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El Cid | 
| Director: Anthony Mann
Actors: Nerio Bernardi, Tullio Carminatti, Andrew Cruickshank, Barbara Everest, Carlo Giustini
Studio: Genius Products, LLC
Category: DVD
List Price: CDN$ 26.39
Buy New: CDN$ 19.74
You Save: CDN$ 6.65 (25%)
New (10) Used (1) from CDN$ 19.74
Avg. Customer Rating:  34 reviews
Format: Import, Ntsc, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.6
MPN: 80396
UPC: 796019803960
EAN: 0796019803960
ASIN: B000WMFZMY
Theatrical Release Date: December 14, 1961
Release Date: January 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Item, factory Sealed. Buy direct from the U.S. and save! We only ship airmail to Canada (7-15 days).Caiman, les prix qu'on aime! Tous nos produits sont neufs. Envoi par avion des Etats-Unis
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Essential Video
Technically ambitious but artistically underwhelming, this 1961 epic by Anthony Mann (Man of the West) stars Charlton Heston as an 11th-century hero who drives the Moors from Spain. The film has been described as "glum," and that is indeed apt for a story that focuses so much on its central character's losses in the face of his simultaneous, mythic approbation. Then again, Mann has always been interested in the hidden weaknesses in prevailing myths, so that's not unusual. What is unusual in El Cid is the degree to which technology takes over his filmmaking, as it does here with so many grandiose and bravura moments with a roving camera that don't add up to anything beyond spectacle. As an achievement of Hollywood's technical advancements in the postwar years, and also as part of the filmographies of Mann and Heston, the film is well worth a look. But it is not the artistic equal of other epics of its day, such as Lawrence of Arabia. --Tom Keogh
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| Customer Reviews: Read 29 more reviews...
 beautiful transfer February 3, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
El Cid has always been one of my favorite movies. This DVD release is like seeing it at the movie theatre again. Both the sound and picture are remarkable. The scenery is incredible as well as the acting by the great stars of the 60's. The story holds your interest from beginning to end. I highly recommend this release.
Preservation of a magnificent, splendidly cinematic event July 20, 2004
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
My sentiments are pretty much identical with the ones of the gentleman Sri, from India. I am very disapointed that this magnificantly depicted story has not found favor with the DVD formating industry. After all stories such as 'Tale of two cities', 'Count of Monte Christo', 'Man in the iron Mask','Scarlet Pimpernel', the list goes on..;has been formated in DVD format. I can only wonder if the reason for not having 'El Cid' on disc was a matter of preference or economics at time of decision? I understand that not everyone may enjoy this 'Genre'but personally I believe it's one of the best re-telling of a magnificent, by-gone era and is certainly worthy of DVD formating-if for nothing else but to retain History. I truly wish that this masterpiece of cinamatic splendor would be re-formated and re-mastered digitally. It is such a great story and so masterfully depicted that it most certainly worthy of telling to future generations-and what better way to preserve this on DVD format, since it keeps a lot better than Tape?
DVD available on amazon.fr July 4, 2004
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This film deserves a Criterion 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.
There is curently a DVD available from amazon.co.uk, but do not buy it. 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.
a massive, glorious spectacle May 23, 2004
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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 Ordonez, 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.
CHUCK'S FINEST HOUR May 8, 2004
They should have stopped making the epic after EL CID. How can any filmmaker really think he can top this masterpiece of the cinema? What makes EL CID different than all the rest that followed is that it remains watchable. BRAVEHEART is great the first few times, but the humor is anachronistic and makes the film wear out fast. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA has to be seen on the big screen (and only once) to be appreciated. A second viewing on tv is practically impossible. And GLADIATOR is just plain bad and stupid. I can't think of a single thing I dislike about EL CID. It is not about revenge or flag-waving patriotism, which seem to be the "in" things in recent Hollywood epics (GLADIATOR/THE PATRIOT). It's about love, loyalty, unity (yes, unity. Remember that not all the Moors in this film are depicted as "the enemy" a la SAVING PRIVATE RYAN where ALL the Germans are bad). Watch this movie and see for yourself.
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