Review of El Cid

Spain in the 11th century is divided into many kingdoms, both Christian and Moorish (Islamic) and there is constant fighting among the different kingdoms. Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar (Charlton Heston) is a knight of the court of King Ferdinand I (Ralph Truman), the King of Castile, a Christian monarch. Rodrigo is on his way to marry Chimene (Sofia Loren), the daughter of the King's champion, when he becomes involved in a battle with Moorish emirs who are trying to take over Spain completely at the urging of their leader Ben Yusef (Herbert Lom).

Rodrigo wins the battle and takes several of the Moorish emirs as prisoners, but agrees to release them if they pledge never to make war on Ferdinand's kingdom again. This earns the lifelong loyalty of one of the emirs, Moutamin (Douglas Wilmer), who gives Rodrigo the name El Cid, meaning lord or great leader. Another of the King's knights, Ordonez (Raf Vallone), seeing this, accuses Rodrigo of treason. At the trial El Cid's father tries to stand up for him and is challenged by the King's champion. El Cid insists on fighting in his father's stead and ends up killing Chimene's father in the ensuing duel.

Another King comes to court at this point, arguing that the city of Calahorra belongs to him, and not Ferdinand. El Cid agrees to a one-on-one battle to maintain the city in Ferdinand's kingdom. He wins and Ferdinand makes him his new champion. El Cid asks that if he comes back from his first mission as the King's champion alive he be allowed to marry Chimene. She doesn't want to marry him because he killed her father and colludes with Ordonez, who wants her for himself, to have El Cid killed during the mission. During the ambush, Moutamin comes to El Cid's assistance and saves him. El Cid returns to marry Chimene who tells him on their wedding night that she plotted to have him killed. She then goes to the convent where she was educated to "find peace" and El Cid continues to work for the King.

King Ferdinand dies and his oldest son Sancho (Gary Raymond) is enraged to find that his father has divided up the kingdom between him and his brother, Alfonso (John Fraser) and sister, Urraca (Genevieve Page), instead of giving it all to him. He tries to have his brother imprisoned but El Cid steps in and delivers Alfonso to his sister in the walled city of Calahorra that she has taken control of. Sancho comes there and threatens to attack the city unless she releases Alfonso to him. Urraca is then approached by a man, a friend of her father, who proposes to kill Sancho. She is unaware he is actually working with the Moors to divide the kingdom and take over. She agrees and Sancho is murdered. El Cid will not swear fealty to Alfonso as King unless Alfonso swears he had nothing to do with his brother's death. Urraca goes to Chimene at the convent and urges her to return and convince El Cid not to ask Alfonso to swear to his innocence. Finally, Alfonso swears to his innocence but is so incensed that El Cid has required this of him that he exiles El Cid. Chimene follows him into exile and begs his forgiveness, which he readily gives.

But many people in Spain want El Cid to lead them because they think Alfonso is weak. Finally Alfonso calls El Cid back to court and asks his help in fighting Ben Yusef to defeat the Moors in their most ambitious campaign to conquer Spain. During the ensuing fighting El Cid is mortally wounded but insists that he be placed on his horse and sent out to give his men inspiration and to show the Moors that the Christians cannot be defeated. The ploy works and the Christians repel the Moors' attack.

Well, at least we have that animosity between the Muslims and the Christians straightened out now…I almost fell off the sofa in the last scene when the dead El Cid was propped up on his horse and sent out to encourage his soldiers. It was like "Weekend at Bernie's" set in the Middle Ages. So, I found the ending a bit cornball. But it's not a bad film, as epics go. The quality of the cinematography is top notch and the sets and costumes are wonderful. Charlton Heston is a rather histrionic actor at times, which really makes the film cringe-worthy in several spots. For instance, after he and Chimene, while in exile, have finally had their first real night as husband and wife, a troop of soldiers and other citizens show up begging El Cid to come back and be their leader. Chimene is none too pleased since she thought she was going to have her husband to herself and starts sobbing "Why?" To which El Cid fairly bellows as he holds her "For Spain! For Spain!" Ack.

But it isn't a boring film. There is much action and impressively huge well-orchestrated battle scenes. Also, aside from Chuck's occasional excesses, the acting is quite decent. Especially excellent are Genevieve Page and John Fraser. Urraca is all cunning and strength, clearly the ideal child of King Ferdinand to be the successor to him if only she hadn't been born female. Alfonso is a neurotic mess, clinging to his sister for reassurance, but gradually over time finding the will to make up his own mind about how to rule.

It isn't as large a role as I would have liked, probably because they killed him off in the middle of the film. He has a lovely scene where his father instructs him to go out with El Cid on Rodrigo's initial mission and he is clearly so pleased at being asked. Somewhat less lovely is the scene where he and his brother have a knife fight, practically over their dead father's body, because Sancho does not want to share the kingdom with his siblings. In accordance with the procedure of the day, he expected to inherit everything as the oldest son and feels that his sister "worked" on the elderly King to get the division of the kingdom. It's ugly but very believable. Saddest is Sancho's death scene when El Cid comes to his aid and holds him as he is dying. El Cid calls him "My poor Sancho" and Gary, with all the insecurity that Sancho clearly felt says hesitantly "I was almost a King". Then he kisses the cross on El Cid's sword and dies. It's really quite sad thanks to the sensitive way the scene is handled by the two actors.

Lots of eye candy in this film. I thought Douglas Wilmer as Moutamin was quite appealing. Sofia Loren has the most gorgeous lips, eyes and skin. She's just stunning. And the three royal children are all beautiful. Gary wears a beard and moustache in this and it looks marvelous on him. He looks incredibly handsome in his royal outfits. John Fraser, who plays, his brother Alfonso, is very cute. He's a pretty little blond guy, which probably made him ideal for the role of Lord Alfred Douglas, which he played in the film of Oscar Wilde starring Peter Finch. After this movie he, Gary and Gary's wife Delena Kidd, started The London Shakespeare Group, an actor consortium that produced and presented plays all around England and still does to this day. So, it seems this film resulted in a wonderful friendship and partnership for Gary.

Photos from "El Cid"

Back to Reviews