El Cid (1961)
Country: US/SP
Technical: col/scope 184m
Director: Anthony Mann
Cast: Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Herbert Lom, Geneviève Page, Raf Vallone, John Fraser, Gary Raymond
Synopsis:
Don Rodrigo de Vivar seems fated not to have a quiet life when he first defies the king's orders and sets some Moors free, then kills his fiancée's father in a duel of honour. However, in spite of banishment and exile, he remains loyal to his king and unites all of Spain, Muslim and Christian, against the jihadist Moors threatening to invade the peninsular from Africa.
Review:
Of all producer Bronston's great sixties epics, this one comes closest to being coherent in its general scheme and narrative, presenting a view of an almost Christ-like leader, capable of grand gestures of mercy, valour and fidelity to his principles. The production is nothing if not lavish, with Peñíscola standing in for Valencia, crowning some magnificent coastal vistas of troops, siege engines and a flotilla of ships; other Spanish locations, such as Belmonte and Alarcón are equally well chosen, and there is a certain value to be drawn from the knowledge that there is no CGI, and matte paintings are all but absent. Robert Krasker's cinematography, Rózsa's score, and Yakima Canutt's tournament sequence are equally fine, but on the debit side there is the usual problem of half-hearted extras in hand-to-hand combat, some hammy acting from the British contingent, and an under-used Loren who must be content with many a mournful look in between the mayhem.
Country: US/SP
Technical: col/scope 184m
Director: Anthony Mann
Cast: Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Herbert Lom, Geneviève Page, Raf Vallone, John Fraser, Gary Raymond
Synopsis:
Don Rodrigo de Vivar seems fated not to have a quiet life when he first defies the king's orders and sets some Moors free, then kills his fiancée's father in a duel of honour. However, in spite of banishment and exile, he remains loyal to his king and unites all of Spain, Muslim and Christian, against the jihadist Moors threatening to invade the peninsular from Africa.
Review:
Of all producer Bronston's great sixties epics, this one comes closest to being coherent in its general scheme and narrative, presenting a view of an almost Christ-like leader, capable of grand gestures of mercy, valour and fidelity to his principles. The production is nothing if not lavish, with Peñíscola standing in for Valencia, crowning some magnificent coastal vistas of troops, siege engines and a flotilla of ships; other Spanish locations, such as Belmonte and Alarcón are equally well chosen, and there is a certain value to be drawn from the knowledge that there is no CGI, and matte paintings are all but absent. Robert Krasker's cinematography, Rózsa's score, and Yakima Canutt's tournament sequence are equally fine, but on the debit side there is the usual problem of half-hearted extras in hand-to-hand combat, some hammy acting from the British contingent, and an under-used Loren who must be content with many a mournful look in between the mayhem.
Country: US/SP
Technical: col/scope 184m
Director: Anthony Mann
Cast: Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Herbert Lom, Geneviève Page, Raf Vallone, John Fraser, Gary Raymond
Synopsis:
Don Rodrigo de Vivar seems fated not to have a quiet life when he first defies the king's orders and sets some Moors free, then kills his fiancée's father in a duel of honour. However, in spite of banishment and exile, he remains loyal to his king and unites all of Spain, Muslim and Christian, against the jihadist Moors threatening to invade the peninsular from Africa.
Review:
Of all producer Bronston's great sixties epics, this one comes closest to being coherent in its general scheme and narrative, presenting a view of an almost Christ-like leader, capable of grand gestures of mercy, valour and fidelity to his principles. The production is nothing if not lavish, with Peñíscola standing in for Valencia, crowning some magnificent coastal vistas of troops, siege engines and a flotilla of ships; other Spanish locations, such as Belmonte and Alarcón are equally well chosen, and there is a certain value to be drawn from the knowledge that there is no CGI, and matte paintings are all but absent. Robert Krasker's cinematography, Rózsa's score, and Yakima Canutt's tournament sequence are equally fine, but on the debit side there is the usual problem of half-hearted extras in hand-to-hand combat, some hammy acting from the British contingent, and an under-used Loren who must be content with many a mournful look in between the mayhem.