The Mark of Zorro

Situated somewhere in between "Adventures of Robin Hood" and "Scaramouche" is "The Mark of Zorro". I say in between because while this is definitely (in my opinion) the definitive Zorro film, it does not share the same "definitive" status as Errol Flynn's "Adventures of Robin Hood" but also has escaped the anonymity of Stewart Granger's "Scaramouche". "The Mark of Zorro" simply stands as a fine swashbuckler, a brilliant product of Fox's system in the late 1930's to early 1940's, during which time Tyrone Power starred in virtually all of their biggest hits, and a rollicking good time. Not revered as a classic (though it should), but still celebrated in its own right. While that does not seem like an overwhelming vote of confidence, considering the praise I usually heap upon my favorite classic movies, please note: I was merely stating how I feel the film is perceived today in general. Personally I feel that the film is a wonderful example of good old fashioned action and adventure. I believe the reason that Columbia's 1998 film, "The Mask of Zorro" was so popular was because it played like an Old Hollywood film, completely devoid of any of the more cynical and less entertaining themes and motifs so common in contemporary cinema. Instead, it relished its Saturday matinee serial roots, piling on generous helpings of laughs, thrills and romance, all on a grand late 20th century budget. Most significantly, like its predecessor almost 50 years before, "The Mask of Zorro" succeeded by remembering one key thing: give the audience a good time. This is where Rouben Mamoullian's 1940 film set the standard.

While on paper the film seems missing a few key aspects, director Michael Curtiz and leading lady Olivia de Havilland most conspicuously (two key members of many of Warner Brothers' similar spectacles), Fox more than made up for it by shrewdly filling out smaller roles with familiar faces. Thus we have villain extraordinaire Basil Rathbone as Zorro's nemesis, the sneering Captain Pasquale, and Eugene Palette as the jovial Fray Felipe, themselves both key supporting players in Warners' seminal action/adventure "The Adventures of Robin Hood". Fox had its own leading man though, and Tyrone Power is extremely engaging and appealing in the dual role of Don Diego and the masked avenger, Zorro. While he lacks some of Errol Flynn's unique charisma, Power plays the fop more convincingly than the rougish Flynn ever could have, and for the Zorro story that element is crucial. Whereas Robin Hood does not have to lead a double life, Zorro is the comic book hero archetype: bored aristocrat by day, costumed administrator of justice by night (see Bruce Wayne/Batman for the most obvious parallel, but also dozens more superheroes. An interesting side note to the correlation between Zorro and Batman; in the original Batman comic, the film young Bruce Wayne was seeing with his parents the night they were killed was "The Mark of Zorro"). With these elements in place, the story is a relatively simple "origin" story, extremely common among present day comic book movies.

After finishing school in Spain, young Don Diego comes home to his father's estate in present day California. At first ignorant and uninterested in the plight of the peasants that are kept in economic destitude by the cruel taxes imposed by Diego's father and the rest of the artistocracy, as is typical with comic book heroes, they reach a point where they feel they "must" do something, because no one else can or will. In Diego's case those who would fight, Fray Felipe or the beautiful Lolita Quintero, cannot due to physical limitations, while those who could are too busy trying to feed their starving families. Thus Diego assumes the mask and sword of Zorro, fighting the fight for the people who cannot. If this sounds like the height of corn, well that is because it is. Movies like this have become cliche because they have ripped off properties like Zorro for so long, that when you consider the original material, it is unjustly viewed as old hat. Watching "The Mark of Zorro" however, the action is fresh, the script is sharp, and the sense of excitement is genuine. The final duel between Captain Pasquale and Zorro is amazing, and features one of my all time favorite "moments": when the cocky Pasquale attempts to intimidate Zorro by slicing a candle in half with his sword, a chunk of it goes flying. Zorro calmly takes a measured stroke through another candle and at first nothing happens, prompting Pasquale to laugh. Zorro then walks over to the candle and picks up the top half of it, his stroke perfectly slicing the candle in half without disturbing it. It is moments like these that make "The Mark of Zorro" so much fun, and put it on the same level as the more celebrated "The Adventures of Robin Hood".