El Cid (1961)
- Directed by
- Anthony Mann
- Genre
- drama film, war film, biographical film, romance film
- Country
- Italy, United States
- Runtime
- 3h 02m
- Rated
- NR
- Rating
- 6.9 of 10 from 304 voters
- Elsewhere
- IMDb
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
How it feels
A Spanish knight is torn between loyalty to his king and love for his wife. He rises to become a legendary leader fighting for his homeland.
sweepingheroicmelancholicstatelyromanticdramaticold-fashionedepic
What happens
El Cid is a 1961 epic historical drama film directed by Anthony Mann and produced by Samuel Bronston. The film is loosely based on the life of the 11th-century Castilian knight and warlord Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, called "El Cid" (from the Arabic al-sidi, meaning "The Lord"). The film stars Charlton Heston in the title role and Sophia Loren as El Cid's wife Doña Jimena, spelled "Chimene" in the script and pronounced that way (shim-ain) in the film. The screenplay is credited to Fredric M. Frank, Philip Yordan and Ben Barzman, with uncredited contributions by Bernard Gordon. During the late 1950s, Samuel Bronston had established his own production studio in Madrid, Spain. To strengthen cordial ties to the Spanish government ruled by Francisco Franco, Bronston began developing a biographical film of El Cid. During his reign, Franco had admired and compared himself to El Cid. In 1960, Bronston purchased Frederic M. Frank's script, and hired Anthony Mann to direct the film. Philip Yordan was later hired to rewrite the script, although Mann later recruited Ben Barzman to write the final screenplay. Before principal photography began, Bronston purchased the rights to a rival biographical film developed by Cesáreo González's Aspa Films, making the film an Italian co-production. On a $7 million budget, filming of El Cid began in September 1960 and concluded in April 1961. El Cid premiered on December 6, 1961 at the Metropole Theatre in London, and was released on December 14 in the United States. The film received largely positive reviews praising the performances of Heston and Loren, the cinematography, and the musical score. It went on to gross $26.6 million during its initial theatrical run. It was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, and Best Original Song. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
More like this
Sword of the Conqueror (1961)
The Sword of El Cid (1962)
Revolt of the Mercenaries (1961)
Oh Islam (1961)
Sword in the Shadows (1961)
The Tartars (1961)
The Brigand (1961)
The Mongols (1961)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.