El Cid (1961)

 

Huzzah, epics! They sure don't make them like they used to. Well, maybe there's a plethora of reasons for this, but if a film like Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' can prove it still works: why not? 

Of course, the Golden Age of Hollywood has long passed, so maybe this kind of film is forever relegated to history. 

It is often fun though, even if this one quite doesn't hit its stride like 'Ben Hur' did. Why compare this to 'Ben Hur'? Both star Charlton Heston and both came out very close to one another. 

We are in 11th century Spain, a country divided and almost constantly embroiled in strife between the Christian and Moorish population. Well, mostly the kings and emirs, naturally. Into this rides Don Rodrigo de Vivar, a noble gentleman to a T. He saves a village from a Moorish raid, instigated by warlord Ben Yussuf, who wants to conquer Europe (because of course). But, when Rodrigo is tasked with handing over his prisoners to be executed, he refuses as he has had enough of the mindless slaughter, instantly gaining an ally in the Emir, but also being accused of treason by Spanish king Ferdinand. 

Figures: try to do the right thing, get screwed over no matter what.

To make matters worse, the king's champion is also the father to Rodrigo's bride to be, the lady Jimena. So now the wedding is off, and Rodrigo tries to save his father, but in a fight kills his father-in-law, making Jimena do her very best to avenge her father and hate Rodrigo, even if she is still in love with him.

Yes, it's complicated. Yes, more so than your cousin's Facebook relationship status.

Rodrigo gets a chance to redeem himself during a joust and is cleared of the allegations, but things once again get difficult when king Ferdinand dies and the kingdom is split between his children Sancho, Alfonso and Urraca. Because Rodrigo doesn't choose sides, he is eventually banished, yet as the people and a great many soldiers rally to him, as he is now called 'El Cid' (a mythical warrior), you can tell that his position is precarious, even though he only cares for Spain. 

Yeah, they really went for that 'nobler than everyone' angle. Of course that's romanticised.

In the end, he still wants to fight for his king and defend Spain from Ben Yussuf's invasion and it all culminates in the siege of Valencia, where a legend will be born... 

There is a lot going on in this one, if you haven't already gathered as much. It's betrayal after turn after betrayal... It almost never ends. They have made a great point of showing just how fickle royal allegiances can be. Heck, that might just be the most historically accurate thing on display here. Our main cast is very good, as you could expect from people like Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren, who were both very much in their prime here. The supporting cast is okay, but the overacting of the royals is at times a bit much. Yes, it's par for the course during this time, but Heston and Loren can pull this 'overacting' off a lot better than most of the others. 

The massive setpieces are cool. As with most films of this ilk, there are certain things you will always remember, and with 'El Cid', the joust and the battle for Valencia are definitely up there. Heck, that last ride out of the gates is just the perfect blend of pathos and epicness. 

But this film does suffer from its slow pace. If I may once again compare to 'Ben Hur'? Both films are about three hours long, but where 'Ben Hur' only drags to a crawl in the last 30 minutes or so, 'El Cid' is at times painfully slow throughout. There are way too many slow burn reaction shots and a lot of standing around looking despondent. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with focusing on Sophia Loren's face for three minutes, but it does grind the pacing to a halt. As such, 'El Cid' is decidedly tougher to sit through than some other epics. 

But still: if you go in for this sort of film, it is still a recommended watch. Of course, the life and trials of Don Rodrigo are overdramatised and some of the acting hasn't aged all that well, but these historic epics will always have that sense of fascination and a lure that is tough to dismiss.