(2002)
This is the comically tragic tale of Terry Gilliam's failed attempt to adapt of the legend of Don Quixote to the silver screen. The failed production, titled The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, was completely financed by Europe and was to star French actor Jean Rochefort in the titular role with Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp. However, the project was marred by a barrage of absurd and unpredictable setbacks from the beginning.
Fulton and Pepe were granted seemingly unlimited access behind the scenes in what would’ve probably ended up being a “making of” special feature on the DVD release of the film. They captured each of the unthinkable hurdles Gilliam faced, including screaming F16 flybys and an epic flash flood in the middle of the desert. In the end, they proved their resourcefulness in salvaging their footage and crafting this entertaining doc which has been dubbed the first “unmaking of” in history.
Mr. Gilliam having a rough day on set
My time working in film production helped me to appreciate the gravity of each setback. A friend of mine once calculated that the production company we were working for spent roughly $7 per second when we were shooting. By that calculation, something as seemingly trivial as an uncooperative horse could be costing the production literally thousands of dollars.
The doc itself can be seen as a Cervantian tale, with parallels made between the ebullient dreamer Gilliam and the delusional Quixote. Towards the end it seems clear that the crew knows the project has no chance of succeeding, yet Gilliam prods on. It’s almost painful to watch the filmmakers continue to toil on the project, particularly when the audience knows that the project is ultimately doomed. Nobody wants to be the one to tell the protagonist that his endeavor is derelict (that is, until the insurers adjusters come in).
Trivial Tidbits:
- Don Quixote is a novel written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes published in two parts in 1605 and 1615
- Gilliam has rebooted production, with Robert Duval slated to act as Don Quixote
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