Don Quixote Reviews

Not the Cervantes story at all--Don Quixote (Helpmann) and his squire Sancho Panza (Powell) are marginal to the story line in the film. Rather, this is a motion picture version of a comic ballet choreographed in 1869 by Marius Petipa, with music by Ludwig Minkus. The plot concerns the romance between a barber, Nureyev, and his sweetheart, Aldous. The latter's father has betrothed her to the well-to-do Peasley. With the help of the mad knight-errant, Helpmann, and his faithful squire, Powell, Nureyev wins his lady love. Unlike the usual filmed ballet, DON QUIXOTE melds the traditions of ballet with the scope and verisimilitude of cinema extremely well, probably due to the efforts of codirectors and stars Nureyev and Helpmann. Cinematographer Unsworth employed unusual camera angles and overhead shots to encompass the sweep of the ensemble dancing, eliminating the need to go to extreme distance or wide angles, thus retaining detail. The film jumps between dancing and nondance continuity sequences, which may prove irritating to balletomanes, but most audiences will find it enjoyable.