Why isn't this film more well known/remembered?
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bardmore — 10 years ago(December 03, 2015 07:52 PM)
What a movie is right! I was 12 when I saw it in 1961 and was completely swept away. After all these years I still think it is a sweeping, moving work. Okay, some of the dialogue is occasionally stilted, and a few scenes overly choreographed notably the entry of the king and family into the court early on, the crowds outside the place where Cid and Chi have just had a go of it. But some scenes are fantastic the forcing of John Fraser to swear is searingly dramatic. And who could ever forget the spine-tingling scene of the dead Cid riding out, with the sun gleaming on him and Rozsa's glorious score pealing? And special mention to the fantastic Genevieve Page, who stole every scene she was in.
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turtletommy — 10 years ago(December 04, 2015 04:28 PM)
The entry of the king and family is one of my favorite parts of the movie- each gets a grand introduction (and yes a choreographed pose lol) and the music is superb. Despite the farfetched notion of a huge army of hundreds (and their horses) keeping quiet enough outside the stable to pull a surprise it's still a stirring scene underscored once again by Rozsa's magnificent march music. "For Spain!!!"
Page didn't have enough screen time she indeed stole every scene. -
movie80 — 10 years ago(July 04, 2015 02:46 PM)
Finished watching the 1st time, will have to watch again.
Yes this movie is great.
It is a high caliber work, somehow I had not heard of it before (I knew the story El Cid).
It was filmed long time ago, no CGI then, so they must have hired a lot of extras to play the soldiers?
Sophia Loren was very beautiful in this movie.
Charlton Heston was at his best, too. -
Condottiero — 10 years ago(July 30, 2015 07:19 PM)
http://www.imdb.com/board/10054847/faq
One of the charms of these old epics, lost with Total War style CGI, was the employment of army personnel.
Most of these movies, set in pre-modern times, had battles involving troops marching in blocks, so no need to train someone used to parade ground maneuvers and each man interacted realistically with his surroundings than any CGI rendered figure. -
blgoldston-30432 — 10 years ago(December 09, 2015 10:51 AM)
Heston had just appeared in and won the Oscar for Ben Hur, and it wasn't' that long before that he had made his mark in the Ten Commandments. I think that when EC came out there might have been some "Heston Epic" fatigue going on. Additionally, IMO but not shared by everyone, EC was not BH. People inevitably chose between the 2 and, like me, most at the time preferred BH.
Frankly I've see ED several times, though never at the theater, and I've just never cared much for it. -
ccr1633 — 10 years ago(March 15, 2016 08:43 PM)
blgoldston-30432 wrote:
Frankly I've see ED several times, though never at the theater, and I've just never cared much for it.
Nobody much cares for erectile dysfunction. It's fortunate that you never experience it at the theater, where I, too, most desire a raging hard on. -
MetalgearSldSnk — 9 years ago(July 15, 2016 12:33 AM)
It's just not that good of a film. It's solid, but it's nothing to go crazy over. Ben-Hur was just amazing in contrast.
El Cid isn't a bad movie, but I wouldn't consider it a classic. It's just a solid movie, really.
Also, other than the names and figures, there really is no feeling that they are in Spain. The film would've been a lot better if the actors were Spaniards/Latinos/whatever who spoke Spanish. Just doesn't feel at all authentic. The soundtrack is also very loud and obnoxious.
I didn't care for Loren's performance. She just didn't do anything that well. Heston gives a solid performance, but as I said, nothing felt authentic at all. Film would've been so much better if they tried for authenticity instead. I think that would've pushed it towards a classic because the story is great.
This is one of those films that I think deserves a remake.