Review of El Cid (1961) by Irene M — 05 Feb 2012
Great film, set in the middle period of the Reconquista by the Spanish Christian Kingdoms of Al-Andatlus from the Moors, at the end of the 11th Century AD (ie Battle of Hastings period). Charlton Heston does a great job on portraying Don Rodriguo Diaz de Vivar aka El Cid as a military leader with a strong conscience, while Sophie Loren, at the peak of her beauty, adds considerable decoration.
The supporting cast is pretty solid too. Filmed mainly in Spain, which adds to the authenticity of the look, the movie is from that period when the multitudinous extras in an epic were actually filmed, rather than being mainly added in the computer after.
Having said that, the contribution of computers to the restoration of the "print" now available in the current DVD version DOES enhance both the spectacle and the enjoyment.
This review of El Cid (1961) was written by Irene M on 05 Feb 2012.
El Cid has generally received positive reviews.
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