Like Terry Gilliam, Welles had serious problems transferring Cervantes’ masterpiece to celluloid, and unlike Gilliam he never finished it. It was Spanish director Jesus Franco who finally interpreted what the master wanted, and Franco did after all work with Welles.
Like Gilliam, Welles played with the idea of modernising the story. Just before Sancho first sees a telescope, we are treated to a view of the castle.