The Mask of Zorro

Twenty years after its release, I finally own this movie on Blu-ray and it is still as entertaining as back in the late 90's. Some movies don't age very well for a variety of reasons such as dated special effects or the changing tastes of audiences. If "The Mask of Zorro" were released today, it would have still been successful. The chemistry of the cast, the director's vision and the story all work together very well and help you to overlook any flaws.

Some might consider Zorro to be history's very first comic book hero. Technically, the character debuted in 1919 by means of a pulp magazine, a type of literature that preceded comic books. For this reason, I haven't included this movie in my list of favourite films based on comic books. Zorro, and other heroes with a dual identity, did however inspire comic book writer Bob Kane when he came up with Batman. Both masked men share other characteristics such as using a personal symbol and acting in secret. The opening fight sequence perfectly establishes Zorro and what he is known for. Was de la Vega followed back to his estate or did Don Rafael already know the identity of Zorro but wanted to kill him publically? If the latter theory is true, the plan didn't work and Rafael had to use the direct approach on his way out of the country. One might ask why de la Vega did not escape sooner during the past twenty years. I believe the answer is that de la Vega is not consumed by vengeance, unlike the Count of Monte Cristo (even though de la Vega uses his same escape plan). When your enemy is an ocean away and the people are free from Spanish rule, there is no need for Zorro. What de la Vega probably doesn't know is that Las Californias has traded Spanish rule for Mexican disregard. Rafael plans to use this situation to his advantage but first he needs to ensure that Zorro is no longer alive to stop him. He knows that if a still-living de la Vega learns of his return to California, prison bars is not enough to stop Zorro from interfering. When Rafael suddenly comes to the prison in secret before his official return to California, de la Vega knows that Rafael is up to something. de la Vega can have his revenge. There is one plot hole I saw with de la Vega's escape. All the other prisoners are watching so why did they not squeal, especially when the guards passed by carrying "the body"? On the beach, de la Vega understands that he can't just kill Rafael because he will turn his own daughter against him. He comes upon a solution when he meets a thief he owes a debt to and Alejandro himself is desirous for vengeance. By passing on the mask, de la Vega can take revenge, protect the people of the land from Rafael's secret plan and with luck, reclaim his daughter. Having a protégé go up against Rafael makes the fight a lot less personal and complicated. In my view, it is an honorable way of handling this crisis.

Alejandro is a man who must be redeemed from his criminal life and must be freed from the hate he has in his heart. In being trained as Zorro, de la Vega is giving a lost soul a higher calling. I love how the Murrieta brothers are reintroduced. We think they are in trouble but even the audience is fooled by their scheme. Joaquin Murrieta is an actual historical figure of the era and inspiration for the original Zorro character so that is a nice touch. What makes Alejandro a great leading man is that he is funny. Ever since I heard the line "Pointy end goes into the other man", I have never forgotten it. After twenty years, it is still funny. When Alejandro first puts on a mask, we as the audience subconsciously can't quite accept him as Zorro yet and de la Vega confirms this to us. Because Alejandro is a thief, he may already have Zorro's rebel nature but Zorro is also known for his grace, charisma and loyalty to the people of the land. While a thief already has a certain level of charisma, Alejandro must humble himself in order to become the hero he worships. He must also enter the world of his enemies in order to defeat them. His frustrations with de la Vega's criticisms almost make him quit but he stays because of the prospect of spying. As the mentor, de la Vega plays on Alejandro's passion for adventure. This brings about the kind of fictional crime fighter that we are used to in that Zorro has a secret identity. The best way to pull off a false facade is to be true to yourself and Alejandro seems to have learned this on his own as he masquerades as a Spanish nobleman. When he says he is a man in search of a vision, de la Vega can't help but smile. As a teen, I loved how Don Alejandro would mock Zorro. It is a very entertaining way to throw off suspicion. I also liked how Alejandro takes the opportunity to humiliate Captain Love. Through this, Alejandro learns what it is like to take revenge with honor. He could kill Love at any time but now values more the ultimate goal of learning and stopping his scheme with Rafael. Alejandro displays even greater self-control with Love privately in his office. Love suspects that Alejandro is not who he claims to be but Love can't figure out if Alejandro is the missing Murrieta or hiding something else. Love tests his theory in his office but comes up short of evidence against Alejandro.

As mentioned, Alejandro can't be a true hero without humility. He had the drive to improve his fighting skills but has doubt when it comes to playing the part of a nobleman. This is where he learns humility not just in infiltrating the world of the Dons but also when he sees "El Dorado". Alejandro sees his old friend die and learns that the priest that hid him is in slavery along with many innocent people. Alejandro now has a vision and a purpose greater than himself and Rafael ironically gives it to him. It is this purpose that gives Alejandro the strength to resist Love's trap in his office. With the location of the mine unknown, a mission to break into Rafael's house is required. Alejandro wants to free the workers but the first time, he humbly acknowledges his hate as a weakness to his mentor. After hearing this, de la Vega knows that Alejandro is ready and we get a great reveal of Zorro as he sneaks into the manor. I love how Alejandro undergoes a physical transformation throughout the show as his hairstyle and beard are gradually cut and shaven. The costumes also do their part. As we approach the climax, de la Vega must now get his daughter back. Alejandro sees this as hypocritical because his mentor is putting himself before the people. In de la Vega's eyes though, the people have a new Zorro to defend them. If Rafael is stopped or killed, that will not bring Elena back to her real father and she must learn the truth. The biggest flaw with this movie is a lack of acknowledgment when Love learns Zorro's identity. There are three moments in the film where Love could have dramatically come to this realization but because the filmmakers failed to capitalize on the first moment and it affects the other two. I speak of the scene when Rafael is suddenly confronted by de la Vega and the villain uncovers for himself the "Don Alejandro/Bernardo" deception. Love is within earshot of Rafael but we aren't shown Love's reaction to this revelation. Did he not hear? If not, the second moment is when the revelation comes to Love as he fights Zorro in the climax and Zorro asks, "How would you like your remains displayed?" If that is when Love learns the truth or even if he did hear Rafael spell it out the night before, what need is there for Zorro to remove his mask in front of Love? The filmmakers should have been a lot clearer in their storytelling. If I were making the film, I would have had Love learn that Zorro was the final Murrieta brother during the fight followed by the mask removal acting as the reveal of Don Alejandro. By the way, the ending we get in the film was suggested by executive producer Steven Spielberg to act as a bookend.

To reintroduce the character of Zorro to film audiences, Spielberg turned to the director who reinvented James Bond for the 90's: Martin Campbell. He really went for romanticism but also didn't shy away from a sense of adventure, peril and fun. All of the cast members were well chosen and had the required chemistry with each other. Back in 1998, this film introduced me to every main actor. Antonio Banderas was having success as an actor before this film but many will point to "The Mask of Zorro" as when he became mainstream in the minds of moviegoers. Catherine Zeta-Jones herself credits this movie as her breakout role. Spielberg suggested her for the part of Elena after her performance in the Titanic miniseries and I remember watching that on TV. I don't know which performance of hers I saw first but I didn't know she was on that miniseries until I wrote this, which makes "The Mask of Zorro" my official introduction to her work. We accept the romance between Alejandro and Elena thanks to these two actors. I was aware of Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins previous to seeing this show as a teenager but this was also my first movie I saw of his. I am glad it was this film as opposed to "Silence of the Lambs". Sean Connery was supposed to play de la Vega in an early version but I can't get his Scottish accent out of my head. I therefore am pleased with the change. Another casting change was for the role of Rafael but I think I would have liked Armand Assante as the villain. I really need to give a shutout to actor L.Q. Jones as Three-fingered Jack. I wanted more of him in the film but I understand the reasons for his brief role. Among the writers of this film are two filmmakers who were very successful in the 90's and early 2000's. Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio had previously wrote "Aladdin" and "Men in Black" and would later write other hit films including "Shrek", "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "National Treasure". Another great line in "The Mask of Zorro" by the way is, "I warn you, I'll get another horse." Yet another legendary filmmaker working on this movie was swordmaster Bob Anderson, whose film credits include "Star Wars" (he was the Darth Vader stunt double), "The Princess Bride" and later in his career "The Lord of the Rings". Finally, James Horner's contribution as the composer can't be overlooked. He asked for this movie after completing his work on "Titanic", a score that earned him his two career Oscar wins. Horner wanted a project as different as possible from "Titanic" and saw "The Mask of Zorro" as filling that need. The use of Flamingo dancers is quite interesting as well as an occasional use of a Japanese wind instrument.

This movie was nominated for both sound awards as the Oscars that year and it is my favourite film from 1998. A sequel was made seven years later but that film somewhat failed to live up to the original film. I believe that the absence of Anthony Hopkins in that sequel was a factor. If not for "The Mask of Zorro" though, Antonio Banderas certainly would not have landed the role of Puss in Boots in the "Shrek" franchise. "The Mask of Zorro" respects the swashbuckling genre such that the film has lasting value. The movie is not perfect but the balance between good acting, fine direction and entertaining storytelling is such that you can't help but enjoy the ride.

4.5 Stars out of 5