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Rating:  - POOR LEADS DIMINISH THE POWER OF EL CID
Samuel Bronstein's El Cid is the epic to end all epics Released in 1959, it tells the story of the famous 11th-century hero who fought to unite Spain. Clocking in at just over three hours, it is sumptuous beyond description the cities and plains of Spain---with lush costumes and an even lusher Miklos Rozsa score, it becomes almost too much of a good thing. With Anthony Mann directing, the audience is given not only the enormous spectacle of history parading across the screen, but also Mann's incredible ability to capture the intimate and personal drama of every day life. The drawback, and the only thing that makes this less than a perfect movie, is the two stars. Charleton Heston and Sophia Loren may be lovely to look at, but 180 minutes of alternately bad (read: wooden) acting gets a little tiresome. More than any other film genre, epics require special handling, as filming larger-than-life creations frequently bleaches all life out of the character. This is very much the case here, where the two leads are simply not equipped to deal with the scope or the reality of the characters. The supporting cast, including Herbert Lom, Raf Vallone and Hurd Hatfield, is quite wonderful---or at least serviceable. This new "Limited Collector's Edition" ---clearly grammatically challenged, or how many "Limited" collector's do you know?---comes chockfull of commentaries, still galleries, filmographies, trailers and "bonuses" reproductions of original souvenir programs, comic books and window cards. The only thing missing? A good leading man and woman.
Rating:  - One of Heston's Great Epics
In the wake of Charlton Heston's death, I decided to have a marathon viewing of his films. I rewatched many of my favorites and sought out some of those I had never seen.
"El Cid" was one I had not watched before, probably because it only recently became available on DVD. As he often did, Heston plays a real-life character, an 11th-century Spanish hero who sought to unite his country. It is one of those epic historical films Heston specialized in, and it does a good job of conveying that time and place. Although set 1,000 years ago, the themes of the story still resonate today.
One of the things I like about these films is that they were made pre-CGI, so they were generally shot on location and much of the spectacle was actually staged for the cameras (No computer-generated armies here).
The Cid was a complex character and, unlike some of his other roles, Heston plays him in an understated way. The Cid was valiant and loyal, a selfless warrior loved by the people. He preached tolerance and tried to show that all Muslims were not evil. But he was humble and deferential to a fault, putting his sense of duty to country and king before everything, even his family.
There are some grand action scenes: a spectacular jousting duel and several large scale battles. The musical score is sweeping and beautiful. Yes, there is some melodramatic acting in places, but overall the performances are good.
The central love story did not work for me, however. The Cid's relationship with Chemene, played by Sophia Loren, is up and down throughout the film: first she loves him, then she hates him, then she loves him. They do not spend enough time together to make a convincing case that this was a great love affair.
If you like behind-the-scenes features, there are several interesting documentaries on the second disc: one deals with the making of the film, then there are bios of the producer, the director, the composer, and an odd little piece on some guy who works in film preservation.
All in all I would recommend "El Cid" to anyone who likes Charlton Heston and big historical films. As they say, they don't make `em like this anymore.
Rating:  - El Cid
If You are a Charlton Heston Fan or a Sophia Loren Fan You need this movie in Your collection. It was long over due that they put this movie on DVD. I Hope You will enjoy it as much as I did. Enjoy
Rating: - True Clasic
El Cid is a great depiction of Medieval Spain! There is enough violence to satisfy most prurient interests. In addition, the beauty of Sofia Loren, the pageantry and chivalry of the royal court, and the intrigue of familial politics make for a dynamic presentation of the life and times of Spain's greatest hero.
The plot follows the storyline of the "Song of the Champion El Cid" as it has come down through the centuries. There are a few factual discrepancies but they do not severely hinder the appreciation of the art of this epic.
Rating: - "The best epic I have ever seen!"
This film based upon "the Cid" who is the subject of an epic medieval Spanish poem. Heston really is at his best playing this remarkable character; he was the only man who could have done it so well. Sophia Loren is equally good and ravishing as the woman who loves him, the cast is rounded out by great character actors. The action scenes are wonderful as are the excellent sets and fantastic location work. This film is so watchable because it has at its heart the Christ-like Cid who is brave, self-sacrificing and truly tolerant. Cid is tolerant of the Spanish Muslims not only because it makes sense but because it is right, he recognizes the differences but realizes that they worship the same God and are His creatures. I have not seen this film in twenty years and I love it even more now than I did then.
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