I'm a fan of history and Epic films. El Cid is the story of the man who became the father of Spain, at the time it was split between the Christians and the Islamic Moors.
Starring Charlton Heston in the title role, it is set in eleventh century Spain, a fragmentary collection of independent city states and small kingdoms.
The tale begins when the knight, Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar (Charlton Heston), accompanied by his men at arms, are travelling on horseback to his wedding. They come upon a Moorish attack on a Christian village. Drawing swords, they kill several of the Moors and the rest surrender, including five Moorish kings.
Rodrigo marches the prisoners back to Bivar, his hereditary fiefdom. Once there, Rodrigo pardons the prisoners in the spirit of true Christian charity. This infuriates the king's herald, played by Raf Vallon, who has hurried down to take charge of the captives. He feels they should be brought to the royal court and executed. By his generous act Rodrigo receives the Moorish title, El Cid, "The Lord".
Unfortunately, this same act is viewed by the herald as treason and is reported back to the King. Bad news travels fast and Rodrigo loses the hand of the beautiful Chimene played by the lovely and talented Sophia Loren, daughter of the King's champion, due to his clemency.
The king's champion is one, who, when the king's honor is sullied, fights in his place. Good for the king, but dangerous work for the champion! Rodrigo kills the king's champion in a duel over an insult to his family name. This loses him the love of the ravishing Chimene.
The following years see an on-again off-again romance between Sophia and Charlton, and falling in and out of favor at the court. Through it all, Rodrigo remains true to his ideals -- Spain is big enough for both Christian and Moor.
The film explores the highs and lows of human character, as one prince murders his elder brother King Sancho (Gary Raymond) to become king. Charlton forces the new king to swear in public he had nothing to do with the brother's death, a heretofore unheard of thing in medieval Spain. This act earns Rodrigo the everlasting enmity of King Alfonso, until, of course, the Cid is needed to save Spain, once again.
Alfonso recalls Rodrigo from exile. The Cid must muster a Spanish army combined of Moors and Christians to fight against the Moors invading from Africa. He successfully defends Spain, though at the cost of his life, in one of the many fine battle scenes depicted in the film.
Action film fans will be riveted by El Cid, as will history buffs and war movie aficionados.
Epic DVD - When French playwright Pierre Corneille wrote El Cid, a fanciful version of the life of 11th-century Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, ak...More at Barnes and Noble
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