Customer Reviews

Man of La Mancha (1973 Movie Soundtrack)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I will be entirely honest: I hate the original Broadway cast album. I bought this one because I already owned the original cast, and, quite frankly, I didn't feel it was up to par with this version. First off, James Coco is a definite improvement to the high, nasally, and extremely obnoxious shrieking of the Sancho in the original cast. Secondly, Man of la Mancha is not, has never been, and will never be The Phantom of the Opera. The intent is not, in fact, to "wow" people with the amazing, perfect pitch and quality of the singers. The point is to draw you into the story and teach you something. Aldonza should not have an operatic voice. Sophia Loren acheives a far more impacting and touching performance with her rough, uncultered singing because a "kitchen slut" would not have a trained voice. Period. Comparing the versions of "Aldonza" between the original Broadway cast and the movie soundtrack, the movie leaves the original in the dust. I have never once cried during the original version of that song. Every time I hear it on the movie soundtrack, I'm in tears. Loren sells me like none other, especially in the reprise of "Dulcinea." And, personally, O'Toole or whoever it was who actually sang as Don Quixote, sounds more like an old man than the singer in the original. The movie seems more real.

And, let's be honest, it's worth just about anything you could pay just for the "Life As It Is" speech. I don't care who you are, that speech is amazing. I just don't understand how anyone could hear that speech and NOT be breathless. O'Toole shines in that speech, and any soundtrack that doesn't include it isn't complete. And it really is worth buying the CD for that track alone.

Maybe I am mad to love this version, but who knows where madness truly lies? I cannont say enough about this soundtrack. I love it. It gives me chills, and if Broadway Purists want to knock it, that's fine. They're missing out on the incredible experience of amazing versions of, "Aldonza," "Man of la Mancha," and, most importantly..."Life As It Is."

I have always been facinated by the story of Don Quixote. It has facinated me since I was a young child. My mother had the soundtrack in album form, and I would sit and listen to it for hours. Two days ago, I finally saw the play at a nearby dinner theater, and purchased the soundtrack from the Broadway show afterward. There is really no comparison. The movie soundtrack gives the listener a much better idea of the chatacters, just by listening to their voices. The greatest example of this is Dulcinea, on the Broadway soundtrack, she sounds like an opera singer, whereas in this soundtrack, you can hear the attitude in her voice. It is a truly wonderful CD.

Although the 1972 movie of "Man of La Mancha" was considerably better than most people give it credit for being,the soundtrack by itself is another matter. Simon Gilbert dubs Peter O'Toole's singing (although we do get to hear O'Toole in the spoken sections),and although Peter O'Toole's acting was magnificent,Simon Gilbert is a pleasant-voiced singer,but no Richard Kiley. The other actors all do their own singing,although most of them weren't really singers at all,and they range from quite good (Julie Gregg and sole original cast member Gino Conforti) to good (James Coco and Ian Richardson) to barely passable (Sophia Loren,whose acting in the film was magnificent) to awful (Rosalie Crutchley,who in all fairness,does a comic role). Compared to the other albums,in which real singers with trained voices were used, this is a letdown,though Gilbert's singing as Don Quixote is preferable to Placido Domingo's barely understandable sung English and mediocre acting on HIS album of "Man of La Mancha".

See the movie,because in the film you get brilliant acting and beautiful photography along with the singing, but if you want an album of the songs,stick with the original Broadway cast.

I see Simon Gilbert being given credit for having dubbed Peter O'Toole's singing, in the leaflet it specifically mentions O'Toole working 3 hours a day with a vocal coach to do the singing. Its tough to tell, sometimes it sounds like O'Toole, sometimes it sounds decidedly unlike O'toole. As for Quixote's songs (The Quest; I, Don Quixote) I agree that the Broadway version is better.

However, I strongly disagree with the opinion that Sophia Loren's singing is terrible, but I do see how one could arrive at that opinion. My friend, who is also a big musical buff, winced the first time he heard 'Aldonza', she is off key at times, and her voice breaks occasionally as well. The passion in her voice more than makes up for that, and puts it in context if you will. I'll take a Aldonza/Dulcinea with passion whose voice has an accent and breaks when she is spitting words at Quixote over a perfectly in tune singer who conveys no passion. In short, when listening to Loren singing, I *believe* she is a trollop with no hope for anything better than where she is at, with the Broadway version I don't get that at all.

Having heard other versions of the show and having performed in it, I disagree with the other review. While it is quite possible to find technical flaws in the singing in this version, no one makes a better madman than Peter O'Toole, and the nostalgia factor alone of the movie and it's unforgettable cast will have you searching for THIS version, as I have for about 15 years. I was absolutely overjoyed to find it's available again! While O'Toole's singing may not be perfect, he is the quintessential madman, and his singing very much carries this off. Sophia Loren's may also not be perfect, but is an excellent reflection upon her role, that of a cynical, sarcastic prostitute. Certainly any lack of technical ability can be forgiven, therefore. James Coco is simply a delight in this show, both visualy and aurally. If you want the technically finest singing and have never seen the movie, perhaps you will want another version. But once having seen the movie, you may find as I have that other versions are sadly disappointing, and that no other version will do.

My daughter loves this movie, so I got her the soundtrack hoping that she would be more likely to do chores and homework when she could listen to it. It has worked so far. She says it's exactly like the movie. I don't find the singing to be the best ever, but I am not as into the storyline as she is. For a huge fan of the original MGM motion picture, this is the perfect soundtrack--it is taken straight from the movie.

There's been a lot of controversy about the movie and the soundtrack over the years but I still prefer this version of the music over the Broadway shows. I've seen Man of La Mancha on stage many times and enjoyed it but still find the movie version to be outstanding. I've had the DVD of the movie for a few years and was very happy to see that the movie soundtrack is finally available on CD. To each his own but I'll forget the critics and simply continue to enjoy this version of the story.

Should be listed in Things to Do Before You Die. I have watched and listened to the Broadway and countless stage musical versions,this original film soundtrack always comes up trump. Don't worry if it's not Peter O'Toole doing the singing but it is enough to hear him delivering the fine lines superbly in the three roles - Miguel de Cervantes, Alonso Quixana and Don Quixote. Sophia Loren excels as Aldonza/Dulcinea and not to forget Sancho and the rest of the cast and crew who together bring this literary classic to life for us to enjoy and reflect.

Having heard other versions of the show and having performed in it, I disagree with the other review. While it is quite possible to find technical flaws in the singing in this version, no one makes a better madman than Peter O'Toole, and the nostalgia factor alone of the movie and it's unforgettable cast will have you searching for THIS version, as I have for about 15 years. I was absolutely overjoyed to find it's available again! While O'Toole's singing may not be perfect, he is the quintessential madman, and his singing very much carries this off. Sophia Loren's may also not be perfect, but is an excellent reflection upon her role, that of a cynical, sarcastic prostitute. Certainly any lack of technical ability can be forgiven, therefore. James Coco is simply a delight in this show, both visualy and aurally. If you want the technically finest singing and have never seen the movie, perhaps you will want another version. But once having seen the movie, you may find as I have that other versions are sadly disappointing, and that no other version will do.

Not sure what I might have thought of this 30 years ago, but at 68, I'm feeling pretty dumb that I only just now got round to seeing it.

I was blown away! Not since the Broadway musical, "Les Miserables," have I been swept up in such a powerful presentation of the grace of God.

Having spent the past two days tracing down its origins, it is clear that there was an invisible hand guiding the various writers through which the life of Cervantes finally became "Man Of La Mancha," the movie.

Imprisoned by what was calling itself "church" in the days of the Spanish Inquisition, Cervantes, the sane man behind the mad man, Quixote, finds himself tried on two fronts. In the dungeon, where the Inquisition has locked him up, he is put on trial by his fellow prisoners. He defends himself by becoming the crazy Don Quixote, the would-be knight in quest of an "Impossible Dream."

Enlisting his fellow prisoners as the cast of his play, as his defense plays out, he must convince a very fallen women, Aldonza, that she is an incomparable princess. All she need do to make the transition is to believe the new name he gives her, "Dulcinea." To that end he dedicates his life. Dying to prove his unoffendable love, she finally sees the light, and in her seeing, transforms the others held in prison be the Inquisition of that day.

In short, the movie seemed to me to be vested with a meaning no sane person of this world intended. The original script may be found in Ezekiel, Chapter Sixteen.