STARRING

DIRECTOR

LENGTH

CATEGORY & RATING

AWARDS

POTENTIAL THERAPY RELATED ISSUES

QUESTIONS

Write short essay answers to any four of the following six questions.

1. Mirrors cast reflections. People act as mirrors to each other's sense of self and to each other's souls. How people see themselves and think of themselves is in major part to how others see them and cast images back upon them. In this film there are two men who take on roles of casting mirror images upon others. Doctor Sanso Charasco (the realist) assumes a guise of “Knight of the Mirrors,” and Miguel Cervantes (the poet) assumes the guise of Don Quixote. Dr. Charasco reflects “life as it is” and Don Quixote reflects life as it “should be.” Aldonza comes to the room in which Alanzo Quijanas is dying and begs for him to remember who she is. He asks, “Is it so important?” Aldonza responds, “Everything — my whole life.” She says, “You spoke to me and everything was different...and you looked at me, and you called me by another name, Dolcenia (beautiful sound).” Doctor Charasco called her a “slut.” Whose reflection and whose image of reality seem most true to you? Explain briefly.

2. Contained within the tale of Don Quixote, the “Man of La Mancha,” are present myriad symbols, allegories, metaphors, and as such a plethora of opportunity for psychological interpretation. The movie inspired by Cervantes' original 1605 manuscript is based on the true life story of Cervantes who lived a life filled with warfare, imprisonments, crippling injury, terror, and pain.

The story streams and circulates around the metaphorical creation of a play within a play, a trial within a trial, and characters acting parts of others, all flowing in and out of each other like eddies in a country brook. Are there any personal thoughts, images, metaphors, characters, interpretations, or dialogues that the film presents which hold a special place for you? Answer simply and briefly.

3. The “Duke” (the doctor) wants to prosecute Cervantes. The Duke is angry at “poets spinning nonsense out of nothing, blurring men's eyes to reality.” He asks Cervantes with disdain, “Why are you poets so fascinated with madmen?…You both turn your backs on life... A man has to come to terms with life as it is.”

Cervantes rejoins with disgust:
“Life as it is? I've lived life for over forty years and I've seen life as it is; pain, misery, cruelty beyond belief. I've heard all the voices of God's noblest creatures, moans from bundles of filth in the street. I've been a soldier and a slave. I've seen my comrades fall in battle or die more slowly under the lash in Africa. I've held them at the last moment. These are men who saw life as it is, but they died despairing, no glory, no brave last words. But in their eyes, filled with confusion, questioning, “Why?” I do not think they were asking why they were dying, but why they had ever lived. When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams, this may be madness. To seek treasure where there is only trash; too much sanity may be madness; and maddest of all, to see life as it is, and not as it should be.” Should it be considered healthy or unhealthy for clients to follow a “Quest” or to pursue an “Impossible Dream?”

4. Describe a treatment plan for one of the characters in the film assuming he or she came to you for psychotherapy.

5. What did you learn from the film that you believe will enhance your clinical skills?

6. How might clients benefit from viewing the film and discussing it in therapy?

DIRECTIONS

Your responses must be typewritten and submitted along with our completed registration form one of three ways: (1) by mail with a check or credit card information; (2) by fax along with credit card information, or (3) by e-mail along with credit card information. If you do not wish to submit credit card information via e-mail or fax, please mail your registration for processing. Your payment must accompany your answer sheet. Do not e-mail or fax us your forms and request us to call you for your credit card information. Submissions via e-mail or fax without credit card information will incur a $10 surcharge. Please visit our contact information page for our mailing address, fax number, and e-mail.