Review of El Cid (1961) by Adam D — 14 Jun 2008

I saw this on VHS at least 10 years ago in a Spanish language class. I was captivated then.

Now, the film has finally made it to DVD, and I've finally experienced it again. I'll try to review it without using the word "epic"... d'oh! Anyway, people can say whatever they want about the storyline or the characterization. It technically doesn't matter, in this case.

Watching El Cid is seeing a lost art in motion. The spectacle in and of itself is an impressive testament to how hard people once physically worked to get a grand vision onto celluloid. Imagine the constraints of the time, and the literally tremendous scope of work undertaken by the filmmakers.

It's worth calling a 5-star movie for that alone, because I find every shot, at this present time, to be a portal into TWO separate historical periods, each one worthy of fascination and reverence. We just don't live like this anymore. This is a gorgeous step back in time, and hey! Charlton Heston is a motherfucking badass.