El Cid Page #5

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Nor drunk better wine, nor...

I love you.

Dona Chimene, my wife.

I'm so glad, Rodrigo.

So glad.

Must we go?

Of what are you glad?

That you are no longer

the King's champion...

that you no longer have

your knights and your armies...

and that you have only me.

We will find some hidden place

where you are not known.

Yes, a place like this.

And we will make our lives there.

If all men knew that banishment

could be like this...

we'd have a world of exiles.

Come.

We'll look for your hidden place...

before the others find it.

We'll have a new life now.

Lord God...

protect this woman I love...

and who is now, finally, my wife.

El Cid!

I am in exile!

Without you, we are all in exile.

I can't take you with me!

You'd lose your homes,

your families!

Every man here has

already made the choice.

We want you to lead us!

You have no right to ask him!

He has done enough!

- El Cid!

- El Cid!

But why him?

Why?

For Spain!

Spain!

Urraca!

I haven't slept all night.

Every time I close my eyes to sleep...

I dream the same dream

over and over.

I'm fighting an enemy

whose face I can never see.

I cut him down

with my broadsword, he falls.

But when I look down...

it isn't my enemy lying at my feet.

It's...

It's my own right arm.

It was only a dream.

It was nothing.

It was nothing.

- Our dream was short.

- I know.

There is no hidden place

for a man like you.

There must be thousands

who would gladly part.

Why you?

Why me?

Please, let me carry away

an image of you smiling.

It would be a lie.

I will beseech God with my prayers.

I will tell Him He must

bring you back to me.

I must tell God how much I need you.

Then we will see each other again.

Don Rodrigo.

We have not forgotten or forgiven

the wrong you did our Royal person.

But when danger threatens,

it is a king's duty...

to put the welfare of his subjects

above all else.

That is why we summoned you here.

Sire, I have all these years lived...

in the hope Your Majesty

would call me.

Especially now, since Ben Yusuf

has landed on our shores.

Ben Yusuf has challenged us to meet him

on the plains of Sagrajas.

Sire, you must not fight at Sagrajas.

- Valencia must first be--

- We have already accepted the challenge.

My liege, you must first

take Valencia.

While the Moors hold Valencia...

Ben Yusuf can strike out from there,

overrun all Spain.

Your Majesty must not

let this happen.

Look, I have brought friends

to help you in this fight.

How dare they not kneel to us?

Sire.

These are kings.

They come here as allies.

- We need no such allies.

- We are a Christian kingdom!

We treat only with Christians.

They're ready to fight

at your side for Valencia.

They fear Ben Yusuf as we do.

They are your friends.

We do not consider them friends.

Sire!

You risk having no Spain at all!

Don Rodrigo,

you will join us at Sagrajas...

and we shall annul your banishment

and return your lands.

But if you are not at Sagrajas...

we shall consider

you and yours our enemies!

Don Rodrigo.

I know why you have come.

Your twin daughters

are playing in the garden here.

This is your father.

You're Elvira?

Then you must be Sol.

You're Elvira.

You're exactly alike.

I'm tired.

Tired of exile.

Now I can take you home to Vivar...

with honors.

I might be wrong to defy the King.

He commanded me

to meet him at Sagrajas.

I could be wrong.

If you did not have us, Rodrigo...

would you even wonder?

I used to see so many

of your hidden places...

where I could've lived with you.

And no one would have known.

Have you also found a place...

where we could hide from ourselves?

I can't leave you...

leave them here unprotected.

But if you do what must be done

for all Spain...

that will be our best protection.

Our Moorish silks suit well

your Christian armor.

You'll make a Moslem of me yet, my lord.

How can anyone say this is wrong?

They will say so, on both sides.

We have so much to give to

each other and to Spain.

If we are not destroyed first.

Once we take Valencia,

then let Ben Yusuf try.

Valencia is surrounded.

No one here can leave

the city or enter it.

Then our weapon is starvation.

May Allah make

the siege a short one.

May God help our King Alfonso

at Sagrajas.

We could have beaten Ben Yusuf!.

With a few more men

we could have won!

A handful of knights

and victory would have been ours.

Dona Chimene, did you think we would permit

your husband to go unpunished?

Would you punish the man

who is now Spain's only hope?

What if we were to place Dona Chimene

and her children in our deepest dungeons?

Might not the Cid then deliver himself

into our hands?

Sire, this is a sanctuary.

There are no sanctuaries

for the enemies of Christ!

If you crush him, who then would stand

against the invaders of Spain?

It was his fault! If he had come,

we would have won.

Sire?

It was not for lack

of courage that we lost.

You shall see.

You saw!

I made no sound!

It was not through lack

of courage that we lost!

It takes more than courage

to make a king.

Tell me his exact words!

The King said he would not release

Chimene and the children.

What does the King expect I'd do?

That I would let my wife and children

die in his dungeons?

No! He hopes you will march

on Burgos to rescue her.

Burgos! Well, then,

shall we disappoint our King?

What do we wait here for?

To Burgos!

My Lord Cid, wait!

My lord, the city is ready to fall.

More and more people

are coming over to our side.

After all these months,

we cannot leave!

Don't speak to me of Valencia,

my Lord Moutamin.

Not now!

Am I not a man, too, like you?

May I not sometimes

think of my wife? My children?

Well, then, what must I do?

What must I do?

Everything was taken from you.

How did you bribe the jailer

to bring me your message?

With two words:
the Cid.

Even all these months

in the dungeon...

have not marred your beauty.

There are terrible rumors.

They are not rumors.

The Cid has sent

an ultimatum to the King.

Unless you and the children

are released at once...

your husband will march

against us here.

Abandon Valencia?

Leave all Spain unprotected?

Yes, Chimene, for you.

Why not?

Help me and the children to escape.

Come with us.

Join Rodrigo.

If I thought it would stop him

from coming here...

I would kill myself...

and the children.

Then your love

is as desperate as mine.

Rodrigo, let me fight at your side.

We have need of such men.

Count Ordonez,

we must attack tonight.

Soldiers!

Citizens of Valencia!

We have starved you!

Now you are weak!

But we do not wish to attack you!

We are not your enemies!

Ben Yusuf is your enemy.

He will bring you

death and destruction!

People of Valencia...

rid yourselves of your leaders!

join with us!

We bring you peace!

Soldiers and citizens!

We bring you freedom!

We bring you life!

We bring you... bread!

We bring you bread! Bread!

Bread! Bread!

Bread! Bread!

My lord!

El Cid is throwing them food!

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