El Cid

El Cid (1961) starring Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren. Directed by Anthony Mann. Don Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid (Heston) rises to power, marries the beautiful Chimene (Loren). Based on the true story of a Spanish national hero, this is a grand historical epic. It's obviously a big-budget extravaganza, and one can see all the money that was spent up on the screen. This DVD also has copious Extras, including a making-of feature and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Amazingly, one of the Extras reveals that Heston and Loren despised each other! I found the movie, despite its excessive length of over three hours, to be eminently watchable and emotionally rewarding. A really good film. (English subtitles for the hearing-impaired are available on the disc.) Grade: A-