The Mask of Zorro Review
10 February 2013
Well, this is another film that I have a lot to say about, so just get comfortable, preferably with a cup of tea, or coffee, or whatever
you’re partial to. :)
I was told by my little sister who had seen this at a friend’s house that it was really good and that I’d like it. She did warn me that there were some ‘icky’ bits in it, so more about that in the RATING section of this review.
Right off the bat, I love this movie. It has an incredible balance of humour, adventure, swashbuckling heroism, romance, dancing, and horse-riding. The balance is amazing and will leave you laughing till tears stream down your face and sitting on the edge of your seat as Zorro battles out the bad guys. I love also the Spanish-ness of this movie as I have a relatively unexplored line of Spanish ancestry in my blood.
SYNOPSIS
you’re partial to. :)
I was told by my little sister who had seen this at a friend’s house that it was really good and that I’d like it. She did warn me that there were some ‘icky’ bits in it, so more about that in the RATING section of this review.
Right off the bat, I love this movie. It has an incredible balance of humour, adventure, swashbuckling heroism, romance, dancing, and horse-riding. The balance is amazing and will leave you laughing till tears stream down your face and sitting on the edge of your seat as Zorro battles out the bad guys. I love also the Spanish-ness of this movie as I have a relatively unexplored line of Spanish ancestry in my blood.
SYNOPSIS
With scenic 18th century Mexico as a backdrop, Zorro, a.k.a. Don Diego de la Vega is intent on revenge after rival enemy Don Raphael Montero murdered his wife and took his daughter, Elena. After being imprisoned for 20 years, the fabled hero removes his mask and takes on a tarnished young apprentice, Alejandro Murieta, to infiltrate Montero's plan to take control of California from Santa Anna. A boisterous outlaw with his own desire for revenge, Murieta works with Diego to avenge his brother's death by the sword of Montero's right-hand man, Captain Harrison Love. After Diego's extensive training in swordfighting, discipline and manners, a new Zorro appears wreaking vengeance and stealing the heart of a now-grown Elena.
SCENERY
Since this film is set in California with Spanish and Mexican influence, the scenery is very pretty. Also the sets of Diego’s home and training circle and Don Raphael’s home show the affluence of the upper class Spanish society. I don’t think there are a lot of pictures
online, so you’ll either have to take my word for it or watch the movie yourself. :)
SCENERY
Since this film is set in California with Spanish and Mexican influence, the scenery is very pretty. Also the sets of Diego’s home and training circle and Don Raphael’s home show the affluence of the upper class Spanish society. I don’t think there are a lot of pictures
online, so you’ll either have to take my word for it or watch the movie yourself. :)
STORY
This story differs slightly from the regular ‘hero’ film because there are two heroes and two villains. The story starts with Diego de la Vega as the much-loved hero, Zorro, saving the lives of three innocent men picked out randomly from a crowd for execution. That immediately sets him against Don Raphael Montero, who is the Governor of California. Don Raphael follows Diego back to his home to arrest him, and while there accidently kills Diego’s wife, Esperanza, kidnaps his daughter, Elena, burns his home to the ground, and arrests Diego. Don Raphael leaves California for Spain with Elena.
This story differs slightly from the regular ‘hero’ film because there are two heroes and two villains. The story starts with Diego de la Vega as the much-loved hero, Zorro, saving the lives of three innocent men picked out randomly from a crowd for execution. That immediately sets him against Don Raphael Montero, who is the Governor of California. Don Raphael follows Diego back to his home to arrest him, and while there accidently kills Diego’s wife, Esperanza, kidnaps his daughter, Elena, burns his home to the ground, and arrests Diego. Don Raphael leaves California for Spain with Elena.
The story then jumps twenty years in time when Don Raphael returns to California. Diego finds out that he has returned and escapes from prison and vows to kill Don Raphael. He comes across a drunk and angry Alejandro Murrieta, who has just lost his brother to the Captain Harrison Love and is planning to kill the Captain. Diego offers to train Alejandro in sword fighting and discipline so that he can face his adversary and live to tell the tale. As they go through intensive training, Alejandro is told that Diego is his childhood hero, Zorro, and tries his best to imitate him. On an escapade to steal a horse that resembles Zorro’s horse, Thunder, Alejandro bumps into Don Raphael’s ‘daughter’ Elena and it is practically love at first sight.
Diego discovers Don Raphael has invited all the other Don’s to a banquet at his home. He is suspicious of Don Raphael’s motives, so he and Alejandro go to his party to spy and discover what is going on. There they discover Don Raphael and Captain Love have an underhand scheme to take over and create an independent state of California. Together they work out a plan to stop the hideous scheme and revenge their enemies.
CHARACTERS
Don Diego de la Vaga, the first Zorro, is played by Anthony Hopkins. This man is loved by the people, but loses everything – his beautiful wife, his baby daughter, and his home – to the Don Raphael. He spends twenty years in prison then breaks out to
get even with his sworn enemy. The young man that he trains in sword fighting becomes almost like a son to him and they go into Don Raphael’s home to spy. Diego is in regular contact with his daughter, Elena, which is heart-breaking for him. When he goes to get his daughter back from Don Raphael, his enemy tricks him and he is thrown back into prison. Spoiler Elena finds out who her real father is and rescues him. In the end, he gets his vengeance against Don Raphael and reconciliation with his daughter End of Spoiler
Don Diego de la Vaga, the first Zorro, is played by Anthony Hopkins. This man is loved by the people, but loses everything – his beautiful wife, his baby daughter, and his home – to the Don Raphael. He spends twenty years in prison then breaks out to
get even with his sworn enemy. The young man that he trains in sword fighting becomes almost like a son to him and they go into Don Raphael’s home to spy. Diego is in regular contact with his daughter, Elena, which is heart-breaking for him. When he goes to get his daughter back from Don Raphael, his enemy tricks him and he is thrown back into prison. Spoiler Elena finds out who her real father is and rescues him. In the end, he gets his vengeance against Don Raphael and reconciliation with his daughter End of Spoiler
Alejandro Murrieta, the second Zorro, is played by Antonio Banderas. As a boy, Alejandro and his older brother admired and ‘hero-fied’ Zorro. As they grew up, they became thieves. On the run from the law, Alejandro’s brother wounded by Captain Love and shoots himself rather than be taken by him. Alejandro vows to kill Captain Love, but is stopped by Diego, who trains him to become an expert swordsman – like himself. As he goes through his training and raids against Don Raphael’s home, he meets and falls in love with the beautiful Elena. This Zorro is determined to save the people and defeat his enemy no matter the cost… and of course he gets the girl in the end. :)
Don Raphael Montero, Diego’s nemesis and Governor of California, is played by Stuart Wilson. Jealous of Diego because of his marriage to Esperanza and because of his popularity with the people, Don Raphael ensures that Diego is left with nothing and put away so that he can stop interfering with his ‘rule’. He also kidnaps Diego’s daughter and keeps her for his own. He plans to buy California illegally to make it a separate state… but his nemesis, Zorro, is back on his case again!
Captain Harrison Love, Alejandro’s nemesis, is played by Matt Letscher. This fellow is rather twisted and evil. His long blonde hair and beard reminds me of General Custer –which is a perfect analogy. He has no sense of compassion for the Mexican people or for the people he has to arrest. Spoiler After Alejandro’s brother dies, Captain Love shows him his brother’s head and hands that he stores in big jars. Quite gross, but it shows the twisted and evilness of this guy End of spoiler.
Elena de la Vega/Montero is played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. Kidnapped as a baby by Don Raphael, she grows up in Spain, unaware of the true death of her mother and the identity of her real father. When she comes to California with her father, she encounters and falls in love with a black-masked bandit. When a handsome young Don –Alejandro – arrives at her father’s banquet, she is unsure about him. Through an encounter in the marketplace she discovers the true identity of her true father, and it is confirmed when Diego goes to Don Raphael’s home to get his daughter back. Filled with passion and spirit, Catherine Zeta-Jones plays the fiery Spanish girl really well... I was so surprised to hear she has a British accent!
Esperanza de la Vega, Diego’s wife and Elena’s mother, is played by Julieta Rosen. This character isn’t on the screen for very long, but her presence is felt throughout the film because of Diego’s anger at her death and Elena’s searching to know her mother, but I love her name! :) Esperanza saves the life of her husband through her death, which shows her Spanish spirit.
COSTUMES/HAIRSTYLES
I watched most of the ‘making-of documentary’ of The Mask of Zorro, and discovered a few very interesting things! Some may not apply to the topic of this section, but I feel that the fans and want-to-watch-it folks would be interested in them.
The crew of this film wanted it to be as accurate as possible, so they went to extreme lengths to ensure the costumes, sets, and sword-fighting was as accurate possible. The lady who was in charge of the costuming rented a few of the outfits, but she made most of the costumes! For Don Raphael’s banquet, she made costumes for over 2,000 extras. And let me say that they were gorgeous. For Diego’s Zorro costume she gave it more of a Spanish feel – understandable as he was from the Spanish upper-class. But Alejandro’s Zorro
costume was more Mexican because the character Alejandro was Mexican.
I watched most of the ‘making-of documentary’ of The Mask of Zorro, and discovered a few very interesting things! Some may not apply to the topic of this section, but I feel that the fans and want-to-watch-it folks would be interested in them.
The crew of this film wanted it to be as accurate as possible, so they went to extreme lengths to ensure the costumes, sets, and sword-fighting was as accurate possible. The lady who was in charge of the costuming rented a few of the outfits, but she made most of the costumes! For Don Raphael’s banquet, she made costumes for over 2,000 extras. And let me say that they were gorgeous. For Diego’s Zorro costume she gave it more of a Spanish feel – understandable as he was from the Spanish upper-class. But Alejandro’s Zorro
costume was more Mexican because the character Alejandro was Mexican.
Here are a few of Elena's beautiful gowns:
Everything was shot at location in Mexico. All of the sets (about 60 or so, if I recall correctly) were made by Mexican/Spanish set-builders. Amazing. The sets were really incredible. Spoiler For the explosion of the mine, the crew built a model of the mine to test it and see how it would work. After all, you can only blow up a set once! They had seven cameras on the set to catch the explosion from every possible angle. End of spoiler
Now, the sword-fighting. This has always intrigued me because I know every step is choreographed, like a dance, and every now and then I try my hand at choreography. I know the choreographers must be incredibly talented to include things like swords, flips, multiple bad guys against a single hero… The guy that they brought in to teach the art of fencing taught fencing for movies such as The Princess Bride (another movie’s choreography that astounded me. I’ve included a scene in my review here) and even all the way back to Errol Flynn! He’s seventy-plus and no one could touch him with a sword. How amazing.
RATING
Between 1 and 5, this film earns a 5. Any movie that can balance humour, adventure, and romance gets a + in my book.
This movie is rated ‘M for moderate violence’… There are intense sword fighting scenes, some resulting in blood and even death. Spoiler The scene where Captain Love pulls out his jars with Alejandro’s brother’s head and hand in them is quite gross. It’s not gory, but just gross. Also the scenes of the deaths of Captain Love and Don Raphael are pretty intense End of Spoiler There are some scenes of sensuality. In one scene Alejandro and his brother strip and tie up some soldiers and they are briefly seen from behind. There are a couple of scenes between Alejandro and Elena that are suggestive, one is an intense Spanish dance and the other is a sword-fighting scene when Alejandro cuts up Elena’s nightdress… nothing is shown, but she does lose her dress. It takes quite a bit of maturity to understand the different plots and subplots and to comprehend the evil intentions of men such as Captain Love.
Between 1 and 5, this film earns a 5. Any movie that can balance humour, adventure, and romance gets a + in my book.
This movie is rated ‘M for moderate violence’… There are intense sword fighting scenes, some resulting in blood and even death. Spoiler The scene where Captain Love pulls out his jars with Alejandro’s brother’s head and hand in them is quite gross. It’s not gory, but just gross. Also the scenes of the deaths of Captain Love and Don Raphael are pretty intense End of Spoiler There are some scenes of sensuality. In one scene Alejandro and his brother strip and tie up some soldiers and they are briefly seen from behind. There are a couple of scenes between Alejandro and Elena that are suggestive, one is an intense Spanish dance and the other is a sword-fighting scene when Alejandro cuts up Elena’s nightdress… nothing is shown, but she does lose her dress. It takes quite a bit of maturity to understand the different plots and subplots and to comprehend the evil intentions of men such as Captain Love.