El Cid (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Simply put, 'El Cid' (produced by the great Samuel Bronston & directed by the great Anthony Mann) is one of the grandest epics that Hollywood has ever put out. I sat gobsmacked as I watched this 3 hour spectacle unfold. Based on the real life of disgraced Spanish knight Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (but facts are tweaked, here), the film opens in 11th-century Spain, where the kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, & Leon face the constant threat of the warring Moors, led by Ben Yusuf (a terrifying, cloaked Herbert Lom). He & his minions are hell bent on spreading the Islamic culture throughout Europe. Into this venue of violence rides Rodrigo (Charlton Heston), whose courage, intelligence, & spiritual strength earn him the nickname El Cid, or The Lord.
Following one particular battle, El Cid liberates some Moorish emirs (one played by great character actor, Douglas Wilmer) on their vow never again to attack Castile. El Cid's act of mercy is misinterpreted as treason by Count Gormaz, the father of his beloved Chimene (Sophia Loren), & to protect the family honor, El Cid is forced to slay the Count in a duel. Although a heartbroken Chimene vows to avenge her father, she is obliged to marry El Cid upon the bidding of King Ferdinand; but they don't consummate the marriage, & she enters a convent. Sometime later, King Ferdinand dies, & his vast kingdom is divided amongst his 3 quarrelsome children, Alfonso (John Fraser), Sancho (Gary Raymond), & scheming Urraca (French iconic actress, Genevieve Page).
Before long, the weak-if-ambitious Alfonso arranges (with Urraca) the murder of their older brother, Sancho. When El Cid refuses to vow allegiance to Alfonso unless he swears himself innocent of Sancho's death, he is banished. But through the years that follow, El Cid continues to battle the Moors, & his ranks increase as subjects join him by the hundreds. Eventually his noble nature wins-back Chimene, & she declares her love for him, once again. When Ben Yusuf begins planning a massive invasion of Valencia, fledgling King Alfonso releases El Cid from exile & puts him in charge of the army (Alfonso feels great guilt about his treatment of him). For days, the enormous battle rages & on the night of the last Moorish onslaught ... El Cid is wounded by an arrow to the chest. Attended by Chimene, he makes her promise that - dead or alive - he will lead the next day's charge. This sets up one of the more stirring final scenes that I've seen in a film in a long time.
This movie spectacle is out-of-this-world grand. Veniero Colasanti & John Moore's production design/costumes are second to none. You could watch this film with no volume & still be enraptured by what you're seeing. 'El Cid' was also made in an era when 1,000s of extras were hired for battle scenes. Nowadays, those scenes would be littered with cop-out CGI effects. This film was made when elaborate outdoor & indoor sets were constructed, instead of created with computers; and you can tell the difference. I also love the cinematography. Not only are the lighting & compositions (so much depth in every shot) amazing ... but the use of widescreen is fantastic, too; I'm reminded of a scene in which Rodrigo & Chimene are on opposite sides of the screen & slowly walk with their arms stretched towards each other across a huge chamber with a large cone of light separating them. Not only is it a wonderfully romantic scene, it's just beautiful to watch.
Charlton Heston was just the perfect actor to play the conflicted El Cid (destiny demanded he be a strategic warrior, but he really longed for peace). Heston had the longing in his eyes, the imposing figure, but also the compassionate component that is so important to epic heroes such as Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. And now I come to Sophia Loren. Even the muckiest of lenses couldn't cloud her beauty. But since the cinematography is SO good, anyway - her beauty radiates more than ever. Apparently, Heston & Loren didn't get along too well during the film shoot. But that contentious love-&-hate push-&-pull that they had off screen really permeated the screen & was apropos for the characters onscreen. I felt the passion; whether it was lust, love, or hatred. I also enjoyed John Fraser as the weak Alfonso, Gary Raymond as the tragic Sancho, Genevieve Page as the loathsome Urraca, & Douglas Wilmer as an honorable Moor who swears to abide El Cid's rules.
In the end, 'El Cid' is about a man of legend. It tells a wonderful (if embellished) true story; co-written by Ben Barzman, Fredrick Frank (The Ten Commandments), & Philip Yordin (King of Kings). This type of film could never be made today: with Christians trumping the 'evil' Muslims, and white actors wearing blackface & such. That said, this is a movie spectacle that they just don't make anymore. And the climax is unique in the annals of Hollywood epics: a final assault led by a dead hero. I am so grateful that producer Samuel Bronston was around in the 50s & 60s to give us films such as 'El Cid'.
Following one particular battle, El Cid liberates some Moorish emirs (one played by great character actor, Douglas Wilmer) on their vow never again to attack Castile. El Cid's act of mercy is misinterpreted as treason by Count Gormaz, the father of his beloved Chimene (Sophia Loren), & to protect the family honor, El Cid is forced to slay the Count in a duel. Although a heartbroken Chimene vows to avenge her father, she is obliged to marry El Cid upon the bidding of King Ferdinand; but they don't consummate the marriage, & she enters a convent. Sometime later, King Ferdinand dies, & his vast kingdom is divided amongst his 3 quarrelsome children, Alfonso (John Fraser), Sancho (Gary Raymond), & scheming Urraca (French iconic actress, Genevieve Page).
Before long, the weak-if-ambitious Alfonso arranges (with Urraca) the murder of their older brother, Sancho. When El Cid refuses to vow allegiance to Alfonso unless he swears himself innocent of Sancho's death, he is banished. But through the years that follow, El Cid continues to battle the Moors, & his ranks increase as subjects join him by the hundreds. Eventually his noble nature wins-back Chimene, & she declares her love for him, once again. When Ben Yusuf begins planning a massive invasion of Valencia, fledgling King Alfonso releases El Cid from exile & puts him in charge of the army (Alfonso feels great guilt about his treatment of him). For days, the enormous battle rages & on the night of the last Moorish onslaught ... El Cid is wounded by an arrow to the chest. Attended by Chimene, he makes her promise that - dead or alive - he will lead the next day's charge. This sets up one of the more stirring final scenes that I've seen in a film in a long time.
This movie spectacle is out-of-this-world grand. Veniero Colasanti & John Moore's production design/costumes are second to none. You could watch this film with no volume & still be enraptured by what you're seeing. 'El Cid' was also made in an era when 1,000s of extras were hired for battle scenes. Nowadays, those scenes would be littered with cop-out CGI effects. This film was made when elaborate outdoor & indoor sets were constructed, instead of created with computers; and you can tell the difference. I also love the cinematography. Not only are the lighting & compositions (so much depth in every shot) amazing ... but the use of widescreen is fantastic, too; I'm reminded of a scene in which Rodrigo & Chimene are on opposite sides of the screen & slowly walk with their arms stretched towards each other across a huge chamber with a large cone of light separating them. Not only is it a wonderfully romantic scene, it's just beautiful to watch.
Charlton Heston was just the perfect actor to play the conflicted El Cid (destiny demanded he be a strategic warrior, but he really longed for peace). Heston had the longing in his eyes, the imposing figure, but also the compassionate component that is so important to epic heroes such as Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. And now I come to Sophia Loren. Even the muckiest of lenses couldn't cloud her beauty. But since the cinematography is SO good, anyway - her beauty radiates more than ever. Apparently, Heston & Loren didn't get along too well during the film shoot. But that contentious love-&-hate push-&-pull that they had off screen really permeated the screen & was apropos for the characters onscreen. I felt the passion; whether it was lust, love, or hatred. I also enjoyed John Fraser as the weak Alfonso, Gary Raymond as the tragic Sancho, Genevieve Page as the loathsome Urraca, & Douglas Wilmer as an honorable Moor who swears to abide El Cid's rules.
In the end, 'El Cid' is about a man of legend. It tells a wonderful (if embellished) true story; co-written by Ben Barzman, Fredrick Frank (The Ten Commandments), & Philip Yordin (King of Kings). This type of film could never be made today: with Christians trumping the 'evil' Muslims, and white actors wearing blackface & such. That said, this is a movie spectacle that they just don't make anymore. And the climax is unique in the annals of Hollywood epics: a final assault led by a dead hero. I am so grateful that producer Samuel Bronston was around in the 50s & 60s to give us films such as 'El Cid'.