Don Quixote (1957 film)

Don Quixote is a 1957 Soviet film adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes' novel Don Quixote. It was directed by Grigori Kozintsev, and stars Nikolai Cherkasov as Don Quixote.

The film follows the adventures of Alonso Quixano, an aging nobleman who has read so many chivalric romances that he loses his mind and believes himself to be a knight errant named Don Quixote. He sets out on a series of fantastical quests, accompanied by his loyal squire, Sancho Panza (Yuri Tolubeyev). The film portrays Quixote as an idealist who, despite his delusions, embodies noble values such as courage, justice, and compassion.

The film is notable for its grand scale, its evocative cinematography, and Cherkasov's acclaimed performance as Don Quixote. The score was composed by Gara Garayev. It was produced by Lenfilm studios.

Don Quixote was generally well-received internationally and is considered one of the more faithful and artistically successful adaptations of Cervantes' novel. It won several awards, including the Silver Prize for Best Actor (Nikolai Cherkasov) at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival and the Diploma of Honour at the 1957 Stratford Film Festival. The film is in Russian but subtitled versions are available.