Review of El Cid (1961) by Marcus G — 03 Nov 2012

This classic epic form the Bronson stable, will always endure as one of, if not the best epic of its day. A film that truly burst from its narrative constraints to be come a true epic masterpiece, rather than your typical MGM sword and sandal affair.

That is not to say that films such as Ben-Hur and Spartacus do not compare, because that just is not true but there is as something timeless about the approach of this film. The quality and the obvious approach of story over gloss helps this break the bonds of its contemporaries.

The performances are spot on, well for the most part, and the cinematography and what may well be Miklos Rosza's finest score, are first rate and along with the sound design and writing, propel this into the realm of classics, though it would seem, somewhat, a lost one.

This is a perfect example of marketing in Hollywood. This was produced by Samuel Bronson, who worked with MGM on more than one occasion, most notably, within this subject matter anyway, The King Of Kings and he also produced his own epics.

This, was one of them, the other most notable was The Fall Of The Roman Empire. As a result the distribution has never been as polished as MGM's catalogue, such a Ben-Hur and therefore this has not been pushed towards a wide audience for along while. The Miriam Collection, now available on DVD, have finally released this film as was intended, fully restored and with a pristine picture and sound to die for.

I HIGHLY recommend this film and the DVD as this is in real danger of become a lost epic, whist it should be heralded as one of Hollywood's greatest...