Don Quixote

Don Quixote, mysterious and fascinating figure, brought to the creation of many versions of the work in various disciplines . Due to importance of the book, Don Quixote was studied through different arts: in fact there are many adaptations in films, comics, paintings and ballets as well. Every adaptation has different ways to show the protagonist of the literary text, written by the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605. However, considerable success was reached in the ballets and in films as well. In fact Don Quixote became an interesting subject in the ballet by Marius Petipa in 1860s and in unfinished film by Orson Welles in 1955. Thus this essay is divided in three part: a study of the first version of Don Quixote in the ballet by Petipa; an explanation of the characteristics in cinematic adaptation of Orson Welles; the third part argues about the various versions of Don Quixote in ballets and in films.
The Don Quixote’s first version in ballet was made by Marius Petipa, who showed it first in 1869 for the Bolshoi in Moscow, and then in 1871 for the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg. Furthermore, these two productions were different from each other: in fact the first one was more humorous than the second one which showed an aristocratic style and eliminated comic scenes, like that one in which the moon cries and then smiles. Although there were some differences, both the versions generated a great atmosphere, due to the directors and to performers as well.
In Petipa' s ballet, the figures and the story are very important to analyse. While the figure of Sancho Panza is comic and humorous, Don Quixote seems to be a mime rather than a dancer ; however he is the co-star in this performance: in fact there is the love story between Kitri, a lively girl who was forced by her father Lorenzo to get married to Gamache, and Basilio, a poor barber. This love story of the ballet was extrapolated from a single episode in the second volume of the novel by Miguel Cervantes. Thus it is clear that the figure of Kitri adopts the ideals of Dulcinea. In fact the ballet should be made for a formal audience: thus it is clear that a love story is more interesting than a story about an old knight.
In the ballet there are many important meanings. This is a love story with a happy ending , in which there are escapes, deceptions and misunderstandings which will bring to the marriage of the two youngers, while Don Quixote and Sancho leave for a new adventure.
This production consisted in four acts and eight scenes. The first act does not introduce the figure of Don Quixote and his adventures immediately, but the inn-keeper 's daughter Lorenzo, Kitri, who is courted by the barber Basilio. It is already clear the difference between this work and the original text. The two lovers show themselves dancing in a crowded square in Barcelona; however Kitri’s father wants that his daughter had to get married to Gamache, against the wishes of the youngers. Gamache is introduced like the richest gentleman in the country, but he is arrogant and ridiculous: he is an actor rather than a dancer. An important episode is in the bullfight (corrida) in which there are a street dancer and a famous ‘torero’: in this scene everything is funny, free from violence. Afterwards, at the inn the focus is on a joyful popular dance in the Barcelona’ square. This scene shows the influence of Spanish dance on Petipa, who knew when he worked at the Circus Theatre in Madrid from 1845 to 1848. This is an important scene because Don Quixote confuses Kitri with Dulcinea, inviting her to dance with him and provoking the jealousy of Gamache. Everyone dances in this square , giving the sensation of confusion and bringing to the flight of Kitri and Basilio.
In the second act Kitri and Basilio, chased by Kitri’s father and by Gamache, hide themselves in a tavern where they meet some friends.Here, however, they are achieved by Lorenzo and Gamache, and later also from Don Quixote, who tries to defend Kitri ( who for him is Dulcinea), without success. Basilio desperately simulates his suicide and Don Quixote manages to persuade Lorenzo to accept the love of the two youngers. Then there is the famous scene of windmills: Don Quixote meets a groups of gypsies and, after many dances, he realizes he is surrounded by huge giants that were the windmills; he tries to fight one of them but he is hit by a shovel.
In the third act, Don Quixote dreams his beautiful Dulcinea (called the white act). In the white act Don Quixote is in a magical world, inhabited by fantastic female figures, the Dryads (Driadi). This is the greatest moment of pathos and beauty of the ballet, which is placed at the center of representation: Dulcinea appears in Don Quixote’s dreams, but taking the form of Kitri; when the knight wakes up he finds himself in the forest, meeting the Duke of Barcelona.
In the fourth act, there is the celebration of the wedding between Basilio and Kitri. Don Quixote, who considers Kitri as Dulcinea, challenges Basilio to a duel; however he is defeated and he promise to stop to find new adventure (like Cervantes’ text).
In the fifth, the version of 1869 is different from that one of 1871. In fact in the first one Petipa preferred a positive ending with the departure of Don Quixote and Sancho to other adventures searching Dulcinea; in the second one there is a tragic epilogue, with the death of Don Quixote, like the Cervantes’s original text.
Focusing on the cinematic adaptation of Don Quixote, the character of the knight-errant became very famous thanks to the unfinished masterpiece by Orson Welles, concluded by Jesus Franco and Mauro Bonanni. The role of Don Quixote portrayed the idea of the original text of Miguel de Cervantes: in fact he seems a cartoon, a caricature of a middle-aged man with a beard, thin and tall, with a too big armor which brings the knight to fall many times on the ground; he is always helped by his squire, Sancho Panza, who was a poor farmer who has tender feelings for Don Quixote and follows him hoping to receive an island and a title as a reward.
Orson Welles showed the characteristics of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza through the shootings: although Don Quixote should be introduced like a noble hero, he is not showed as a knight and he seems a long shadow, followed by the stubby figure of his squire. However, Welles gave the idea of a glorious warrior thank to the shootings from the bottom up, showing the heroic and mad aspect of the protagonist. As far as Sancho is concerned, Welles used shootings from the top down, showing every aspects and separating the two characters. Unlike the Petipa’ s ballet where Kitri assumes the Dulcinea’s values, in the films of Orson Welles, Dulcinea is nominated and sought several times.
There many differences and points in common between the Cervantes’ original text and Welles’ film. Both Cervantes and Welles in their works talk about the society, with its imperfections and the faults: in fact the Cervantes’ aim was to show the inadequacy of the intellectuals who were unable to live with the modernization of that time; furthermore, there were the decline of the ideals, the materialism and the general crisis which will dominate the post-golden age. In the same way, Welles highlights the period of the dictatorship of Franco, criticizing the modernity. The Welles’ work is a film between the reality and the fiction, where Don Quixote and Sancho are real figures but also unsuspecting actors; Orson Welles himself is an actor and an omniscient narrator, like Cervantes who, through the figure of omniscient narrator, gives credibility to his incredible story.
There are many scenes which are very important in the film. The event of bullfight (‘corrida’) is showed in a different way from the other adaptations: in fact ,in Welles' film, this scene is showed in a great confusion which also is funny for the audience ( in this episode Sancho is seeking his master desperately). However, Welles focuses on the violence of the bullfight which brings adrenalin and frenzy among the audience. Focusing on the the scene of the windmill, it can be considered one of the most important and famous episode for the figure of Don Quixote. In fact, through the Welles’ cinematic technique, the viewers can see this mill with the eyes of the madness of Don Quixote: thus the mill becomes bigger and bigger and the shovels turn as in a vortex.

There are many important meanings in this cinematic adaptation. In fact at the end of the film there is a commemoration of the author , who died in 1992. The ending of the film shows bond between the author and the protagonist. Orson Welles highlights the hero’s death in a very tragic way, mainly when Don Quixote loses the hope of doing new adventures. Madness and death are two issues discussed in the text. The madness is an important point of the work because it is linked to the character from the heroic aspect. In Don Quixote’s film there are other particular issues like the themes of the sky, the night and the moon,as well as the madness, the travel, the dream and the death. It cannot be doubted that many of the adventures of Don Quixote are set in the night and the moon is fundamental for the protagonist. In particular, in the Welles film, Don Quixote tries to talk to the moon, showing his pains of love. The moon is a symbol of the dream and of the madness, but also a friend who listens the character’ sufferings of love. Welles’ film is one of the most interesting and enigmatic film. It can be considered a physical and mental trip, full of images and landscapes.Through his technique, Welles highlights the adventures of Don Quixote in the historical period of the Franco’s regime: thus the fiction coexists with the reality in a perfect way. This technique is also present in the structure of the book, where the reality is between truth and fantasy.
It cannot be doubted that there are many earlier versions of Don Quixote in the ballet. In fact , for instance, Franz Hilverding adapted the story to the ballet which was performed in Vienna in 1740. Furthermore, Noverre, the great theorist of the reform of the ballet, showed in Vienna in 1768 a version which was inspired to Hilverding’ one. Hilverding and Noverre were the first to use the ‘ballet d'action’ on the theme of Don Quixote: thus they created a ballet where also the dancers could tell about the story. Then, Alexander Gorsky performed the ballet for the Bolshoi Theatre in 1900, replacing the Petipa’s original production of the 1871 and reducing the plot from five to three acts. Gorsky’ s adaptation became very important and famous. In fact Gorsky, a student of Petipa, in this production introduced the concept of a modern dance in the ballet; thus his version is still considered a symbol for contemporary authors. In addition, he showed his ballet in a lively way. Gorsky's version is considered the most innovative thanks to the use of the crowd in the scenes: in fact, while Petipa divided the crowd into ordered groups, according to the color in a rigorous way, Gorsky, with the new method by Stanislavsky theater, worked with every single character that was characterized by a different costume from the others. In the new century Rodolf Nureyev presented his version in 1966 for the Vienna State Opera Ballet. This version, which was inspired by the Petipa’s version, is a frantic dance, with comic aspects, which wants to show the figure of the character but also of the people, leaving the horrors of the war. The theme of love is essential: in fact it becomes a very important point in the scene of the dream. According to Alberto Testa, Nureyev tries to leave the horrors of the war, giving a burlesque tone in the work.
As far as the film adaptations are concerned, there are many versions which became very important. Georg Wilhelm Pabst made his adaptation in 1933, and his work was faithful to the novel; unlike Welles’ film, he introduced in the final scene the burning of books, which were considered the responsible for the madness of Don Quixote. A fire meant the struggle between the medieval culture and the witches; however, in the last shot, the book are regenerated from the ashes, giving importance to the cultural aspect of that time. Furthermore, in the last years Terry Gilliam wanted to present his film, but it was unfinished and became a documentary.

The story of Don Quixote still continues to attract new audiences and to create new ballets and new films because it is a current story, which describes the problems of existence, in particular the cruel reality which deletes the imagination and the dreams which are fundamental to live. However , thanks to many adaptations of the narrative, it is clear that Don Quixote deletes

I use this term because in the end I believe that Don Quixote is a novel based on misunderstandings created by the same character and that it has been able to emphasize especially the films of Welles through the constant jumps between reality and fiction, between real and present time- magical time that coincides with a mythical past. As for the text in the movie is so demolished the unique concept of reality that is now, however, more prospects in the balance between reality and unreality.