El Cid - Shooting Down Pictures video essay w/ Mike D'Angelo

[David10171939]

Mike D'Angelo's interpretation of El Cid is far off the mark. First of all, Rodrigo and Chimene were never sworn enemies, as he claims. Chimene was sworn to avenge her father's death, and buried her deep love for Rodrigo as long as she could, as she watched him engage in one selfless and courageous act after another. Rodrigo never hated Chimene, but welcomed her into his arms the moment she softened. D'Angelo's laughter during his analysis shows he never got into the spirit of the movie.

[SONOFHERO52]

What the hell...This moron MIKE D'ANGELO (and his boyfriend) spent half the commentary insulting Charleston Heston....I think these are the same assholes that had commentary on that errol flynn movie about Custer ,where they claimed that fatboy quisling Oliver Stone was their hero....lol...what a couple of total mental midgets ...bottom line MIKEY...long after you are dead and rightfully forgotten...Charleton Heston will still be proving you wrong (evil grin)

[David10171939]

You are absolutely correct.

[briefboyz]

This piece was posted by alsolikelife which is ironic because after lisenting to Mike's monologue I wished my life was over. What a bore! A critique of the film making capabilities of Anthony Mann is a cover for Mike to hear his own voice. Mike states that its hard not to laugh at Charltron Heston, maybe but its impossible not be bored by Mike's diatribe.

[coltsowl]

Yup, comments by a coward..... is not a intelligent thing to do.

[macktheknife888]

Mohammed the paedophile, and the biggest lie in history. The whole idea of Mohammed was made up by the Pope of the time to rage war on countries he did not like, so the cathlic church found a murdering worthless bastard and they gave him the name Mohammed and wrote out a false book of god called the quran and gave him an army. Adam and eve, the virgin Marry, and Jesus is what proves the quran fake. every man born after Adam had the seed of sin, but where was mans seen in Jesus born of a virgin?

[paddy6062]

Wow macktheknife888 you talk some shit..lol

[9bahai9]

@macktheknife888 ,

You are a profoundly prejudiced individual. Prophet Muhammad was a phenomenally wonderful individual who completely transformed the Arabian Penninsula and ultimately helped enormously to bring Europe out of the dark ages. It's very painful to still see such ignorant views expressed about him. You should read the Qur'an youself with a clean an unprejudiced mind and read his life story which was written by someone other than a fool who just wants to discredit him.

[zeekwolfe]

@9bahai9 Was it before Mohammed had an elderly woman pulled in pieces by camels for 'dissing' him, or after when he called Jews 'monkeys and apes?' Good thing Mohammed didn't live in California. He'd be doing 20 years for pedophilia and child molesting. What a charming person to start a new religion.

[9bahai9]

@zeekwolfe,

Once again, you are a profoundly prejudiced individual who is uttering things he heard happened without checking out the facts. I am done with you. No further conversation necessary.

[briefboyz]

@macktheknife888 - Your spelling and punctuation are as appalling as your ideas are ridiculous

[vastedda99]

Mike D'Angelo is a 2-bit Metrosexual or what the Spanish call a "pendejo" and us Italians call "un mezzo-finocchio." LOL! Viva para siempre Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar-El Cid Campeador-il piu grande di tutti le cavaliere Cristiani di tutti l'epoche-the greatest Christian Knight of all times!

[ldaccardi]

mike dángelo is a pinhead!

[Prospro8]

The 'under the stairs' fight without showing the denouement is not 'unusual' either. Look at the barn fight and the longshot sparring session in Wyler's 'The Big Country'.

[Prospro8]

It's a quite good film, with a very fine music score. At least he mentions Miklos Rozsa. But what a tedious commentator. The usual post Gore-Vidal American trying very hard to be the dry wit he clearly isn't. In fact MOST epic films had an interplay between the 'intimate' and the 'spectacular', a sort of inner and outer symbolism. He makes this film out to be 'unique' simply because he can't bring himself to say anything good about epics. A pseudo-sophistico who's found 'Esquire'.

[rubenec7]

pure spanish history

[Prospro8]

Not history ... legend. There was no Spain in the 11th Century, and the 11th. Century never looked like that. But the film is great in other ways.

[rubenec7]

pure history

[Prospro8]

Not history. The closest you can get to history would be the Poema del Mio Cid, an epic poem, or the legends. This is an IDEALISED film, based on the Corneille version and the Massenet opera libretto. But legend of this kind is BETTER than history actually. The real Cid was a mercenary.

[rubenec7]

pure history.Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar el Cid!this is an adaptation to a film!u've discovered America ahah And it's named CANTAR del mío Cid

[Prospro8]

Still isn't history.

[tunobuenotunomuerto]

real cid a mercenary? looks like u don't have any idea at all... read some books

[SpaceGhostLeni]

This is one the most memorable epics of its kind. These clowns know nothing of film appreciation .

[iduefoscari]

This film is like an opera without the singing. The wonderful film score is telling the story.

[Tellgryn]

alsolikelife, You know little of Charlton Heston's acting ability. Also your buddy doesn't understand morale and its effect in combat and why the army runs away. Its called broken morale and it happens in combat more than you would ever think, and in those days of hand to hand (ie sword and shiled) it happened more offen. There is no one in Hollywood history that could have played this role and pulled it off but Heston.

[eddtoro]

these comments on heston's acting come from a couple of flunkies who obviously have a dislike for heston. no one could do better than heston. which is why we know who heston is and don't care less who angelo is. heston is one of the greatest.