Don Quixote (1933 film)

Don Quixote is a 1933 French-British film directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst, based on the novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. It exists in two versions, a French-language version ( Don Quichotte ) and an English-language version ( Don Quixote ), both shot simultaneously.

The film stars Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin as Don Quixote. It follows the general narrative of Cervantes's novel, depicting the adventures and misadventures of the eccentric nobleman Alonso Quixano, who renames himself Don Quixote and sets out to right wrongs and defend the helpless, accompanied by his loyal squire Sancho Panza.

The production was known for its lavish sets and costumes, and especially for Chaliapin's performance, although his age was a topic of conversation since he was much older than a typical depiction of Don Quixote. The music was composed by Jacques Ibert.

While the film made efforts to adapt Cervantes's work, it faced challenges in condensing the extensive novel into a manageable running time. Consequently, some subplots and characters were omitted or altered. The film received mixed reviews upon its release. Despite its historical significance as one of the early sound film adaptations of the classic novel and featuring a notable operatic star, it is not considered to be one of the definitive cinematic representations of Don Quixote.