Why so much hype?

Sick Product of a Sick System

One of my all time favorites.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Like the poster tamrath, I sign up for defender of this film. No, it's not brilliant, but visually it's a treat. I never saw the Broadway version, but I do have the CD of the soundtrack. Voice-wise, Peter O'Toole (or whoever daubed him, if he was daubed) is no Richard Kiley. But his acting makes up for that, as usual. And if there ever was an actor who most resembles the description of Quijote that Cervantes made I have yet to see.As for Sophia Loren, it's true, she cannot sing. Or at least, not in the key she was made to sing in the film. But IMHO, she is scarcely worse than Joan Diener's shrill, metallic, over-the-top, almost demented Broadway rendition, which never fails to grate on my nerves. And again, from the physical point of view, she is the embodiment f what I always thought Aldonza would look like. Her acting is also excellent for Loren is always at her best when she portrays peasants and lower-class women.James Coco's rendition of Sancho is acting-wise flawless, but from the standpoint of voice it elicits the same comparison as the Loren-Diener: after Irving Jacobson's high-pitched rendition, Coco's sounds sort of lusterless.The rest of the cast is OK. Ian Richardson gives us a terrific cynical/ironic/pious Padre, a bit on the lines of his House of Cards Urquhart.So again, the film is not brilliant. But until a better version comes along (and I rather doubt it, given the "revised" politically correct-sanctioned trash that the entertainment industry has made a habit of inflicting on us) I very happily settle for this.

Man of La Mancha has often been on people's worst movie musicals list. Seeing it recently to see whether it was as bad as all that. After seeing it, it is a long way from great but it isn't as bad as I'd heard(Hair and Annie have also been maligned and are other movie musicals that are not that bad, I personally love Annie and have done since childhood). It is nowhere near as good as West Side Story, Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music, but it is better than Xanadu, Can't Stop the Music, Mame, Grease 2, Across the Universe, The Wiz, A Little Night Music and A Chorus Line.Man of La Mancha is far from irredeemable. The best asset is the noble and commanding performance of Peter O'Toole, even if Golden Helmet is slightly overacted and his make-up is far too heavy-looking. Sophia Loren is breathtakingly beautiful, sassy and charming, and James Coco is fun and touching, his character is much more subtle here than in the stage musical. The "maddest of all..." dialogue is incredibly poignant as is the prison scene, the sets are striking and while only two or three are truly memorable(The Impossible Dream is rightfully a classic) the songs are very easy on the ear. Unfortunately The Man of Mancha has failings too. I'm going to have to agree about the singing, not only are the singers ill-suited for the songs but those who dub don't make much of an effort to sound like the actors.That is especially true of Simon Gilbert, an unsteady and underpowered voice that doesn't sound much like O'Toole's quite noble and baritone-like speaking voice. IMDb also seems to say that Ian Richardson did his own singing for the Padre, I'm not convinced, it may have been the case but Richardson's speaking voice isn't really that similar to the reedy sound heard with the singing. Loren took a brave risk singing her own songs but it is a risk that doesn't pay off, she sounds strained and while she does have some singing ability(Harry Andrews' singing was also rather limited) her range is too low for the songs she sings. Another problematic spot was Arthur Hiller's direction, the kind that doesn't have much of an idea in how to direct the film. Often it is rather heavy-handed, self-conscious and of the try-too-hard type.With the visual look, the sets are lovely but the photography could have done with a brighter and a more cinematic approach. There is not a fault to be had with the score and songs themselves, but in the film they seemed to have been under-scored and anaemic, more grandeur and sweep would have been more welcome. The film does deserve a little credit in trying to translate a big and quite difficult to stage already musical but it tries so hard that much of the dialogue lose their impact and the story loses momentum. Not all the support cast work, Ian Richardson is a sympathetic Padre but Brian Blessed's Pedro is wildly overplayed attired in a rather stereotypical costume.Overall, not as bad as touted to be from a personal opinion stand-point but the criticisms are understandable actually and even with things that were done quite well Man of La Mancha could have been far better considering the talent. 4/10 Bethany Cox

First of all, let me say that I believe firmly that a work of art should be judged on its own merits and not in comparison to its source. If we look at "Man of La Mancha" on its own it isn't bad - perhaps a little flat but not bad. The real problem is that the source (Cervantes' "Don Quixote") is simply too big to be able to confine it to the stage or screen. The subtle nuances that Cervantes gave us work beautifully when read - so that our minds can savor them. Humor is a fragile thing and that which is beautiful when written may all too often become slapstick on the stage or screen.The difficulty in adapting "Don Quixote" to the screen is obvious - Orson Wells couldn't do it - Terry Gilliam couldn't do it. There is a TV movie with John Litgow and Bob Hoskins which is a credible effort - mostly because it doesn't try too hard.And maybe that's the problem - maybe "Man of La Mancha" tries too hard.

I recently viewed this film again, not having seen it since it was first released. Sadly, the disappointment I felt at first viewing hasn't changed much with the passing of time. I saw this show on stage many years ago and was charmed and captivated by it. I eagerly looked forward to the film version like many others no doubt. How can a film with such an enviable cast go so oddly wrong? I want to lay the blame at the director's feet but it's hard to be sure where the majority of blame lies. I suppose the concept perhaps was the director's but maybe it was the writers'. The film wants to open up and take us out of the stagy dungeon set but it only does so half heartedly so that we spend most of our time in a studio set of the inn. The cinematography is oddly dull and gritty even though it's the work of the justly famous Rotunno. And then there is the hideous make-up Peter O'Toole is obliged to wear throughout most of the film. And to get back to the cast again, although enviable the casting is far from ideal. Each actor seems to be in a different movie and acting in his or her own separate style so that in the end you don't get an ensemble you get a stew, and not a very tasty one. It would be a treat to see this musical done again set in a real Spain not just in Spanish clichés and with a really good cast of singer/actors. Perhaps, however, it is best to leave some stage pieces on stage.