'Toole lip-syncs his vocal stand-in so enthusiastically, I couldn't be certain he hadn't performed his own songs until I checked afterwards. That said, apart from the overused showstopper (The Impossible Dream), the songs are instantly forgettable. As with a lot of international co-productions, the conflicting accents of the cosmopolitan cast are a constant source of distraction.
  • July 6, 2009
    hahaha i remember this
  • March 26, 2009
    I story about a man that saw things as they should be and not as they were. Peter O'Toole, Sophia Loren and James Coco are all extremely wonderful in this movie.
  • December 21, 2008
    Its awesome to dream the impossible dream!
  • November 21, 2008
    Visually impressive and perfectly cast; Peter OToole and Sophia Loren are superb and a joy to watch. Although the story has wonderful moments, it's ultimately a dull, plodding tale with a depressing tone. More entertaining than the book, but still not enough for me.
  • October 23, 2008
    Very hard to get into in the beginning, but it gets really good. Especially the randomness and hilarity of the evil windmill. There is much randomness to this movie. Actually, I really need someone to explain the ending to me, because I do not understand it at all.
  • October 23, 2008
    not the best movie ever, but i liked it :D don quixote is a very likeable character and the songs are contagious. however, the beginning seemed to drag on a little too long, and was sort of difficult to understand. and i didnt like the ending of their play, but i enjoyed the endi...( read more)ng of the film itself. very sad but cute. overall, good movie.
  • October 17, 2008
    No thankyou - Not interested
  • October 15, 2008
    nominated for best picture by NBR
  • October 9, 2008
    Miguel de Cervantes? immortal saga mirrors his own image as the chivalrous and gentleman of all mistresses and ladies, Don Quixote, stirs the proverbial phrase?facts are the enemies of truth!

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