El Cid presents “the story of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar [Charlton Heston] ... a man who became Spain's greatest hero by rising above religious divisions and appealing to all Spaniards, whether Christian or Moorish [similar to how JCVD befriended Jews and Muslims in The Order, where Heston also appeared], so they could confront the threat of destruction looming over their land.” Rodrigo’s efforts at unity are aided by the fact that Moors and Christians share a common language. Surprisingly, this shared tongue isn't Spanish but English—apparently the official language not just on the Iberian Peninsula, but across Europe and North Africa as well. I can’t help wondering how much was lost or altered during the adaptation from El Cantar de Mío Cid to Anthony Mann’s film; after all, the movie wasn’t based on the Castilian epic but rather on Pierre Corneille’s French tragicomedy Le Cid. This explains why Rodrigo's wife, portrayed by Sophia Loren, is called Chimène instead of Jimena—a significant misstep, in my view. The anonymous author of Mío Cid begins his poem with the Cid already exiled, a moment that Mann takes nearly two hours to reach, and even then, it feels rushed. Everything preceding this point seems like unnecessary buildup. On his way to marry Doña Chimène (though even Loren, at 27, might have been considered past her prime), Don Rodrigo saves a Spanish village from an invading Moorish army. Two emirs, Al-Mu'tamin (Douglas Wilmer) of Zaragoza and Al-Kadir (Frank Thring) of Valencia, are captured. Rather than seeking revenge, Rodrigo escorts them to Vivar and releases them on the condition that they never attack King Ferdinand’s lands (Ralph Truman). For this act of kindness, Don Rodrigo is accused of treason by Count Ordóñez (Raf Vallone). At court, he also faces accusations from Chimène's father, Count Gormaz (Andrew Cruickshank), who serves as the king's champion. Rodrigo's elderly father, Don Diego (Michael Hordern), defends him and calls Gormaz a liar. Gormaz slaps Don Diego and challenges him to a duel. In private, Rodrigo asks Gormaz to apologize to his father but is repeatedly refused. Finally, Rodrigo challenges and kills Gormaz. Chimène witnesses this death and vows revenge against Rodrigo, rejecting her love for him. The script really falters here; I knew Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren were destined to be together, but the way the story gets there feels absurd. Rodrigo convinces the King to force Chimène to marry him as compensation 'for services rendered.' This tactic is reminiscent of Richard III’s pursuit of Lady Anne or even Henry Fonda's treatment of Claudia Cardinale in Once Upon a Time in the West; the problem is that those characters were villains, while Rodrigo is supposed to be the hero. Still, Chimène ultimately accepts her role as a trophy wife—what woman could resist the man who killed her father? I’ll never understand why they didn't simply have Gormaz instigate the duel and let Rodrigo kill him in self-defense.

Source on TMDB