determine or even to estimate the extent of the damages which the plaintiff will suffer". Retrospective reviews During its 1993 re-release, Martin Scorsese praised El Cid as "one of the greatest epic films ever made". James Berardinelli of Reel Views gave the film three stars out of four. In his review, he felt that "El Cid turns more often to the ridiculous than the sublime. Perhaps if the movie didn't take itself so seriously, there wouldn't be opportunities for unintentional laughter, but, from the bombastic dialogue to the stentorian score, El Cid is about as self-important as a motion picture can be. Regardless, there are still moments of breathtaking, almost transcendant splendor, when the film makers attain the grand aspirations they strive for. Richard Christiansen for the Chicago Tribune gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four. He commented that "...watching the movie today is something of a chore. Much of its celebration of heroic romanticism seems either silly, inflated or crudely flat in this non-heroic age." He also felt Heston and Loren lacked romantic chemistry. Richard Corliss, reviewing for Time, wrote that "Like the best action films, El Cid is both turbulent and intelligent, with characters who analyze their passions as they eloquently articulate them. The Court scenes, in particular, have the complex intrigue, if not quite the poetry, of a Shakespearean history play. This richness is especially evident in the film's love story." At the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 92% based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 79 based on 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Accolades Comic book adaptation Dell Four Color #1259 (1961) See also List of American films of 1961 List of historical drama films References Notes Citations Bibliography External links El Cid, reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Phillips, senior lecturer in medieval history, Royal Holloway, University of London 1961 films 1960s English-language films English-language Italian films 1960s biographical films 1960s historical films Allied Artists films American historical films Italian historical films Films directed by Anthony Mann Samuel Bronston Productions films American epic films War epic films War romance films American biographical films Films set in Spain Films shot in Madrid Films set in the 11th century Films set in Africa Films based on El Cid Films scored by Miklós Rózsa Italian biographical films Italian epic