This next theatrical film follows the pattern of the Davy Crockett films, being cut and edited together from a selection of episodes from the Zorro TV series (1957-1959). For this project, I’m focusing on the story itself, including dialogue, character development, any subplots, how a story presents itself, the speed at which it moves, if it slows down unnecessarily, etc.
A Brief Summary
When Don Diego is summoned by his father to return home from school in Spain, he finds out that the pueblo of Los Angeles has fallen under the control of the tyrant Monastario. Once home, he secretly becomes Zorro to protect and liberate the oppressed citizens and publicly portrays himself as an innocent, weak scholar. With Monastario on the trail to find and capture Zorro, it is up to Diego and his loyal servant Bernardo to protect his secret and remove Monastario from power. Includes fencing, secret passageways, and one very skilled dancer.
What works
- Similar to the Davy Crockett films, this movie is cut together from various Zorro TV episodes (8 in total). I was beyond thrilled (beyond thrilled) when the theme song started because I grew up watching the Heigh-Ho Sing-along Song tape that had that song. Major nostalgia points right there.
- So because he has to pretend to be an innocent scholar and not an award-winning fencer, Diego had to get rid of all his trophies and medals. I was with Bernardo not wanting to throw them overboard but alas it was a sacrifice that needed to be made.
- Character-wise, Bernardo was one of the best characters. He was entertaining to watch with all of his pantomimed actions. Story-wise, he was a crucial character in, not just helping to continue the story, but his existence provided the means to convey what was happening to the audience. While Bernardo was mute, his hearing was just fine and by his pretending to be deaf as well, he was able to be Diego’s confidant in private and his spy in public. With Diego telling Bernardo of his plans and clearly explaining (sometimes at a very obvious level) what something meant or what he intended to do, I never had to question his actions.
- Monastario is like a giddy child waiting to surprise someone every time he awaits one of his plans to shoot someone secretly. Poor guy, he never got to actually go through with it.
- Monastario had several “I’ve got morons on my team” moments through this movie, thanks to Sergeant Garcia and his other men. Yeah, he was the main villain in this but still, it sucks to see one’s plans fall apart.
What may or may not work
- Unlike the first Davy Crockett film, this felt more like an extended opening special for the TV series than a movie for the big screen. It was very entertaining and left me wanting to hunt down the TV show episodes but as a standalone movie, it felt incomplete.
- Maybe because this movie was cut together from 8 episodes, it felt a lot longer than it was. That wasn’t a bad thing, in fact, the pacing was pretty solid. It was just that the action sequences and conflicts didn’t last as long as they probably would have in a single storyline.
- Martinez bugs me. Yeah, he’s supposed to be the Zorro impostor, to discredit Zorro to the people, but other than some decent swordplay, he was just kind of meh.
Honorable Mentions
- “Someone must do something.” Don Alejandro (Diego’s father)
- “You’re right, Father. I am going to sit down and write a detailed letter of complaint to the governor.” – Diego
- Bernardo struggling and then successfully figuring out how to get back into the house from the secret passage. I was so proud of him!
- “I have never seen a man so awkward who lived so long.” – Martinez to Diego (one of the most relatable/chuckle-worthy moments in the film)
- Shout out to the fact that there is a town crier, or I should say a ‘pueblo crier’.
- One of the best and most heartbreaking moments occurs when Diego tries to keep his dad from storming the prison and his dad, not knowing his son is Zorro, says “For a few minutes tonight, I almost felt what it is like for a father to be proud of his son.” So sad! A similarly bittersweet moment occurs later on when Don Alejandro is wounded and Diego (as Zorro) rescues him. Alejandro tells him how he wishes his son could have come back and been like Zorro. Ah, the tugging of my heartstrings.
Side Questions
- The first time Monastario meets Zorro, he shoots at him (and Nacho Torres), misses, and throws the gun down in frustration (before getting into a sword duel). Was there really only one bullet in the gun?
- Monastario points out that every time Zorro appeared, Diego was close by. While yes, this is true, why didn’t he point out that Zorro had not appeared prior to Don Diego’s return to California?
- This is a partial question/partial answer:
- So the viceroy says that Diego and his son went to the same university. Constancia (viceroy’s daughter) says “we’re very good friends.” My question then is how did they not know he could fence, what with all the awards that were thrown overboard at the beginning of the film. BUT there is a line that I had forgotten about, where Constancia wants her father to stop Diego and Monastario from fighting, and the viceroy says “Diego knows what he is doing” So perhaps they do know.
Would I watch this movie again
- Absolutely. Watching this, especially for the first time, made for a very enjoyable evening, and despite any criticisms that I have mentioned above, it is one that I would be happy to repeat.
If you’ve seen The Sign of Zorro, what are some of your thoughts? Share in the comments below!
Rewind to the beginning of the Disney Film Project
Skip back to the previous film with Pollyanna
Fast Forward to the next film with Jungle Cat
Leave a Reply