IMDb plot summary: A young Spanish aristocrat must masquerade as a fop in order to maintain his secret identity of Zorro as he restores justice to early California.
Directed by Rouben Mamoulian. Starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, and Basil Rathbone.
The Mark of Zorro stars Tyrone Power as the foppish son of the former mayor of a Californian town by day, the folk hero Zorro fighting corrupt officials by night. This version of the story really relies on the contrast between the two alter egos, and there is a delightful thrill in watching him play his sensitive nobleman act knowing that he is smarter, stronger, and more ruthless than he's letting on at any point. Power is very charismatic here and is a lot of fun to watch. I do wish there was a stronger emphasis on either the political aspect of it or the adventure scenes -- so much of this story is just watching Power flit about from group to group, and while that's enjoyable, it feels incomplete. It was a fun contrast to The Mask of Zorro, which I watched for the first time earlier this month, and comparing two different approaches to the character almost 60 years apart is kind of fascinating. This one was less exciting, both narratively and visually, but I enjoyed seeing a more debonair approach to the character.
How it entered my Flickchart:
The Mark of Zorro > Hairspray (1988)
The Mark of Zorro < Kuroneko
The Mark of Zorro > A Scanner Darkly
The Mark of Zorro > Whisky Galore!
The Mark of Zorro > 1917
The Mark of Zorro < Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
The Mark of Zorro < The Ten Commandments (1956)
The Mark of Zorro > Hoodwinked!
The Mark of Zorro < Call Me Madam
The Mark of Zorro < Borat
The Mark of Zorro > Gone Girl
The Mark of Zorro < A Clockwork Orange
Final spot: #1029 out of 3719, or 72%.
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