Man of La Mancha
Miguel de Cervantes, a poet, dramatist, and occasional actor, was taken up by the Spanish Inquisition in the sixteenth century together with his manservant. They were charged with heresy and sentenced to excommunication. They are being accused of putting on a show that the Inquisition would find objectionable. In the enormous dungeon where they have been locked up, the other convicts form a mob against Cervantes and his manservant and conduct a pretend trial. Their goal is to either steal or destroy Cervantes' belongings, and they use the pretext of the trial to justify their actions. Cervantes desperately wants to save a manuscript that he is carrying with him, so he organizes an unconventional defense—the story of Don Quixote—with the cooperation of the other prisoners, complete with costumes, make-up, and the participation of the other convicts.
Released: 1972-12-20
Duration: 132
min