Don Quijote de la Mancha (TV Series 1991–1992) Poster

(1991–1992)

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8/10
Very good rendition upon the best literary work ever written that stands in a unique position between medieval chivalric romance and the modern novel
ma-cortes12 May 2015
This is TV film version of "Don Quixote" to be notably faithful to the book . Splendid series follows the adventures of a nameless Hidalgo who reads so many chivalric romances that he loses his sanity and decides to set out to revive chivalry , undo wrongs , and bring justice to the world , under the name Don Quixote (Fernando Rey) . To these ends, ¨Alonso Quixano¨ dons an old suit of armour , renames himself "Don Quixote", names his exhausted horse "Rocinante", and designates Aldonza Lorenzo , a neighboring farm girl, as his lady love , renaming her Dulcinea del Toboso . Quijote , nearing fifty and some years of age , recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza (Alfredo Landa) , as his squire, who often employs a unique , earthy wit in dealing with Don Quixote's rhetorical orations on antiquated knighthood . Adapted from the work of Miguel de Cervantes , we then follow Don Quixote on their adventures , his squire Sancho Panza and an old horse named Rocinante . On their journeys , they rescue dames in distress in honorable acts and fight giants among other perils , with Don longing to be with the love of his life , lady Dulcinea , and Sancho waiting to be rewarded with an island where he's about to become a governor .

This is the amazing and fun story of a Hidalgo , fanatic for chivalry novels , decides to go on imaginary adventures along with his friend , the simple farmer Sancho Panza , who becomes his squire . This enduring romantic adventure deals the enthusiast , passionate knight Don Quixote and it is paced in enjoyable as well as deliberate rhythm . The film is quite amusing with emphasis on spectacle and following faithfully the immortal novel scripted by Nobel winner Camilo Jose Cela . Based on the classic novel written by Miguel De Cervantes , Don Quixote is considered one of the most influential works of literature from the Spanish Golden Age and the entire Spanish literary canon and deemed to be one of the greatest novels in literature history . At the series occurs several known episodes , such as : when ¨the knight of sad countenance¨ arrives at an inn , which he believes to be a castle , as he calls the prostitutes he meets "ladies" ; Don Quixote next "frees" a young boy tied to a tree and beaten by his master ; destruction of Don Quixote's library , this gives occasion for many comments on books Cervantes liked and disliked ; Don Quixote's attack on windmills that he believes to be ferocious giants ; when Quijote and Sancho encounter a group of friars accompanying a lady in a carriage and he free her , as Don Quixote takes the friars to be enchanters who hold the lady captive , knocks a friar from his horse , and is immediately challenged by an armed Basque traveling with the company ; Don Quixote attacks a rider and takes the ¨Helmet of Mambrino¨ and when is wounded he attempts to cure himself thanks to ¨balsam of Fierabrás¨ ; after that , Quixote frees a group of galley slaves and a lot of adventures .

This series was perfectly interpreted , including marvelous production design , gorgeous photography , impressive soundtrack and many other things . Such was filmmaker Manuel Gutiérrez Aragon's attention to detail that it was shot on actual historical location , inns , villages from La Mancha . Masterful interpretation by the great Fernando Rey as the famous Quijote who loses his sanity and believing to be a knight named Don Quixote de La Mancha, and his fellow squire Sancho , Quixote's best friend , magnificently performed by Alfredo Landa . This was last of four Don Quixote films featuring Fernando Rey in some capacity . In Don Quijote ¨(1948) by Rafel Gil , he played Sansón Carrasco , Fernando would later be in Don Quijote Von der Mancha (1965) , El Quijote de Miguel de Cervantes (1991), and supply new narration for the final scene in Don Quijote de Orson Welles (1991). Support cast is frankly awesome , giving top-notch acting and formed by prestigious secondaries such as Emma Penella , Héctor Alterio , Esperanza Roy , Aitana Sanchez Gijón , Francisco Merino , Manuel Alexandre , José Luis Pellicena , Aldo Sambrell , Rafael Alonso , Lina Canalejas , among others . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Teo Escamilla . Classical and emotive score by Lalo Schifrin . This miniseries version of the first half of Cervantes' famous novel was lavishly produced by Emiliano Piedra and stunningly directed by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragon . Being followed by ¨El Caballero Don Quijote¨ also by Manuel Gutierrez Aragon with Juan Luis Galiardo and Carlos Iglesias .

¨Don Quijote¨ results to be another of uncountable versions dealing with the unforgettable novel ¨Don Quijote De La Mancha¨ by Miguel Cervantes y Saavedra and in which Quixote and Sancho take on numerous dangers and adventures . Other recounting about this notorious story are the followings : ¨Don Quixote¨ (1933) by G.W. Pabst with Feodor Chaliapin Sr. ; ¨Don Quijote De La Mancha¨ by Rafael Gil with Rafael Rivelles , Juan Calvo and Sara Montiel ; ¨Orson Welles's Don Quijote¨ with Akim Tamiroff ; ¨Don Quijote Cabalga De Nuevo¨ by Roberto Gabaldon with Cantinflas and Fernando Fernan Gomez ; ¨Man of Mancha¨ by Arthur Hiller with Peter O'Toole , James Coco , Sofia Loren and for American TV : ¨Don Quijote¨ by Peter Yates with John Lightgow and Bob Hoskins ; latterly : ¨Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha¨ (2015) by Dave Dorsey . And for cartoon movie was made ¨Don Quijote De La Mancha¨ by Cruz Delgado and ¨Donkey Xote¨ (2007) by Jose Pozo
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9/10
Superb transformation of this timeless novel for the screen
khatcher-225 December 2000
Televisión Española, the State TV network, produced several magnificent TV series some years ago, before competition from commercial channels forced the state monopoly down to gutter levels. EL QUIJOTE, directed by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, and starring the irreplaceable Fernando Rey (now dead) and Alfredo Landa, as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza respectively, combined to make an unforgettable series in six parts of roughly one hour each.

Whether you are a literature lover or whether you are a discerning viewer of films or TV series, you cannot fail to be charmed by this superb transformation of the great classic by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra for the small screen. Rey, lean and sinewy, lends to the characteriology of the emblematic Don Quixote, an exquisite subtle refinement, enhanced by Landa, the most perfect Sancho Lanza. The rest of the cast is made up by some of the best Spanish actors of the last twenty-thirty years, including José Luis López Vázquez as the innkeeper, a very young Aitana Sánchez-Gijón as Dorotea, Rafael Alonso (El Abuelo - qv), Héctor Alterio, Emma Penella, Terele Pávez (Los Santos Inocentes - qv, also with Alfredo Landa) and Esperanza Roy.

The whole series is beautifully photographed across the empty plains of La Mancha and Extremadura. To understand the Spanish mentality today within a European context, you just have to see this truly wonderful series - however quixotic that may seem to you. Ah, and did you know that Cervantes died on the same date as that other literary genius, William Shakespeare, but not on the same day? I leave you to puzzle that out......!
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