Director Anthony Mann's first and finest venture into big-budget epic terrain, with Charlton Heston as the 11-century Spanish leader.
EL CID becomes estranged from his fiancee, Chimene (Sophia Loren), after he kills her father (Andrew Cruickshank), who has unjustly accused him of treason. El Cid and Chimene are married but never enjoy a wedding night; she plots against him and, when her intrigues come to naught, enters a
convent. Upon the death of King Ferdinand (Ralph Truman), Spain, which is continually besieged by the Islamic Moors, is further divided by the deceased ruler's warring offspring. Meanwhile, Chimene realizes that her husband is an honorable man and they reconcile, eventually having children. The
family retreats to a monastery while El Cid lays siege to Valencia, the last outpost of the Moorish usurpers.
Eleventh-century Spain has been lavishly recreated by Mann and producer Samuel Bronston. The photography by Robert Krasker is spectacular, as are the battle scenes, filmed with the help of veteran stuntman Yakima Canutt as second-unit director. Canutt staged the siege of Valencia brilliantly,
employing the ancient walled city of Pensacola, 5,000 Spanish army troops, and a Moorish battle fleet of 35 lifesize reconstructed ships. What gets lost is Mann's signature focus on psychological conflict. The sheer size of the production dwarfs such issues, and Heston is far better at conveying
righteous authority than moral doubt. leave a comment
