El Cid (1961): Cast, Ratings & Plot
El Cid is a 1961 adventure drama directed by Anthony Mann, starring Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren and Michael Hordern. It runs 3 hours 2 minutes. It was nominated for 3 Oscars. Critics gave it 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.2/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 3h 2m (182 min)
- Director
- Anthony Mann
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Allied Artists Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is El Cid About?
The premise of El Cid without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
During medieval times in Spain, the valiant warrior El Cid, portrayed by Charlton Heston, struggles to unite a divided nation against Moorish forces. Facing exile from his own kingdom, he confronts complex political challenges and enduring personal struggles. His journey involves reconciling with his estranged wife, Jimena, played by Sophia Loren, while striving to reclaim his homeland and ultimately restore his honor and legacy.
El Cid Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- spanish history
- 11th century
- reconquista
- duel
- king of spain
- kingdom of castile
- rivalry over throne
- succession to the throne
- death of king
- spain
- epic
- epic battle
+38 more Show fewer
- christian muslim conflict
- sword and shield
- battlefield
- nickname as title
- title spoken by narrator
- marriage
- fiance murders fiance's father
- treason
- pledge of allegiance
- moorish occupation of spain
- sparing someone's life
- sparing enemy's life
- convent
- brother brother fight
- death of title character
- retreating army
- valencia spain
- battle on beach
- one against many
- assassination plot
- stabbed in the back
- swearing on a bible
- exile
- leper
- identical twins
- starvation
- archery
- crown
- invasion
- scarred face
- tragic hero
- national hero
- character name as title
- based on real person
- reference to allah
- reference to muhammad
- camera shot from inside a fireplace
- epic history
El Cid Cast
Charlton Heston leads the cast, with Sophia Loren and Michael Hordern. Directed by Anthony Mann; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Anthony Mann
Also Starring in El Cid
· 6 moreMore from Anthony Mann
More films directed by Anthony Mann, best-rated first: Quo Vadis, A Dandy in Aspic, The Heroes of Telemark and The Fall of the Roman Empire.
El Cid Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave El Cid 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.2/10.
-
IMDb 7.2 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 93% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 78%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 79 Metascore
User score 7.3
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 68% User score
See on TMDB
El Cid Plot Summary
What happens in El Cid from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 6-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Don Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a fearless Castilian noble on his way to wedding vows with Doña Chimene, becomes the central figure around which a sweeping medieval drama unfolds. In this early act of the story, the 11th-century Moorish ruler Ben Yusuf of the Almoravid dynasty summons all the emirs of Al-Andalus to North Africa to rebuke their peaceable coexistence with Christian neighbors. His aim is clear: unite the Muslim world under one creed and one conquest, and he readies a formidable invasion to press his bid for domination. The emirs, meanwhile, return to Spain with orders to resume hostilities against the Christian kingdoms, setting a volatile stage for what is to come.
Full summary
The whole story of El Cid, scene by scene
El Cid Awards & Nominations
El Cid was nominated for 3 Oscars. The 7 nominations come from 3 ceremonies.
7 nominations3 ceremonies
-
Golden Globes 1962 3 nominations- Nominated Best Director – Anthony Mann
- Nominated Best Motion Picture – Drama
- Nominated Best Original Score
-
Oscars 1962 3 nominations- Nominated Art Direction (Color)
- Nominated Music (Music Score—substantially original)
- Nominated Music (Song)
-
DGA Awards 1962 1 nomination- Nominated Feature Film – Anthony Mann
El Cid Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 featurette.
- Featurette Larry Cohen on EL CID
How Well Do You Know El Cid?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
Which actor portrays the titular hero, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, in the film?
El Cid Also Known As
16 alternative titles, including “엘 시드” and “엘시드”.
- Also known as
-
- 엘 시드
- 엘시드
- Le Cid
- Ελ Σιντ
- Cid
- אל סיד
- Ель Сід
- Эль Сид
- Ел Сид
- Cyd
- 万世英雄
- エル・シド
+4 more Show fewer
- ال سید
- Usta
- เอล ซิด วีรบุรุษสงครามครูเสด
- 萬世英雄
Seen El Cid?
Movies Like El Cid
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Castilian, Captain from Castile and 100 Horsemen.
-
The Castilian 1963 -
Captain from Castile 1947 -
100 Horsemen 1964 -
The Crusades 1935 -
King Richard and the Crusaders 1954 -
Le avventure e gli amori di Miguel Cervantes 1967 -
The Sword of Granada 1954 -
Ceddo 1977 -
Captain Alatriste: The Spanish Musketeer 2006 -
Kingdom of Heaven 2005 -
Don Quixote 1992 -
Hidalgo 2004
El Cid FAQ: Cast, Awards & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of El Cid, each answered in a sentence.
How long is El Cid?
El Cid runs 3 hours 2 minutes (182 minutes).
When was El Cid released?
El Cid was released on December 14, 1961.
Who directed El Cid?
El Cid was directed by Anthony Mann.
More films by Anthony Mann Who is in the cast of El Cid?
El Cid stars Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren and Michael Hordern, among 10 credited actors.
How is El Cid rated?
El Cid has 7.2/10 on IMDb, 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79 on Metacritic and 68% on TMDB.
Was El Cid nominated for any awards?
El Cid received 7 nominations across 3 ceremonies.
Does El Cid have a post-credit scene?
No. El Cid has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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