Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid was the protagonist of the 1961 film El Cid. He was based on the real life late 11th century Castilian knight and warlord who evolved into a Spanish national hero in the years following the reconquista.

Rodrigo was portrayed by the late Charlton Heston, who had also played Moses, Al Haynes, Michelangelo, and Judah Ben-Hur.

On his way to marry Doña Ximena (portrayed by Sophia Loren), Rodrigo helps fight off a Moorish force attacking a Spanish town. During the battle the Emirs Al-Mu'tamin of Zaragoza and Al-Kadir of Valencia are captured. Taking them to the town of Vivar Rodrigo sets them both free on the condition they never again attack lands belonging to the Castilian King Ferdinand. Both Al-Mu'tamin and Al-Kadir subsequently swear allegiance to Rodrigo.

For this act of mercy he is accused of treason by Count Ordóñez, and Ximena's father Count Gormaz supports Ordóñez. Rodrigo's father Don Diego tries to intervene on behalf of his son, but is challenged to a duel by Gormaz. Fighting on behalf of his father, Rodrigo kills Gormaz. This causes a breakdown in the relationship between Rodrigo and Ximena, with the latter swearing to avenge her father.

A short time later Rodrigo manages to win the city of Calahorra in single combat on Ferdinand's behalf. He then goes to collect taxes from the various Moorish vassals. Before going he asks the King for Ximena's hand in marriage so that he can provide for her. Ordóñez tries to kill Rodrigo after Ximena promises that she'll marry him if he kills El Cid, but fails when he and his people are captured by Al-Mu'tamin. Upon Rodrigo's return he marries Ximena but refuses to touch Ximena unless she gives herself to Rodrigo out of love.

When Ferdinand dies the younger son Alfonso tells the elder Prince Sancho their father wanted the kingdom divided, with Castile going to Sancho, with Alfonso taking Asturias and León to Alfonso, and their sister Urraca taking over Calahorra. Sancho refuses to accept that arrangement since he wants the entire kingdom to rule. The three begin arguing over what would happen to his holdings. Rodrigo is put in an impossible position as he has sworn to serve all of Ferdinand's children equally and cannot take sides.

Seeing an opportunity cause strife in Spain, the Moorish leader Ben Yusuf hires an assassin who kills Sancho, clearing the way for Alfonso to take the throne. Rodrigo demands Alfonso swear on a bible that he had nothing to do with his brother's death. Alfonso does so but then exiles Rodrigo for offending him. Realizing she still loved Rodrigo, Ximena joined her husband in exile. During this exile the pair had twin daughters.

Alfonso later asks El Cid to return from exile to help defend the kingdom against Ben Yusuf's forces. Alfonso refuses to ally with Rodrigo's Muslim friends so Rodrigo directly allies with the Emirs to lay siege to the city of Valencia. At that point Al-Kadir betrayed Rodrigo and threw his support over to Ben Yusuf.

Angered that Rodrigo had abandoned him, Alfonso has Rodrigo's family thrown in prison. They, however, are rescued by Ordóñez who takes them to Rodrigo. Ordóñez decided to bury the hatchet with Rodrigo and join with him to defend Spain. Rodrigo uses his catapults to throw food over the walls of Valencia, and the starving Valencians start to open the gates for Rodrigo's forces. Al-Kadir tries to intervene but the Valencians kill him. Rodrigo's army, Al-Mu'tamin, and the people of Valencia offer to crown Rodrigo as king, but Rodrigo refuses to accept and sends the crown to Alfonso.

Ordóñez goes out on a reconnaissance mission but is captured and tortured to death. Ben Yusuf's forces attack Valencia but the city's new defenders manage to hold off Ben Yusuf. During the battle Rodrigo is hit in the chest with an arrow. Returning to the city in view of Ben Yusuf's army, Rodrigo's doctors tell him they can probably save his life but he would be laid up for a long time. Refusing to abandon his forces and allies at this critical juncture, Rodrigo gets Ximena to promise that she will ensure he rides out to meet Ben Yusuf's forces in battle whether he is still alive or not. Rodrigo dies a short time later, but before he dies Alfonso arrives to beg forgiveness from Rodrigo.

The next morning Rodrigo's body is dressed in armor, with his now lifeless eyes still open. He is attached to a support frame which is then mounted on his horse. The horse is then guided out of the city gates by both Al-Mu'tamin and Alfonso. The horse then takes off on a gallop. Believing Rodrigo to have been resurrected, Ben Yusuf's horrified soldiers begin to retreat. Ben Yusuf is knocked off his horse by Rodrigo's hrose, and then Ben Yusuf is trampled to death by Valencia's defenders.

The final battle turns into a complete rout for the Moorish forces, which are forced to flee back to their ships. While the horse carrying Rodrigo's body continues its gallop along the coast, both Al-Mu'tamin and Alfonso pray to God that He receives the soul of El-Cid, calling him the "purest knight."

Trivia[]

• In real life Rodrigo did not kill Jimena's (as she was known in real life) father and she did not turn against him. Their marriage was believed to have been a happy one.
• The real El-Cid lived in Valencia with Jimena for about five years before he died on July 10, 1099 during an Almoravids seige of the city. The city soon fell back in to Muslim hands and remained under Muslim control for over a century. Jimena managed to escape with her husband's body to the city of Burgos where he was buried in a local monastery, with Jimena being laid to rest beside him when she passed away. After the Napoleonic Wars he and Jimena were reburied in the city's Cathedral where they both are presently buried.
• Not long after the arrival in Burgos legends began to sprout up that Ximena had ordered her husband's body strapped to a horse and sent out to raise the morale of Valencia's soldiers. This may have been inspired by the manner in which Ximena arrived in Burgos, with her husband's body on his horse riding alongside her.