El Cid Overview:

El Cid (1961) was a Biographical - War Film directed by Anthony Mann and produced by Michal Waszynski, Samuel Bronston and Jaime Prades.

SYNOPSIS

This costume adventure follows the legendary exploits of the 11th-century Spanish knight-errant (Heston) as he battles the Moorish invaders while wooing back his wife (Loren) with his faith and bravery. This marks director Mann's brief excursion into widescreen historical epics after he distinguished himself with his Westerns. (He would begin work on Spartacus only to be replaced by Stanley Kubrick, then later follow these with The Fall of the Roman Empire). Restored under the supervision of Martin Scorsese, who also knows something about the intersection of spiritual inspiration and muscular action.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

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Academy Awards 1961 --- Ceremony Number 34 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: Veniero Colasanti, John MooreNominated
Best Music - ScoringMiklos RozsaNominated
Best Music - SongMusic by Miklos Rozsa; Lyrics by Paul Francis WebsterNominated
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Quotes from

El Cid: [looking at their Christian and Muslim troops camped together] How can anyone say this is wrong?
Moutamin: But they will. On both sides.


Jimena: Why did you come?
El Cid: I tried not to come. I tried, I told my love it had no right to live. But my love won't die...
Jimena: Kill it.
El Cid: You kill it! Tell me you don't love me.
Jimena: [long pause] I cannot. Not yet. But I will make myself worthy of you Rodrigo, I will learn to hate you.


Jimena: Can you forgive me, Rodrigo?
El Cid: Jimena.
Jimena: Would you take me with you?
El Cid: But... now I... have nowhere to take you.
Jimena: As long as we are together it will not be nowhere. I love you Rodrigo. I love you.
[They kiss]
El Cid: You know what you risk if you come with me, my love?
Jimena: Since my love is not a man like other men my life with not be like other lives.
El Cid: It's only now, only know that I know... how hard the road would have been without you.
[They kiss again]


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Facts about

By the time this was released, Allied Artists (formerly Monogram) had ceased production and was only distributing independent productions. The rights for the Western Hemisphere were acquired from Samuel Bronston. This gave Allied Artists its only full-blown epic, which was given a roadshow presentation followed by a general release.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Charlton Heston himself was not overly impressed by the finished film, suggesting in his 1995 autobiography "In the Arena" that the film might have been better if William Wyler had directed it instead of Anthony Mann.
After the death of El Cid, Babieca was never mounted again and died two years later at the incredible age of forty. His master had asked that his wife and famous steed be buried with him at the Monastery of San Pedro de CardeƱa. But unfortunately their remains were removed after the Peninsular Wars and taken to the cathedral in Burgos where they were finally interred and where they currently rest today.
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Best Music - Scoring Oscar 1961











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Also directed by Anthony Mann




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Also released in 1961




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