This week’s Netflix Pick of the Week is the first screen outing of the legendary caballero, El Zorro! Originally conceived in 1919 by author Johnston McCulley in the serialized story “The Curse of Capistrano”, Zorro was quickly adapted into one of the greatest films of the silent era just a year later as “The Mark of Zorro”. The film was so popular that future published versions of that original story carry the title of its celluloid cousin to this day. Not only that, but the visual for the Zorro character originates here, as McCulley only later change the literary Zorro’s appearance based on Douglas Fairbanks’ turn as the hero!
You are likely at least passingly familiar with the legend of Zorro, due to countless adaptations, but a quick synopsis follows: Don Diego Vega has returned from his studies in Spain to find turmoil and hardship in his native California. Appalled by the corruption of local officials, Diego dons the shadowy garb of El Zorro to show that one man can inspire great change if he stands up to villainy. While not in the guise of Zorro, Diego takes on the affectations of a frivolous fop, to throw off suspicion.
That’s only a bare-bones summary, because the movie has to be experienced the way it was intended. Thankfully, the version on Netflix is the way to see the film. While I could do without the different filters used to convey different times or settings, one thing this version has over all others I’ve seen is the soundtrack. You see, with silent movies being silent the music helps greatly to convey that mood, but sadly over the years and subsequent re-releases, the original soundtrack had been superseded by an appalling 70’s-era score that did not fit the setting at all. Thankfully on Netflix, the score used, while not the original recording, is much more faithful to the tone the film is trying to convey.
This movie is also historically significant for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the fact that this was the movie that was chosen to be the first under the United Artists label, one of the most enduring movie studios of all time. Also of note to geeks is that this is the movie that a young Bruce Wayne saw the night his parents were murdered. In fact, this film has been cited as one of the direct inspirations in the creation of Batman himself! It’s easy to see why when you watch the film. There’s even a grandfather clock that leads to Zorro’s underground cave!
Finally, it should be noted that actor Douglas Fairbanks does an absolutely amazing job in the dual roles of Diego/Zorro. In fact, there is a chase scene at the end that can be described as “proto-free-running” and has to be seen to be believed. If you’ve an hour and a half to spare, you could do worse than spending it watching The Mark of Zorro!