Character, Honor, Courage

The two lead characters in "El Cid," Rodrigo and Chimene, played by Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren, are incomprehensible to today's intelligentsia, because they embody characteristics mocked by today's culture. Through two-thirds of the movie, Rodrigo and Chimene are in personal war with each other, because they're so alike. They're locked into their codes. When they finally come together shortly before intermission, after a couple wonderful scenes involving a leper, a young girl, and a stable, the moment is powerful.