Have you seen this one?
- Review By:
- tpb
- Date:
- January 11, 2009
- Movie:
- The Mark Of Zorro
- Director:
- Fred Niblo
- Released:
- 1920
- Good Guy:
- Don Diego/Zorro
- Played By:
- Douglas Fairbanks
- Bad Guy:
- Captain Ramon
- Played By:
- Robert Mckim
- MPAA Rating:
- NR
- Family Friendly Ages:
- Everyone
Yes, it's a silent movie. No, it's not in color. Yes, it requires that you read the onscreen intertitles. No, it's not boring. The Mark of Zorro created an entire Preposterone, action movie franchise, inspired the Batman origins, and delivers in wit, charm and excitement throughout. Douglas Fairbanks is the consummate dual-identity super-hero as he creates two separate and distinct characters to maintain the secret of his swashbuckling better half. As the effete Don Diego, whom Lolita (Marguerite de la Motte) the love interest describes as a 'fish', he shuffles about in his bathrobe; dabs at this mouth listlessly with his ever-present handkerchief; does slight of hand parlor tricks; and stoops limply about proclaiming fatigue. But, as Zorro, the masked avenger in his dashing black outfit with matching, shiny cummerbund, he is bold, cavalier, fearless, valiant, and spirited as he sets about besting the Governor's soldiers with inspiration, athleticism and sheer wits. He always seems to show up at just the right moment to quash the oppressors as they terrorize the natives or the weak and defenseless. When the evil Captain Ramon (Robert McKim) intrudes upon Lolita's solitude and tries to take her by force, you know that Zorro will arrive to put a stop to it, and he doesn't disappoint. Zorro peeks through the curtain, sizes up the situation, leaps off the balcony and glares menacing into Ramon's eyes before challenging him with a hard slap across the face. It's all pretty tame by today's standards, but the lack of bloody violence doesn't water-down the action and suspense. On the contrary, forcing Ramon to apologize, then forcing him to his knees to apologize again seems like a more just punishment than running him through the heart with a shiny blade. In the final showdown of the third act, Zorro leaps and sweeps through the set like an acrobat as he climbs walls, walks and runs on furniture, tumbles over fences, and swings from balcony to ledge on bell tower ropes. Zorro seems indefatigable as he sprints across the chapel roof, bounds through windows, performs an impressive high jump over a stationary donkey, and runs after and tackles Ramon as he rides past on horseback then immediately springs to action to rescue the girl. What's all the more astounding for the viewer is that Fairbanks does it all without a stunt double. These are impressive feats by anyone's standards.
The Mask Of Zorro is nearly 100 years old now, so be prepared for some dated material. Zorro's stick-on mustache-disguise is just ridiculous and Don Diego's curly-cue-at-the-temples hair style is dreadful. The scenes where soldiers and 'caballeros' are all on screen at once seem to pay homage to the Keystone Cops of the previous decade. For there is quite a bit of anarchy, chaos and over-the-head sword shaking where it seems to do the least amount of good. But it's the language and dialogue that show how far from 1920 we've come. For one thing, the intertitles expect the audience to be an educated lot. They don't over-explain or dumb-down their descriptions. They refer to high-level terms like 'licentious' and make heady social commentary with phrases like “Oppression - by its very nature - creates the power that crushes it”. There's also a bit too much dull rabble-rousing and speechifying with Zorro leading the revolution with cries of “Justice for all!”. It's over-the-top, somewhat false rebellion too given that the followers of this masked leader are all wealthy landowners. When Zorro tells Lolita not to worry about him because the soldiers' “wits are as slow as their blades.” You believe him. But when he turns back to her immediately after to say “The weapons you use piece deep, senorita.” You want to tell him he's laying it on a bit thick. This is especially true at the end after Don Diego reveals himself to be Zorro. Lolita says to him enquiringly, “You talk like Zorro.” To which he replies “And I love like Zorro.” But this odd dialogue and too-flowery language is what contribute to such a fun movie. Feel free to laugh out loud at any and all of it. Zorro laughs uproariously in some unexpected places himself. Don't be surprised too, if at the end of it all, you aren't repeating Don Diego's own catch phrase; “Have you seen this one?” Be sure you are able to answer 'Yes'. It's well worth it.
