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El Cid (1961) 7.2
The fabled Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz (a.k.a. El Cid) overcomes a family vendetta and court intrigue to defend Christian Spain against the Moors. Director:Anthony Mann |
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Title: El Cid (1961)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Charlton Heston | ... | ||
| Sophia Loren | ... | ||
| Raf Vallone | ... | ||
| Geneviève Page | ... |
Princess Urraca
(as Genevieve Page)
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John Fraser | ... | |
| Gary Raymond | ... | ||
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Hurd Hatfield | ... |
Arias
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Massimo Serato | ... |
Fanez
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| Frank Thring | ... |
Al Kadir
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| Michael Hordern | ... |
Don Diego
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Andrew Cruickshank | ... | |
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Douglas Wilmer | ... | |
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Tullio Carminati | ... |
Priest
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Ralph Truman | ... | |
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Christopher Rhodes | ... |
Don Martín
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Epic film of the legendary Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz ("El Cid" to his followers), who, without compromising his strict sense of honour, still succeeds in taking the initiative and driving the Moors from Spain. Written by Stewart M. Clamen <clamen@cs.cmu.edu>
Taglines:
The GREATEST ROMANCE and ADVENTURE in a THOUSAND YEARS!Parents Guide:
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Details
Release Date:
14 December 1961 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Cyd See more »Box Office
Budget:
$6,250,000 (estimated)Gross:
$26,620,000 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (some 35 mm prints)| 4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints)| 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1
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El Cid: I tried not to come. I tried, I told my love it had no right to live. But my love won't die...
Jimena: Kill it.
El Cid: You kill it! Tell me you don't love me.
Jimena: [long pause] I cannot. Not yet. But I will make myself worthy of you Rodrigo, I will learn to hate you.
See more »
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by James Saderes
Available by KOCH International 3-7340-2H1
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
One well-known legend about the Cid describes how he acquired his famous war-horse, the white stallion Babieca (Bavieca). According to this story, Rodrigo's godfather, Pedro El Grande, was a monk at a Carthusian monastery. Pedro's coming-of-age gift to El Cid was his pick of a horse from an Andalusian herd. El Cid picked a horse that his godfather thought was a weak, poor choice, causing the monk to exclaim "Babieca!" (stupid!) Hence, it became the name of El Cid's horse. See more »Goofs
After talking with Rodrigo on their wedding night, Jimena has a stern look on her face. With the next cut, slightly closer, she is visibly upset with tears already streaming down her face. See more »Quotes
Jimena: Why did you come?El Cid: I tried not to come. I tried, I told my love it had no right to live. But my love won't die...
Jimena: Kill it.
El Cid: You kill it! Tell me you don't love me.
Jimena: [long pause] I cannot. Not yet. But I will make myself worthy of you Rodrigo, I will learn to hate you.
See more »
Soundtracks
"Phir tere shehar mein"Music by Miklós Rózsa
Performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by James Saderes
Available by KOCH International 3-7340-2H1
See more »
In 1961 Anthony Mann's epic tale of the Spanish hero "El Cid" burst across the wide screens of theatres. This was the kind of film that 70mm was made for. Charlton Heston is Rodrigo de Bivar, and Sophia Loren is his legendary love, Chimene. Their course of love will not be a smooth one. When he kills her father as a matter of honor, she vows vengeance and sets in motion the series of events which will forever change their lives. The Christian Spaniards are ruled by local kingdoms each vying for rule of the nation. When one king challenges El Cid's monarch, Heston volunteers to fight to the death to determine the fate of the city of Calahorra, and at the same time vindicate himself of the treason he was accused of by Loren's father. This fight for Calahorra is one of the most memorable action sequences ever committed to film. It opens with Miklos Rozsa's heraldic fanfare as the two knights take their places on the jousting field. The two kings watch from either side. The ensuing duel is brutal with a predictable, but decisive outcome. The lovers are eventually married, but only to be separated again as El Cid is called to protect Spain from the marauding Moors swarming across the Mediterranean from Africa. The Spanish Moors join with the Cid to take the city of Valencia where the enemy will attack. It is here that one of the great battle scenes takes place, actually filmed in the shadow of the walled city of Peniscola on the coast of Spain. The two armies charge eachother in a cacaphony of horses, shouts and Rozsa's rousing musical score. The sky is darkened by the thousands of flying arrows streaking across to the enemy. This is the kind of movie that they just don't make anymore. What a pity! The final sequence shows the eerie onslaught of the Spanish army lead by the fallen El Cid strapped to his steed and causing the Moors to flee in terror at his seeming resurrection. Rozsa's organ music swells as El Cid rides into the sunset along the deserted beach and into immortality. In the mid 90's after many years of not being available, "El Cid" was shown again in its 70mm splendor. It was then released on video. The superb Criterion laserdisc version contains the full Technirama letterboxed image and a restored mult-channel soundtrack in Dolby Digital. An excellent supplementary section has interviews with Charlton Heston and others. Heston says that "El Cid" would have been an even more enduring classic if William Wyler ("Ben-Hur") had directed it. However, Anthony Mann has nothing to be ashamed of. Aside from some wooden acting and some scenery chewing here and there, the richness of the story and the elaborate production design, paired with the fine performance of Heston and Miklos Rozsa's impassioned score, surely place "El Cid" in the Hall of Fame of great film epics.