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Question about 'I'm Only Thinking of Him'

posted 15 years ago by Sunflower64
3 replies | jump to latest

This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Very funny and great performances from all three actors. But I can't understand why it's the only musical number that takes place completely in the world of the prison (not counting the final reprise of "Impossible Dream"). Same goes with the dialogue afterward. After Cervantes arranges them all on the "chessboard" I expected them to switch fully to the fantasy world after he sat down on the stool. But they stay in the world of the prison. At first I thought this was because of the Duke or Sanson's prominence in the dialogue; his complete opposition to the story being told kept it in the "real world." But that doesn't explain why "I'm Only Thinking of Him" doesn't switch over and why the all the other scenes with Sanson do. Any ideas?

A young girl passes / in a hurry. Hair uncombed. / Full of black devils. --Kelly Link

[–] critic-2 15 years ago

Probably because the "chessboard" effect wouldn't make any sense in the fantasy world. The light shining down from the grille in the prison creates the chessboard effect, and I guess they wanted to keep it.

The play is different; it seems to all be taking place in the real world, and the prisoners (as well as the theatre audience) must imagine the scenery in the fantasy scenes. So the effect isn't as jarring when they do "I'm Only Thinking of Him". The lighting helps in the stage version, because the lights dim enough during the Don Quixote scenes so that you don't see the prison, just a bare stage with props. You don't actually see the windmill onstage either, and Don Quixote's bed looks more like a couch with a pillow at the back, not like a real bed.

[–] transmentalist 8 years ago

Just throwing out ideas here, but maybe it's because these particular characters had a better grasp on "reality."

Don Quixote has lost it entirely, so we see him in the world of the play

These characters haven't, so we see them in the world of their "stage"

In other words, we (the audience) take a step back from each character's reality, as we focus on that character

But honestly, aside from it just being an artistic decision, I found it helpful because, aside from O'Toole, John Castle's appearance changes so drastically from "The Duke" in prison to "Dr. Carrasco" in the play.

[–] 8 years ago

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