Don Quixote

the film of Chaliapin. and it is not surprising. because he deserves the role and the chance to give his Don Quixote to the public. because the voice is only the axis of inspired adaptation of the novel, using the resources of humor and touching dialogues, drama and the force of a vulnerable character. because it is one of films who are, first, beautiful travel in time. and for the opportunity to discover a great artist not only as legend but as inspired interpreter of a text who remains unique. a film like a bitter-sweet mix. impressive and seductive and great. more a page of history than a movie, it is the right option for understand a side of the beauty of Russian artistic treasure.

It is unusual to see scrappy direction from Pabst, but I was disappointed with this film. What is interesting about this film is Shalyapin.

In opera, and folksong, Shalyapin took the art of acting seriously. He would jump into the skin of the character he was playing or of the narrator of a song. He was almost like Lon Chaney, when it came to costume.

Here the great man sings in English, and seems to be ideal as the pathetic character who sells all he has, to buy books of knightly romances; then, with his servant, Sancho Panza, sets out to do good deeds.

Shalyapin's English is excellent, and he speaks and sings with a heavy accent that is Russian, tinged with the accent of the country in which he lived in exile - France.

George Robey, with his music hall accent, who was beginning to shake off his "coward" image (He was a conscientious objector during the first world war) plays Sancho Panza.

Shalyapin does sing some songs in this scrappy production; but, unlike, Pabst, he does not leave us disappointed.

Miguel de Cervantes's great novel, "Don Quixote," (Part One, 1605, Part Two, 1615)has been treated in opera, musical comedy, Spanish zarzuela, ballet, film and the fine arts, though it is best played out in the theater of the imagination. To this film can come closest and G. W. Pabst's sensitive treatment in black and white does well indeed. The great Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin, who sang the title role in Jules Massenet's gorgeous 1910 opera, "Don Quichotte," plays Don Quixote, and sings too, with nice music credited to Jacques Ibert. George Robey makes a splendid Sancho Panza. The adaptation is intelligent, with many of the best known episodes treated,if not in the same order as in the book. The film handles well the Duke and Duchess, who humor Don Quixote and Sancho Panza for their amusement, but are somewhat humbled. Having the windmills (Part One, chapter 8) and burning of romances of chivalry at the end (Part One, chapter 6), with the death of Quixote, works surprisingly well. It is worth cleaning up and re-releasing, if possible.

I saw the New York Museum of Modern Art's print (the English language version). Only Chaliapin does much singing, but the music and lyrics are not much and I suggest you listen to his recordings to judge his singing. His acting seems very much staged.

George Robey is very good as Sancho Panza (Don Quixote's servant), playing him as a Music Hall character. The scene with the traveling players at an inn is also interesting and fun.

G. W. Pabst directed two version of the story of the knight of the Woeful Countenance, both released in 1933; Chaliapin also provided the voice for Lotte Reiniger's animated version that same year. I took a look at the English-language version. It was not, alas, in particularly good shape, had twenty minutes cut from its 75-minute length, and Chaliapin, although he looks like the classical emaciated version of the Don, and sings beautifully, has a Georgian accent that made him rather difficult to understand.

George Robey as Sancho Panza is excellent, and Cervantes story is transformed from a satire to an unmitigated tragedy.