I humbly confess I had never seen this film, and indeed had read mixed reviews about it. I'm now here to commend this top-notch epic to you without reservation.
Directed by Anthony Mann (best known for the noirish Westerns he directed in the fifties which transformed James Stewart's homespun image) and starring the late Charlton Heston, the film is crammed with exciting history and incident, as we go back to the tumult of 11th Century Spain and witness the tale of one Rodrigo Diaz, a mystical warrior who becomes known as "El Cid".
The period depicted was a perilous one for Spain, with the Christian population threatened by the Moors, led by the fiery Ben Yussef (Herbert Lom). We quickly learn Rodrigo is not merely a man of battle, but also one who senses when it is best to show mercy. By unilaterally granting clemency to a group of captured emirs (who will help him later), he incurs the wrath of the Spanish crown and his prospective father-in-law, whom he ends up killing in a duel. His betrothed Jemina (a stunning Sophia Loren) vows never to forgive him, but soon Rodrigo redeems himself, and Jemina and he reconcile.
When the Spanish King dies and a power feud erupts among his children for power and territory, Ben Yussef senses the moment is right to strike, But even with a weak new King on the throne, Spain still has El Cid, and El Cid has the Spanish people behind him, so Yussef's soldiers ultimately confront a good bit more than they bargained for.
For me, it was refreshing to see a gorgeously shot spectacle with no computer-generated effects, punctuated by a story with enough intriguing twists and turns to make its three hour run time speed by. Heston the star was always at home in epics- witness his "Ten Commandments" and "Ben-Hur"- and in my view, "El Cid", while perhaps not quite up to the level of the last two entries, is certainly solid enough on its own to warrant a viewing.
This is also prime family fare, particularly for older kids, who'll find it easier to follow. By all means, check out "El Cid".
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