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Lost in La Mancha

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by Stephen Groenewegen

"The Men Who Shot The Man Who Killed Don Quixote"

Terry Gilliam’s proposed version of Cervantes’ Don Quixote, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, was to have been the most expensive film ever financed wholly by European money. But according to this documentary about the demise of the project, that meant only a medium-sized budget by Hollywood standards. With too narrow a margin for error, it proved insufficient to realise Gilliam’s vision.

Fulton and Pepe’s film focuses almost exclusively on pre-production, since Quixote was abandoned after only one full week of shooting. The problems are evident at the outset but initially seem surmountable. More than a few members of the crew even compare the situation favourably with the chaos of making Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

A tight budget means a tight schedule and it proves impossible to have busy actors like Johnny Depp and Jean Rochefort available for rehearsal more than a few days prior to shooting. Especially when they’ve already taken salary cuts to make the picture. The beginning of the shoot is also fatally affected by a freakish storm and flood, and the escalating medical problems of an impossible-to-replace leading man (Rochefort).

Gilliam’s fans are legion, and La Mancha gives them a chance to see their hero at work. It also allows a rare glimpse of a wildly imaginative director’s uncompleted, personal project. Directors Fulton and Pepe are obviously Gilliam admirers and they take a sympathetic view of his trials. Their comparison of Gilliam with Don Quixote is trite, but Lost in La Mancha offers an intriguing look into the unravelling of an ambitious film.

(The sixth in a series of six short takes on the 2002 Sydney Film Festival - see also The Inside Story, Nobody Someday, Lovely & Amazing, Making Venus and The Slaughter Rule)

link directly to this review at https://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=5980&reviewer=104
originally posted: 07/07/02 13:46:38

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User Comments

6/09/08 AnnieG Excellent film . Lesson: read the book Don Quixote - you shall never see a film version. 4 stars

6/04/05 Mike Jozic In the spirit of Coppola's Hearts of Darkness, this is a must for fans of film! 5 stars

6/02/05 tatum Sad, but even I could see the writing on the wall; get a clue, TG! 4 stars

2/22/05 Jeff Anderson A BRILLIANT DOCUMENTARY THAT PERFECTLY SHOWS A GREAT DIRECTOR'S DREAM GONE TERRIBLY AWRY!!! 5 stars

3/04/04 Agent Sands A very unique documentary including really cool footage from a movie you can't see. 4 stars

7/06/03 John Bale A must for film buffs, sadly shows the perils of Independant productions 4 stars

3/20/03 Cameron Slick An engrossing look at what can go wrong. 4 stars

3/17/03 John Rigler I recommend for anyone who HAS to watch all of the DVD extras. 5 stars

2/16/03 Heather Essential for Gilliam fans, here's hoping he has another attempt at DQ 4 stars

2/08/03 mr. Pink Insightful and truly horrific to watch at times. Good. 4 stars

8/19/02 Jerry Harrell Brilliant documentary! Plays out better than most fiction films! 5 stars

IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS FILM, RATE IT!
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USA 31-Jan-2003 (R) UK N/A Australia 03-Jul-2003

Directed by Keith Fulton Louis Pepe Written by Keith Fulton Louis Pepe Cast Terry Gilliam Johnny Depp Jean Rochefort Tony Grisoni Phil Patterson Jeff Bridges

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