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El Cid [DVD] [1961]
 
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El Cid [DVD] [1961]

DVD ~ Charlton Heston
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

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El Cid [DVD] [1961]
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El Cid [DVD] [1961] 4.1 out of 5 stars (15)
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Product details

  • Actors: Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone, Geneviève Page, John Fraser
  • Directors: Anthony Mann
  • Writers: Ben Barzman, Fredric M. Frank, Philip Yordan
  • Producers: Jaime Prades, Michal Waszynski, Samuel Bronston
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English, Latin
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: U
  • Studio: Universal Pictures UK
  • DVD Release Date: 30 Oct 2000
  • Run Time: 171 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00004YA8W
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 68,724 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Sumptuous in every way, visually magnificent, with grandiose sets, panoramic Spanish vistas and intricately detailed costumes, possessor of one of cinema's greatest music scores, boasting vast and astonishingly kinetic battles, and breathing heroic virtue in every scene, El Cid is the very epitome of epic. For this reworking of the medieval legend of the Cid (Arabic for "Lord") who united warring factions and saved 11th-century Spain from invasion, producer Samuel Bronston and director Anthony Mann insisted every set had to be created from scratch, every costume specially made for this movie alone; they also shot entirely on location in La Mancha and along the Mediterranean coast of Spain to enhance the film's authenticity. The cinematography is saturated with the burnished hues of the Spanish landscape, as are the palatial sets and rich costumes; Miklos Rozsa's resplendent score is also the result of painstaking research into medieval Spanish sources. The screenplay is imbued with knightly gravitas and more than a little salvation imagery, from the opening scene of the young Rodrigo rescuing a cross from a burning church, to the movie's indelible finale as The Cid rides "out of the gates of history into legend".

Charlton Heston is at his most indomitable as Rodrigo, "The Cid", a natural leader of men and the embodiment of every manly virtue (note that he fathers twins--a sure token of his virility); Sophie Loren is ravishing as Chimene, the woman whose love for Rodrigo conflicts with her filial instincts after he kills her father, the king's champion, over a point of honour. Their scenes together create a humane warmth at the heart of this vast movie: the moment when Chimene finally declares her love (beneath a shrine of three crosses--more symbolism) to the exiled Rodrigo forms a pivotal and very intimate centrepiece. Shortly thereafter he must rise from their rural marriage bed to lead his followers into battle, and the tension between his public and private lives adds a piquancy to the film's stunning battle sequences. The international supporting cast sometimes look like makeweights, especially when chewing on the occasionally stilted dialogue, but any such faults are easily forgiven as the scale and spectacle of El Cid carries the viewer away on a tide of chivalry.

On the DVD: This disc is a sadly missed opportunity to present a classic epic in its original form. Although formatted for 16:9 widescreen TVs, which initially gives hope that this might be an anamorphic widescreen presentation, only the opening and closing titles appear in the correct cinematic ratio. Otherwise this is essentially the same picture as the pan & scan VHS version with the same poor print quality. Since a restored 35mm print of El Cid has been shown at cinemas and on TV in recent years there seems to be no excuse for this cut-down presentation. Add some decidedly minimal extras and the result is a disappointing disc. --Mark Walker

Special Features

English
Region 2
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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Ignore the reviews about the "other" DVD -- this is the real deal, 26 Feb 2008
By Marcus Horatius (Bucks) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: El Cid [DVD] [1961] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] (DVD)
Stupidly, Amazon have linked reviews from the older and rubbish pan & scan DVD releases to this new edition -- thus misleading customers into thinking that this MIRIAM TWO-DISC DELUXE EDITION is in some way as shoddy as earlier releases. It is not.

Here are the tech specs for this release:

Original aspect Ratio 2.35:1
Commentary with William Bronston (Samuel's Son) and biographer Neal Rosendorf
Vintage Radio promo interviews
Text Filmographies and Still Galleries
Disc 2 Featurettes:
Hollywood Conquers Spain: The Making of An Epic (23:56)
Samuel Bronston: The Epic Journey of a Dreamer (52:20)
Behind The Camera: Anthony Mann and El Cid (17:22)
Miklos Rozsa: Maestro of the Movies (30:11)
Preserving Our Legacy: Gerry Byrne on Film Preservation and Restoration (7:38)
Trailer Gallery
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars a massive, glorious spectacle, 2 Jun 2004
By Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: El Cid [VHS] [1961] (VHS Tape)
The imagery in this film is magnificent, with lavish, spectacular sets and vast battle scenes. The cast is great, with beautiful performances by Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren; they have terrific chemistry together, and how the camera loves them ! This was Heston's follow-up to Ben Hur, and he is equally heroic as Spain's hero El Cid. Others in the cast of note are Raf Vallone as Count Ordoñez, the man who also vies for Loren's love, and Genevieve Page, as Princess Urraca, who is secretly enamoured with El Cid. Herbert Lom, though one can only see his eyes, is marvelous and fiery as Ben Yussuf, the Moorish invader who says to his followers, "burn your books, make warriors of your poets, and make your doctors invent new poisons for our arrows !".

Directed by Anthony Mann, the 11th century pageantry and medieval feel of this film has been meticulously created, and the cinematography, shot on location in Spain by Robert Krasker, is superb. The war-torn history of a divided Spain has been skimmed over and highly romanticized, but is very entertaining. There are family conflicts galore, murders and treachery, and lots of sword fights, where what amazed me was the sound of metal against metal; it has never to my knowledge been rendered so well, and adds much reality to the action.

Surprisingly, the art/set direction and song/score were nominated for Oscars, but did not win. The score by Miklos Rozsa is fabulous, but unfortunately it was up against Mancini's "Breakfast at Tiffanys". Sophia Loren received a Best Actress Oscar for this year, but not this film; she won it for "Two Women", which was also released in 1961. Total running time is 180 minutes.

History has many versions of El Cid (1040 ?-1099), depending on who wrote it (the Moors of course, painted him with a harsher brush), and at one point it seems he was a soldier of fortune, but based on the epic "Poema del Cid", he was both man and legend, and "one who lived and died the purest knight of all". This marvelous film has not been given the attention it deserves, and it will be enjoyed by everyone who likes historical dramas, and for Heston fans it is a must.

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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this DVD--waste of money, 5 July 2004
By E. Burt (Gainesville, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This wonderful film deserves a Criterion or BFI DVD complete with a restored print. It certainly is a timely film and I find its vision of mutual tolerance and charity between Christians and Muslims particularly welcome at the present moment (especially with all those frothering neocons yapping about a clash of civilizations). It will be interesting to see Ridley Scott's forthcoming Crusades film, which looks to be an avatar of El Cid.
But do not buy this DVD. It is full screen, not widescreen. There is a DVD available from Amazon.fr, however, which does have widescreen. I saw the film when I was eight (for my birthday) in 1962 and saw it on television (wth a pan and scan edit) which butchered the 70 mm Technirama print. The fullscreen (tv) format gives one only less than two thirds of the actual frame. It's a wonder to see the French DVD version on my 23 inch flat computer screen. the only problems with htis DVD are that the print is not a great one--there are scratches every now nad then, and hte sound track is momentarily off for a few seconds. More troublesome is that the French subtitles were burned into the print, so they can't be removed when you watch the DVD in English (there is also a French dubbed version). And the various menu features don't work except for film and language tracks. Still, I'm glad I got it and recommend it until a DVD here becomes available.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars An Endless Bore!!!
One of the most awful films I've ever seen!

Hollywood at it's worst - wooden acting, cliched script and pathetic "effects". Read more
Published 1 month ago by Michael Burns

5.0 out of 5 stars EL CID a real epic hero
After making do with the dreadful panned and scanned version of this quintessential epic film, (the only option on region 2) I finally tried the region 1 version which is wide... Read more
Published 3 months ago by L. B. Hopkins

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect knight
The first of Anthony Mann and Samuel Bronston's ambitious and intelligent epics, El Cid has to boast the most gorgeous use of the widescreen ever - the Cid and Chimene's first... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Trevor Willsmer

5.0 out of 5 stars El Cid, the Lord
This film is based on the life of a legendary Spanish hero, and set during the troubled times of the 11th century. Read more
Published on 5 July 2007 by Queiroz

5.0 out of 5 stars El Cid, the Lord
This film is based on the life of a legendary Spanish hero, and set during the troubled times of the 11th century. Read more
Published on 5 July 2007 by Queiroz

5.0 out of 5 stars El Cid: A great epic, unfortunately not a great DVD.
It's a pity that this film wasn't released on DVD in it's full widescreen glory with full stereo or surround sound. Read more
Published on 1 April 2005 by lambrettaboy

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Greatest Hollywood Films Ever
This film has it all, pretty much: chivalry, honour, history (true in essence at least), spectacle, a cast of thousands and Sophia Loren at her best, perhaps. Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2004 by ianrmillard

1.0 out of 5 stars It's a square world....
Wonderful movie, terrible disc.

The one star rating is for spelling the title right, and for the spectacle of Doctor Cameron wielding a broadsword instead of asking Janet to put... Read more

Published on 14 Oct 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning Epic with Heston and Loren at their best!!
Heston did so many 'costumers' it was easy to over look just how magnificent some were and this is one of the best. Read more
Published on 22 Nov 2002 by Deborah MacGillivray

3.0 out of 5 stars Could and Should Have Been Better!!
Not a great film by any standards, but a very entertaining one. Charlton Heston portrays Rodgrigo de Bivar a Spanish Knight who over a period of years, drives the Moors from... Read more
Published on 9 July 2002 by E. A. Redfearn

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