Man of La Mancha (1972)

50% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(5,402 ratings)

This musical version of Don Quixote is framed by an incident allegedly from the life of its author, Miguel de Cervantes. Don Quixote is the mad, aging nobleman who embarrasses his respectable family by his adventures. Backed by his faithful sidekick Sancho Panza, he duels windmills and defends his… More This musical version of Don Quixote is framed by an incident allegedly from the life of its author, Miguel de Cervantes. Don Quixote is the mad, aging nobleman who embarrasses his respectable family by his adventures. Backed by his faithful sidekick Sancho Panza, he duels windmills and defends his perfect lady Dulcinea (who is actually a downtrodden whore named Aldonza).

Rating, Runtime: PG, 2 hr. 10 min.
Directed By: Arthur Hiller
Written By: Dale Wasserman
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 1, 1973 Wide
On DVD: May 11, 2004

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Hugely disappointing musical, far inferior to stage version.
Gregory Weinkauf, ÜberCiné
True to the spirit of Cervantes? Perhaps not. A delightful musical? Definitely.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
The translation from theatrical musical to movie musical doesn't get much more disastrous than in Man of La Mancha, a cheap, muddled, and badly put-together debacle
Phil Hall, Film Threat
Richly entertaining adaptation of the popular Cervantes-inspired musical.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Tom E

I saw the play in 1969, and heard the soundtrack for the movie and thought it was horrible -- Peter O'Toole couldn't carry a note in a bucket, and Sophia Loren was just windo-dressing -- So I watched the movie on TV today (Oct 4, 2010) -- All I said above, I retract -- the… More
I saw the play in 1969, and heard the soundtrack for the movie and thought it was horrible -- Peter O'Toole couldn't carry a note in a bucket, and Sophia Loren was just windo-dressing -- So I watched the movie on TV today (Oct 4, 2010) -- All I said above, I retract -- the movie made me cry as much as the play did -- My all time fav song is still "The Impossible Dream" -- So I repent of my cynicism of the past and really LIKE the movie! ENJOY -- Tom
Stephen M

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… More
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. Cervantes 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.