El Cid

I don't know everything about the historical fact, or the legend, of El Cid, but from what I know, I can see that a lot of it did make it into this. The story seems to stick to the truth, as far as we know it, much of the way. This has a great plot that keeps you interested. The characters are well-developed, credible and consistent. The majority of the acting performances are marvelous. This has a grand feel to it, and an epic scope, and the sweeping orchestral score helps establish and maintain it. The writing is top-notch throughout. This has a solid pace, and the three hours hold few, if any, dull moments. The dialog is well-delivered and has some quite memorable lines. This has large-scale battle sequences, and they're well-done. The production values leave nothing to be desired, and everything looks and sounds exactly right. At no point does this feel like they ran out of budget somewhere, or had to use the second-best solution to an issue they faced. They don't make 'em like this anymore. Not the best of its kind, however it is definitely worth your time. I recommend this to anyone interested in this, be it for Rodrigo, Heston, or any other reason. 7/10