Anthony Mann masterfully directs this classic tale of the 11th-century hero (Heston) who fought to unite Spain. Known as history s "compassionate warrior" the film follows El Cid s remarkable journey from peace-broker accused of treason to the King s fighting champion and later from exiled hero to legendary martyr.System Requirements:Run Time: 188 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/CLASSICS UPC: 796019803960 Manufacturer No: 80396
Technically ambitious but artistically underwhelming, this 1961 epic by Anthony Mann (Man of the West) stars Charlton Heston as an 11th-century hero who drives the Moors from Spain. The film has been described as "glum," and that is indeed apt for a story that focuses so much on its central character's losses in the face of his simultaneous, mythic approbation. Then again, Mann has always been interested in the hidden weaknesses in prevailing myths, so that's not unusual. What is unusual in El Cid is the degree to which technology takes over his filmmaking, as it does here with so many grandiose and bravura moments with a roving camera that don't add up to anything beyond spectacle. As an achievement of Hollywood's technical advancements in the postwar years, and also as part of the filmographies of Mann and Heston, the film is well worth a look. But it is not the artistic equal of other epics of its day, such as Lawrence of Arabia. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
El Cid:
El Cid is poorly written, poorly acted, and the actors motivations seem to come from nowhere.
Anthony Mann's classic spectacle:
The great director Anthony Mann after having made many Westerns with James Stewart entered into the arena of classic spectacles with this riveting adventure. Heston & Loren are perfectly matched though during screening they developed an intense dislike to each other to the degree that when Mann cast his next film, "The Fall of the Roman Empire" with Loren--she requested that Heston not be her co-star (it went to the wooden Stephen Boyd instead). Nevertheless, they are marvelous together and if you... more info
el cid:
I bought this cd as a birthday present. The friend who received this
enjoyed it very much.
El Cid:
This is an old favorite of ours and a classic in our opinion. Thanks to Amazon for making this wonderful hard to find movie available.
