El Cid (1961)
They sure loved their historical epics back then. El Cid does in many aspects feel like the lesser epic. Not quite as grand, doesn’t look as good (also suffers from a mediocre master transfer), set designs a little subpar and Heston doesn’t quite bring his A-game. There is still plenty of good things to come for. The overall story of the humble hero that conquers through mercy and generosity is a welcoming tale. There are some great battles, though the epicness takes it time to get up to speed but redeems itself in the last hour. It is a movie that doesn’t try to be a history lesson, but I did sometimes feel a bit lost in who was fighting who and why. It looked important what El Cid was doing and it was admirable to see how he gained a loyal following, but it was never quite clear to me what they were actually fighting for.
Rating: 3