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| Anthony Mann's El Cid may have the most braggadocio tagline (IN A THOISAND YEARS!) |
QUICK REVIEW:
This is the story of the Spanish folk hero, who stubbornly resisted the dictatorship of the monarchs and fought against the African Islamists, - side by side with the Spanish moors.
Charlton Heston (Ben-Hur (1959)) and Sophia Loren (Aida (1953)) are formidable in this epic, which has everything that its kind should have of intrigue, murder, love and self-sacrifice, shot on location in Spain and in Rome.
El Cid packs grand sword fights and battle scenes; Miklós Rózsa's (Ben-Hur) Oscar-nominated music is eminent. The film only has slight, visual imperfections and a somewhat muted color scheme, (unless this is just a decision on the part of the restoration team?)
In any case, El Cid is a solid, fine film that remains relevant today. It is directed by Anthony Mann (Winchester '73 (1950)), whose 4th to last film this is.
Related review:
Anthony Mann: Cimarron (1960) - A fine epic western settler adaptation
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| The Italian poster for Anthony Mann's El Cid unsurprisingly pushes Sophia Loren's involvement to the forefront |
Watch the film's epic trailer here, which stresses its countless great qualities!
Cost: 6.2 mil. $
Box office: 26.6-30 mil. $ (US only)
= Big hit (at least!)
[I have only been able to find the American box office numbers, which vary as noted. Depending on how big a hit the film was abroad, (probably big in Europe especially), it might have bee not only a big but a huge hit, (although it certainly did not cap William Wyler's spectacular Ben-Hur.) El Cid was Oscar-nominated for Art Direction, Score and Best Song.]
What do you think of El Cid?
Other fine Mann pictures?
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