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Bernard Bouix, Rene Cleitman, Johnny Depp, Benjamin Fernandez, Terry Gilliam ... see more see more... , Tony Grisoni , Phil Patterson , Nicola Pecorini , Gabriella Pescucci , Jean Rochefort , Jeff Bridges , Vanessa Paradis , Philip A. Patterson

For years, one of filmmaker Terry Gilliam's great dreams was to make a screen adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's classic tale Don Quixote, and in 2000 it looked as if his dream was to become... read more read more... a reality. In collaboration with Tony Grisoni, Gilliam had written a script called The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, in which a 20th century advertising man accidentally travels back in time and is mistaken by Don Quixote for his faithful companion, Sancho Panza. After ten years of shopping the project to American studios with no success, Gilliam and his producers had secured financing for the film from a consortium of European sources, and Johnny Depp had been cast as the time-tripping adman, with the venerable French actor Jean Rochefort as Don Quixote. However, as the production moved closer to its start date, more and more things began to go wrong -- contracts went unsigned, key cast and crew members had not yet arrived, and the carefully prepared budget seemed stressed to the breaking point. Nevertheless, Gilliam soldiered on, but after a mere six days of shooting, during which Spanish Air Force jets ruined several takes, flash floods destroyed several sets, and Gilliam struggled to keep his dream afloat, Rochefort suffered a severe back injury. The film's financiers decided to cash in their chips and pulled the plug in order to cash in on their insurance, though Gilliam struggled for months afterward to find a way to put the production back on track. Documentary filmmakers Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe had been invited by Gilliam to make a film about the production of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, and after shooting 80 hours of footage of the chaotic pre-production process as well as the aborted shooting schedule, they instead created Lost In La Mancha, a look at the "un-making" of the film, which along with the story of the project's brief rise and messy collapse, featured a look at several completed scenes from the film, as well as animated versions of the film's storyboards which offered a glimpse of the look and scale of the film Gilliam was attempting to create. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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72% liked it

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97 critics

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe

Release Date: January 31, 2003

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DVD Release Date: June 24, 2003

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Flixster Reviews (725)

  • blkbomb
    August 17, 2011
    blkbomb
    Terry Gilliam: At least if we're going to be fucked, let's know we're fucked ahead of time. 

    "They have a story... but they've lost the plot"

    Lost in La Mancha is a fascinating documentary of Terry Gilliam's failed attempt to bring Don Quixote's story to life in film. He had wo... read morerked over a decade on the film and says countless times throughout this documentary that he has ran through it in his mind several times. Jeff Bridges narrates and there are several interviews from the crew and actors, including Johnny Depp, working on the picture. 

    Gilliam and his team have to work through endless amounts of bad luck, including planes flying over while they are shooting, bad weather and a lack of funds. Worst of all, the actor playing Don Quixote(Jean Rochefort) isn't in the best of health. It's said that Gilliam isn't the only one to try and fail to make an adaption of Quixote. Orson Welles tried for many years to make Quixote, but never ended up finishing it.

    Lost in La Mancha is a pretty entertaining and extremely interesting look at some of the struggles that occur during production. It's definitely worth a watch if you enjoy seeing how films are made, or in this case tried to be made.
  • garyX
    May 21, 2010
    garyX
    Lost In La Mancha is a video diary of Terry Gilliam's attempt to make his adaptation of Don Quixote in which a modern day advertising executive finds himself transported back in time and mistaken for Quixote's faithful companion Sancho Panza. Failing to get financial backing from... read more Hollywood because of the shadow of his one heroic failure Baron Munchausen looming over his head (despite the fact that he had made financial successes before and since), he tried to make the film using European money and although he was forced to work with half the budget he would have liked, it was actually shaping up quite nicely. Unfortunately a catalogue of catastrophes plagued the film in the first week of shooting, from the set being buzzed by F-16s to the star being diagnosed with a double hernia. Not to mention the fact that Gilliam had to watch all of his equipment being washed away by a freak flash flood! It's actually a fascinating look behind the scenes of the movie making process; from Gilliam's mind's eye being transformed into storyboards, to the process of costume design, make up, scouting, screen testing and eventual (if disastrous) shooting. The footage that was actually shot (of which there is maybe a minute!) looks like it could have been another of his great successes and it is strange how there seems to be a real parallel between Quixote and Gilliam himself; in this case the grim reality that defeats him is represented by the insurance men who avoided paying out by claiming that a 70 year old actor falling ill was an "act of god". It makes you wonder why any of us ever pay for insurance for anything in the first place. The suits still own the rights to his script, and I for one hope that Terry will continue to shout at these pinstriped windmills and never accept defeat.
  • SirPant
    August 27, 2009
    SirPant
    Interesting in places and educational for those who want to be film makers but ultimately its quite a dull film to watch. I really hope they get to make the real thing!
  • ironclad1609
    February 17, 2009
    ironclad1609
    We've all seen Making of-films, some of them are wonderfully detailed, giving you an idea of the amount of work that has been done. This is the Making Of documentary of a film that could not be completed. It feels as if the Gods were against director Terry Gilliam ("Twelve Monkey... read mores") and his star Johnny Depp, while trying to shoot a new adaptation of the classic tale of Don Quixote. It starts with the pretty chaotic, multi-lingual planning, the actors showing up late, more delays and problems, bad hail storms, fighter jets over the sets, a leading actor becoming very ill and all ends in the depressing and frustrating cancellation of the project. If that wasn't so sad to witness, especially how hard it is for Gilliam, it would be a great insight into some of the mechanisms of film industry. Actually, that's exactly what it is: the documentary gives you a better idea about the effort behind a movie than most Making Ofs where the crew just compliments each other. Interesting, amusing, partially unbelievably frustrating.
  • superclerk25
    April 15, 2008
    superclerk25
    An excellent look at how a movie can fall apart very quickly. The speed at which the whole production goes to crap astounds me as does the slight craziness of the director.
    The movie looked interesting and I kind of wish we could have seen it. Very good doc though and I recomm... read moreend it to anyone who likes the behind the scenes stuff...
  • SilentWarProductions2009
    April 4, 2008
    SilentWarProductions2009
    Directed by: Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe.
    Starring: Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp, Jean Rochefort, Jeff Bridges, Vanessa Paradis.

    <<"The budget of this thing is about $32.1 million dollars...which by European standards without American investment is a... read more big chunk of change...for what we're trying to do, its half the money we need.">>

    The tragic story of Terry Gilliams film 'The Man Who Killed Don Quixote', from its battles through pre-production and later problems that ended up forcing the production to shut down after only six days of production.

    Such a tragic yet fascinating documentary. I'm not usually a fan of them at all but after hearing so much and knowing that Terry is such a genius, I had to find this. What the documentary manages to achieve is the right sense of every emotion that happened on set. By the end of the film, I was heartbroken to see all this shit that had happened to such a potential project that I want to see it pick up and finally get made...and throughout the film, I found myself to be laughing and feeling strangely hurt, the fact that a man with such amazing qualities and a great interaction with everyone he works with, a man who has had nothing but bad luck in his career is once again getting shafted by not only the acts of god, but the situation of illnesses, unexpected happenings and ultimately a battle with the insurers which lead to everything being abandoned.

    If you love film you should certainly watch this...if you love Terry Gilliam...why the hell have you not seen this yet? I strangely compelling documentary that delivers the emotions felt on the set of this film and such a fascinating look into the ways of this director, even through the terrible things that happened. Highly recommended.
  • puffchunk
    November 19, 2007
    puffchunk
    Would have been a cool movie, too bad it didn't happen. Not sure why we really care about this though, other than to see Johnny depp swearing at a fish.
  • nuheart
    December 26, 2006
    nuheart
    Heartbreaking account of Terry Gilliam's struggle -- and ultimate failure -- to bring The Man Who Killed Don Quixote to the screen.
  • kiriyamakazou
    December 23, 2006
    kiriyamakazou
    A beautiful modern tragedy. Especially for any film fans out there. We see Gilliam try and create a film, and everything that can go wrong does. Even more heartbreaking since all the existing footage makes the film look damn good. Highly enjoyable and is at least funny with all t... read morehat's going wrong.
  • mrbungle7821
    February 25, 2006
    mrbungle7821
    [center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/4390/924242lostinlamanchaposters7yg.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center]
    [font=Arial][color=#8b0000][/color][/font]
    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Poor Terry Gilliam. One of the best visual directors today hardl... read morey ever gets a break. If there was justice in the world (a rhetorical question) Gilliam would be directing a Harry Potter movie. Just imagine the greatness of something like that. But Gilliam is seen as an ?eccentric? who doesn?t keep good track of his budget, as evidenced by the inflating costs of his ?Baron Munchausen? effort. As a result of making classy yet quirky pictures his way Gilliam has become a director that works on the fringe. His last effort was a delirious retelling of the Don Quixote tale. When it came time to film ?The Man Who Killed don Quixote? it seems everyone, even God, was against Gilliam realizing his dream[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]?Lost in La Mancha? is a fascinating and equally heart breaking documentary following the making of and, more so, the breaking of Gilliam?s movie. For starters the location for a pivotal scene in the desert is located near a Spanish air force base and fighter jets roar overhead. Then there?s a flash food that destroys equipment and a set. Then there?s the star of the picture that may or may not have cancer but sure can?t ride a horse. It?s enough to pull your hair out. ?Lost in La Mancha? is like the cinematic version of the highly entertaining, and addictive, HBO series ?Project Greenlight?: witness movie making first hand and witness one catastrophe after another! The two directors of ?Lost in La Mancha? are the same people that created the nearly 90 minute documentary on the trials and tribulations of making ?12 Monkeys? (and this documentary is by far the best special feature on any DVD ever released). The two have a certain fondness for Gilliam but push the Gilliam-as-Quixote image way too much.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]The really sad part about this documentary is that the glimpses it does show of the film (when it is working and not going into devastation) prove it could have been a wonderful and whimsical fantasy. Heck, he even got Johnny Depp to be in it! Gilliam will move on as will everyone else involved in this aborted film but there will now be a lasting mark. Whether it serves as an open sore or a Band-Aid is a different matter.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: B+ [/color][/font]

View All Lost in La Mancha Reviews

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
May 23, 2003
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Wondrous document of a film gone wrong and an artist who inspires fans, cast and crew, even as he terrifies financiers, insurers and anyone more firmly footed in filmmaking reality.

Bill Muller
May 1, 2003
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

A fascinating study in the cinematic arts, as we watch a talented director and a committed crew and cast thwarted by nature, human failings and just plain bad luck.

Rick Groen
March 21, 2003
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Gilliam himself is a joy to behold. His wit stays sharp even as his fortunes dull, and the conditions that conspire against him only prove the mettle in our man of La Mancha. Full Review

Jane Sumner
March 6, 2003
Jane Sumner, Dallas Morning News

Should be required viewing for all film-school students, aspiring filmmakers and studio suits. Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
February 27, 2003
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bitterly funny and oddly poignant. Full Review

Steven Rea
February 24, 2003
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

One hopes that some day Gilliam gets to realize his dream, but in the meantime, in Lost In La Mancha, the shards of that dream offer tantalizing -- and tear-inducing -- glimpses of what might have been.

Jonathan Rosenbaum
February 22, 2003
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

I'd like Lost in La Mancha more if it didn't take the easy but misleading route of dovetailing Gilliam's frustrations into Welles's, and then dovetailing both into Quixote's. Full Review

Stephen Hunter
February 21, 2003
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

A fascinating chronicle of bad luck, bad faith and bad weather all striking on the same day. Full Review

Desson Thomson
February 21, 2003
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

It's disconcerting to recommend this movie for its entertainment value, but highly watchable it is.

Eric Harrison
February 20, 2003
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle

Entertaining documentary about how badly everything went. Full Review

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  • Who has acted in all these movies? Dead Man The Man who Cried Typhoon Lost in La Mancha Benny and Joon   Answer »
  • true or false did johny depp star in lost in la mancha  Answer »
  • The documentary "Lost in La Mancha" (2002) is about a failed adaptation of the classic "Don Quixote." Which director was trying to direct that movie?  Answer »
  • Name that actor. Who appeared in the following movies: -Lost in La Mancha -Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare -Cannes Man -The Source  Answer »
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