Tags
1990's, Adventure, Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Martin Campbell, Matt Letscher, Stuart Wilson, Swashbuckler, The Mask of Zorro
I would like to thank RealWeegieMidget and Taking Up Room for in inviting me to take part in the It’s in the Name of the Title Blogathon. I decided to cover The Mask of Zorro. A sensational adventure that harks back to swashbucklers of Old Hollywood, The Mask of Zorro is a true delight from start to finish, owing to engaging directing, stunning visuals/ score and terrific acting .
We begin in 1821 as unrest spreads through California with the peasants rising up against the oppression of Spain, shown here as the ruthless Don Rafael Montero( Stuart Wilson) . Although he’s about to be ousted back to Spain, Don Rafael orders one more reckoning. A particular stone in his shoe has appeared as Mexican masked swordsman Zorro; a masked figure who helps those less fortunate and fights the oppression , along with carving the letter Z into things as a calling card. The man in black is actually nobleman in disguise Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins), but no one knows this. Zorro fights for the rights of the people and manages to avert the execution of three innocent men. Witnessing these events are two orphaned brothers, Alejandro and Joaquin, who at one point aid Zorro, resulting in him giving them his distinctive sliver necklace. After ruining Rafael’s final act , Diego returns to his wife Esperanza . He’s now hung up the mask and wants to settle down with his wife and infant daughter Elena. Sadly for him, Don Rafael has unearthed his true identity and confronts. In the ensuing chaos, Esperanza is tragically killed. Diego is then thrown in prison while the despicable Don Rafael takes baby Elena to raise as his own. Twenty years pass and Alejandro (Antonio Banderas) plus his brother are now bandits. Their successful cons come to an abrupt halt when soldier Captain Harrison Love( Matt Letscher) catches up with them. The sadistic Captain , who it transpires will be linked to another enemy, attempts to kill the brothers. Alejandro flees while Joaquin shoots himself rather then suffer an agonising . Captain Love viciously beheads , sending Alejandro into despair and wanting vengeance on the awful Captain . Don Rafael returns to California with a devious yet secretive plan. He brings with him the now grown up Elena( Catherine Zeta-Jones), who has blossomed into a beautiful young lady who is spirited and feels stifled by expectations of her. Diego, who has been in prison for years, manages to summon up some strength to make a daring escape. It’s here he comes across a drunken Alejandro. Remembering how he and his brother helped him years before, Diego agrees to train Alejandro to be the next Zorro. In turn both men get closer to their goals; Diego to getting revenge on Don Rafael and Alejandro to avenging his brother . Though there’s animosity at first due to stern teaching and Alejandro’s struggle to keep his emotions in check, a good relationship develops between the two along the way. Soon, Alejandro is being masterful with a sword and slowly getting ready to take revenge. He and Diego come across Rafael’s dastardly plot to purchase the land of California and claim it as an independent republic, through horrid and devious means that involve ripping his enemy off. Alejandro disguises himself as a nobleman to infiltrate Rafael’s inner circle. This brings him into contact with the spirited Elena, who already carries a torch for Zorro and now finds herself falling for Alejandro. With plans taking motion, everything culminates in fierce battles, revenge and romance. Alejandro takes on the mantle of Zorro with plans on avenging his brother via killing the slimy Captain Love and Diego plots the downfall on his sworn enemy that took away everything he cared for .
Martin Campbell, who successfully reinvigorated James Bond in GoldenEye, brings full blooded, vivid and fun verve to this film. This makes sure that The Mask of Zorro is a thrilling ride for the audience, as well as one that has both great humour and a level of seriousness too. There’s something delightfully old fashioned about the film which I love, as it mixes with a modernity that’s rather appealing. You get the rousing feeling of older movies , crossed with an occasionally winking humour. The whole battle of good and evil, love and honour is played out with a vigour, heart and most important of all, a sense of fun. The swashbuckling spirit of yesteryear is very much alive in this movie. And the film for me at least has some flavour of an Indiana Jones movie in parts, which shouldn’t be surprising considering Steven Spielberg is an executive producer on it. It must be said The Mask of Zorro is an incredibly sexy film, which is interesting because there is rarely any nudity in it. Well apart from the iconic barn duel between Alejandro and Elena but not much is shown. Much is left to the imagination during this tango rally of a sword fight , which makes it even more erotic and a highlight of the film. The look of the film is gorgeously with a dusky glow enveloping events beautifully. The action is of a high calibre throughout , with some dazzling sword fight choreography, horseback chases and an explosive finale at a mine are just some of the highlights. James Horner is on score duty and delivers in spades with a collection of pieces filled with flamenco steps, castanets and haunting melody that bring out all the necessary fun, sexiness and thrills required.
The cast are suitably game for this entertaining ride. Antonio Banderas gets across how scrappy and impulsive Alejandro is , plus his eventual maturation into the dashing Zorro . Plus he’s incredibly convincing in his athleticism and can smoulder with the best of them, not to mention having one of the most rakish grins committed to screen. Banderas for me is perfect casting as the masked title character; he hits all the required beats of humour, emotion and physicality with style and fun. The movie’s secret weapon for me is the dignity and pathos of the Old Zorro, brought to life by the impeccable Anthony Hopkins. As many readers will know, Hopkins is one of my favourite actors and he doesn’t disappoint here. He provides the beating heart of the film; fusing a gravitas with the occasional twinkle of the eye. It’s through him that gains a lot of emotional weight as we watch him drag himself from despair back to the man ready to fight and pass the torch to his new student. You believe Hopkins as a mentor because of his demeanour and his engaging voice, both of which are put to fine use here. Fleshing out the cast is Catherine Zeta -Jones turning in a strong performance, as well as being almost supernaturally beautiful here . She brings out the feisty nature of Elena as she pieces together her past as well as discover passion with Alejandro/Zorro. Zeta-Jones possesses both a ladylike grace and spirited , vivacious sense of movement , combined with a fiery temperament dying to be unleashed at any given time . This role was what propelled her into international stardom and it’s with good reason that it did because she is excellent here. Stuart Wilson does the moustache twirling villain excellently, while adding a dimension of a man who really believes that his appalling actions are doing good. Backing him up in the villain stakes is Matt Letscher, who is incredibly convincing and unnerving as the twisted Captain. He’s got an intense pair of eyes and he plays the warped sense of morality, plus a rather chilling way of conducting himself, to the hilt. Both make for terrific villains that you just love to hate throughout The Mask of Zorro.
A sizzling, adventure filled and fun swashbuckler, The Mask of Zorro truly dazzles thanks to gorgeous visuals, endless action and stellar cast. The Mask of Zorro is a film I never grow tired of because it always delivers with every viewing.