El Cid

This is a man so resolute he might as well be made of marble. And Mann directs his journey like he was building a cathedral, every scene is pristine and huge...

When recalling great battles in recent films, only a few come to mind (Last of the Mohicans and Glory, for example), none of which have the scope or power of what Anthony Mann achieved in El Cid.

Canutt staged the siege of Valencia brilliantly,employing the ancient walled city of Pensacola, 5,000 Spanish army troops, and a Moorish battle fleet of 35 lifesize reconstructed ships.

...it pairs stunning production values and armies of extras with lumbering storytelling that treats every highly fictionalized turning point in its hero's life with the gravity of a Bible story.