El Cid

Anthony Mann: El Cid (US/IT 1960). Sophia Loren as Doña Jimena.

Le Cid / El Cid - kuninkaan soturi / El Cid [Sweden].

    Anthony Mann

États-Unis-Italie / 1960 / 180 min / 35 mm / VOSTF / Copie unique

Avec Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone.

Finnish premiere: 31 Aug 1962, at 5120 m / 187 min.

    Rétrospective Anthony Mann

    Projection avec entracte.

    Viewed at La Cinémathèque française, Salle Henri Langlois, 51 Rue de Bercy, 75012 Paris, M° Bercy Lignes 14, 6, 31 March 2024

La Cinémathèque française: " Entre l'histoire et la légende, la vie de Rodrigo Díaz de Bivar, chevalier espagnol du XIe siècle, en lutte contre les envahisseurs maures. C'est le film de la revanche pour Anthony Mann, débarqué du tournage de Spartacus un an plus tôt. Projet pharaonique produit par Samuel Bronston, Le Cid s'inscrit dans la lignée des superproductions des années 60 et répond à tous les canons du genre. Foules innombrables, batailles, duels, tournois et cavalcades fantastiques rythment ce péplum de luxe, inondé de fracas d'armes, de cris et de bannières qui claquent au vent, sur fond de terre brûlée espagnole et de châteaux castillans. Chimène a la beauté de Sophia Loren, Rodrigue, le cœur de Charlton Heston. Emportés par la musique élégiaque de Miklós Rózsa, ils brillent de mille feux dans l'un des plus grands films épiques jamais tournés. "

Dialogue avec Jean-François Rauger - 60 min : " Le Cid incarne exemplairement la stratégie de délocalisation (le film est tourné en Espagne) et de monumentalisation (il a coûté plus de sept millions de dollars) d'une industrie sur le déclin. C'est aussi l'un des grands titres de la fin de la carrière d'Anthony Mann qui, avec L'Homme de la plaine en 1955, était passé au Cinémascope, inaugurant ainsi formellement une troisième période après celle du noir et blanc, puis celle du passage à la couleur. Il fallait donc ce gigantisme du cadre et de l'image pour conjuguer les fracas de la guerre et de la politique avec la douceur cruelle et muette de sentiments inconciliables. L'ultime héros mannien est, une fois de plus, sommé de choisir. Alors, Le Cid, avatar d'un système hollywoodien en pleine décadence ou continuation du western par d'autres moyens ? " - Jean-François Rauger est directeur de la programmation à la Cinémathèque française.

AA: Anthony Mann directed 11 Westerns between 1950 and 1960, and for André Bazin he was the greatest Western director of his time. His last Western, Cimarron, Mann left halfway through filming due to disagreements with producer Edmund Grainger. Mann wanted to film entirely on location, but Grainger wanted a majority of scenes instead to be filmed in studio. (I copy passages from Wikipedia here).

Like Jean-François Rauger states above, Mann's epics with Samuel Bronston were "a continuation of the Western with other means", first and foremost in their sense of wide open spaces as organic milieux for the action.

In his Westerns, Mann since Devil's Doorway and The Furies caught the spirit of epic poetry, and it is fascinating how well he connects here with a much older form, the Spanish cantar de gesta, covering huge events 800-900 years earlier during the long reconquista, the Christian re-conquering of al-Andalus from Muslim rule.

The weakness here, like in The Fall of the Roman Empire, is that much of the dialogue sounds like wooden recitation. I am reminded of Howard Hawks's complaint in The Land of the Pharaohs: "I didn't know how Pharaohs talk".

In both El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire, Sophia Loren is magnificent but statuesque, a royal presence of great dignity.

The structure in both films is powerful. There is a feeling of lived authenticity in the physical production. The battle sequences are stupefying.

Mann with his team of screenwriters in both movies pursues a world view of reconciliation. Despite the reconquista theme, El Cid is not an anti-Muslim film, instead celebrating a vision of a coexistence of Christians and Muslims.

Like Marcus Aurelius and Lucius, El Cid is a great unifier and creator of alliances. In The Fall of the Roman Empire the great adversary was Emperor Commodus, and here it is King Alfonso. Alfonso banishes El Cid, confiscates his property and separates him from his wife Chimene and their twin daughters.

Like Commodus, Alfonso is a walking disaster, defeated by the Moors at the Battle of Sagrajas. But in the battle of Valencia, El Cid returns to lead Spain to victory. He dies in the middle, but honouring his final wish, he is propped by an iron frame to continue the fight until Ben Yusuf's invasion army is defeated.

The theme of the invincible spirit is moving. Charlton Heston rises to the occasion as the epic hero. We believe in his mere presence, even in death, capable to instil an invincible fighting spirit.

On display was a 35 mm print. [To be confirmed: this was the 1993 restoration, longer than the original release print, an Institut Lumière print]. The colour is vivid, glowing and jubilant. Particularly the reds are warm and radiant. This show was a feast to the eyes.

The scores of the Samuel Bronston epics are the greatest among Anthony Mann's films: Miklós Rózsa here, Dimitri Tiomkin in The Fall of the Roman Empire. There is a powerful union of landscape, vision and music.

There was an inspired hour-long dialogue moderated by Jean-François Rauger. Before the screening, he recited by heart a passage from Corneille's Le Cid. The eternal conflict of love and duty is central in Mann's film, too.

BEYOND THE JUMP BREAK: SYNOPSIS FROM WIKIPEDIA:

BEYOND THE JUMP BREAK: SYNOPSIS FROM WIKIPEDIA:

General Ben Yusuf of the Almoravid dynasty has summoned all the emirs of Al-Andalus to North Africa. He chastises them for co-existing peacefully with their Christian neighbors, which goes against his dream of Islamic world domination. The emirs return to Spain with orders to resume hostilities with the Christians while Ben Yusuf readies his army for a full-scale invasion.

Don Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, on the way to his wedding with Doña Chimene, rescues a Spanish town from an invading Moorish army. Two of the emirs, al-Mu'tamin of Zaragoza and al-Kadir of Valencia, are captured. More interested in peace than in wreaking vengeance, Rodrigo escorts his prisoners to Vivar and releases them on condition that they never again attack lands belonging to King Ferdinand of Castile. The Emirs proclaim him "El Cid" (Castilian Spanish for the Arabic for milord: "al-Sidi") and swear allegiance to him.

For his act of mercy, Don Rodrigo is accused of treason by Count Ordóñez. In court, the charge is supported by Chimene's father, Count Gormaz, the king's champion. Rodrigo's aged father, Don Diego, angrily calls Gormaz a liar. Gormaz strikes Don Diego, challenging him to a duel. At a private meeting Rodrigo begs Gormaz to ask the aged but proud Diego for forgiveness (for accusing Rodrigo of treason). Gormaz refuses, so Rodrigo fights the duel on Diego’s behalf and kills his opponent. Chimene witnesses the death of Gormaz and swears to avenge him, renouncing her affection for Rodrigo.

When the King of Aragon demands the city of Calahorra from Castile, Rodrigo becomes Ferdinand's champion, winning the city in single combat. In his new capacity he is sent on a mission to collect tribute from Moorish vassals to the Castilian crown. He asks that Chimene be given to him as his wife upon his return, so that he can provide for her. Chimene promises Count Ordóñez she will marry him instead if he kills Rodrigo. Ordóñez lays an ambush for Rodrigo and his men but is captured by al-Mu'tamin, to whom Rodrigo had earlier showed mercy. Rodrigo forgives the Count and returns home to marry Chimene. The marriage is not consummated: Rodrigo will not touch her if she does not give herself to him out of love. Chimene instead goes to a convent.

King Ferdinand dies and his younger son, Prince Alfonso tells the elder son Prince Sancho that their father wanted his kingdom divided between his heirs: Castile to Sancho, Asturias and León to Alfonso, and Calahorra to their sister, Princess Urraca. Sancho refuses to accept anything but an undivided kingdom as his birthright. After Alfonso instigates a knife fight, Sancho overpowers his brother and sends him to be imprisoned in Zamora. Rodrigo, who swore to protect all the king’s children, single-handedly defeats Alfonso's guards and brings the Prince to Calahorra. Sancho arrives to demand Alfonso, but Urraca refuses to hand him over. Rodrigo cannot take a side in the conflict, because his oath was to serve them all equally.

Ben Yusuf arrives at Valencia, the fortified city guarding the beach where he plans to land his armada. To weaken his Spanish opponents he hires Dolfos, a warrior formerly trusted by Ferdinand, to assassinate Sancho and throw suspicion for the crime on Alfonso, who becomes the sole king. At Alfonso's coronation, El Cid has him swear upon the Bible that he had no part in the death of his brother. Alfonso, genuinely innocent (although his ally Urraca was aware of the plot), is offended by the demand and banishes Rodrigo from Spain. Chimene discovers she still loves Rodrigo and voluntarily joins him in exile. Rodrigo makes his career as a soldier elsewhere in Spain, and he and Chimene have twin girls.

Years later, Rodrigo, now known widely as "El Cid", is called back into the service of the king to protect Castile from Yusuf's North African army. However, Alfonso rejects an alliance with El Cid's Muslim friends, and rather than work directly with the king, El Cid allies himself with the emirs to besiege Valencia, where the cowardly al-Kadir has violated his oath of allegiance to Rodrigo and come out in support of Ben Yusuf.

After being defeated by the Moors at the Battle of Sagrajas, Alfonso seizes Chimene and her children and puts them in prison. Count Ordóñez rescues the three and brings them to Rodrigo, wanting to end his rivalry with El Cid and join him in the defense of Spain. Knowing that the citizens of Valencia are starving after the long siege, Rodrigo wins them over by throwing bread into the city with his catapults. Al-Kadir tries to intercede, but the Valencians kill him and open the gates to the besiegers. Emir al-Mu'tamin, Rodrigo's army, and the Valencians offer the city's crown to El Cid, but he refuses and instead sends the crown to King Alfonso.

Ben Yusuf arrives with his immense invasion army, and Valencia is the only barrier between him and Spain. Ordóñez is tortured and killed after being captured on a reconnaissance mission. The ensuing battle goes well for the defenders until El Cid is struck in the chest by an arrow and has to return to the city in plain sight of the Moorish army. Doctors inform him that they can probably remove the arrow and save his life, but he will be incapacitated for a long time after the surgery. Unwilling to abandon his army at this critical moment, Rodrigo obtains a promise from Chimene to leave the arrow and let him ride back into battle, dying or dead. A guilt-ridden King Alfonso comes to his bedside and asks for his forgiveness. Rodrigo grants it, and Alfonso promises to look after Rodrigo's children.

Rodrigo dies, and a rumor of his death spreads. His allies honor Rodrigo's final wish. With help of an iron frame they prop up his body, its eyes staring straight ahead. Dressed in full armor and holding an unfurled banner, he is strapped to the back of his horse, Babieca. Guided by King Alfonso and Emir al-Mu'tamin riding on either side, the horse leads a mounted charge against Ben Yusuf's now terrified soldiers, who believe that El Cid has risen from the dead. In the panic that ensues, Ben Yusuf is thrown from his horse and is crushed beneath Babieca's hooves, leaving his scattered army to be annihilated. King Alfonso leads Christians and Moors alike in a prayer for God to receive the soul "of the purest knight of all".

BEYOND THE JUMP BREAK: THE 1995 FINNISH FILM ARCHIVE PROGRAM NOTE EDITED BY ME FROM DEREK ELLEY'S THE EPIC FILM:

BEYOND THE JUMP BREAK: THE 1995 FINNISH FILM ARCHIVE PROGRAM NOTE EDITED BY ME FROM DEREK ELLEY'S THE EPIC FILM:

SUOMEN ELOKUVA-ARKISTO

finlands filmarkiv

EL CID (El Cid / El Cid - kuninkaan soturi / El Cid), USA/Italia 1961. Tuotantoyhtiöt: Samuel Bronston Productions, Dear Film, Allied Artists. Tuottaja: Samuel Bronston. Tuottajakumppanit: Jaime Prades, Michael Waszynski. Ohjaus: ANTHONY MANN. Second unit -ohjaus: Yakima Canutt. Käsikirjoitus: Philip Yordan, Fredric M. Frank - Frankin tarinasta [tod. Ben Barzman - panos käsikirjoitukseen: Bernard Gordon]. Kuvaus (Technicolor, 35 mm & 70 mm Super Technirama): Robert Krasker. Lavastus, puvut: Veniero Colasanti, John Moore. Freskot: Maciek Piotrowski. Musiikki: Miklós Rózsa; rakkausteema: Rózsa, Paul Francis Webster. Leikkaus: Robert Lawrence. PÄÄOSISSA: Charlton Heston (El Cid), Sophia Loren (Chimene), Raf Vallone (kreivi Ordoñez), Geneviève Page (prinsessa Urraca), John Fraser (prinssi Alfonso), Gary Raymond (prinssi Sancho), Hurd Hatfield (Arias), Massimo Serato (Fanez), Herbert Lom (Ben Yussuf), Frank Thring (Al Kadir), Douglas Wilmer (Moutamin). 

    Suomen levitys 70 mm & 35 mm. 

    Hgin ensiesitys (70 mm) (EL CID) 31.8.1962 Bristol - maahantuoja: Columbia - 5170 m / 187 min.

    Uusintaensi-ilta (EL CID - KUNINKAAN SOTURI) 14.9.1973 Arita, Astor - maahantuoja: Lii-Filmi - K12 - 5120 m / 185 min

EL CID on elokuvaeepoksen merkkiteos, lajinsa aatelia ja tuottaja Samuel Bronstonin suurenmoisin saavutus. Se on kiteytys keskiajan maailmasta, ja älykäs käsikirjoitus ja eeppinen rakenne kantavat kautta koko pitkän keston. Elokuvantekijät kunnioittavat alkulähteitään, kuten Cantar de mio Cidiä, jonka pääteema - Cidin kunnian menetys ja palautus, taustana Kastilian ja Léonin aatelin monimutkaiset ristiriidat - on myös elokuvakäsikirjoituksen pohjana. Todellinen Cid, Rodrigo Díaz, syntyi Vivarissa n. vuonna 1043 ja kohosi maineeseensa kastilialaisen kuningas Sanchon kaudella mutta joutui syrjään tämän seuraajan, léonilaisen Alfonso VI:n kaudella. Alfonso yritti sovitella tilannetta naittamalla Rodrigon léonilaisen aatelisnaisen Chimene Diazin kanssa, mutta Rodrigo lähti maanpakoon, astui maurikuninkaan palvelukseen, puolusti Valenciaa fanaattista marokkolaista sotilasheimoa almoravideja vastaan ja kuoli lopulta Valenciassa vuonna 1099.

Cantar ei ole Rodrigon elämäkerroista luotettavin mutta kylläkin hienoin. Elokuvassa sen rakennetta on muokattu ja selvennetty. Alkuosa keskittyy henkilöhahmojen rakenteluun. Sitten kun teemat ja ristiriidat on esitelty elokuva siirtyy kuvaamaan Valencian piiritystä ja taistelua. Cid, legenda jo eläessään ja kulttipalvonnan kohde kuoltuaan, on sopiva kohde eeppiselle kuvaukselle: väärinkohdeltu pakolainen, kansan johtaja ("El Cid" on peräisin arabian sanasta "El Seid"), horjumaton patriootti ja visionäärinen pasifisti. Jo alkukohtauksissa korostetaan Cidin puolijumalallisuutta, ja loppua lähestyttäessä toteutuu hänen transfiguraationsa historiasta myytiksi hänen johtaessaan miehiään vielä hevoseensa sidottuna ruumiinakin. Kolmituntisen kehittelyn tuloksena tämä ylevöitys tuntuu täysin vakuuttavalta.

Cidin suurin intohimo on saada elää rauhassa, mitä ilmentää hänen suhteensa Chimeneen. Miklós Rózsan ja Paul Francis Websterin suurenmoisen rakkausteeman soidessa taustalla Cid puhuu rauhanomaisista haaveistaan. Mutta hänen kohtalonsa on toinen, ja historian työkaluna hän on traaginen hahmo. Eeppisen ja henkilökohtaisen, tyypillisen ja yksilöllisen välinen jännite on rakennettu emotionaalisesti väkevällä tavalla - noudattaen perinnettä, joka juontuu Homerokseen. Eri elementtien vuorovaikutus ja hidas purkautuminen tuo EL CIDIIN syvyyttä ja laveutta. Käsikirjoitus, näyttelijäntyö, kuvaus ja musiikki muodostavat harmonisen kokonaisuuden. Elokuva etenee nopeasti mutta arvokkaasti, ja siirtymäjaksot on karsittu minimiinsä. Elokuvaa on hyvin vaikea kuvitella ilman Charlton Hestonin hallitsevaa olemusta. Hän on eeppisten elokuvien näyttelijä ylitse muiden, ja hänen sankarin hahmoon tuomansa vakuuttavuus kohottaa koko tuotannon voimaa. Sophia Loren on ruhtinaallisen kaunis ja uskottava Cidin elämänkumppanina. 1950-luvun lännenelokuvissaan poikkeuksellista miljööntajua ilmentänyt Anthony Mann ottaa yhdessä kuvaajansa Robert Kraskerin kanssa kaiken irti Valencian maisemista säästeliäillä mutta tehokkailla nosturiajoillaan. Miklós Rózsa sävelsi EL CIDIIN yhden hienoimmista elokuvamusiikeistaan lähtökohtanaan fryygialainen sävellaji ja inspiraationaan Alfonso X:n cantigat.

- Derek Elleyn mukaan (The Epic Film. Myth and History, 1984) AA 17.2.1995