One of the standard Swashbuckler plots has the hero masquerading as a fop so his real self can right wrongs and win the maiden, and no film did it better than The Mark of Zorro. Leslie Howard recited doggerel poems as the The Scarlet Pimpernel and Louis Hayward dithered on about banking as The Son of Monte Cristo, but Tyrone Power is on a whole different level as he dreamily expounds on fragrances and fabrics.
What struck me when re-watching The Mark of Zorro recently was how funny it is, and how well it stands up in more cynical times. While other Swashbucklers, such as The Sea Hawk, Cyrano de Bergerac, and even Robin Hood, take their world view seriously (if not the execution of that view), Zorro winks at the audience. Itâs a tiny bit silly, and it knows it. Deep down, many of the best Swashbucklers have a message about life and the nature of good and evil and proper behavior. The Mark of Zorro doesnât. Sure, it nods toward doing the right thing and proper morals, but thatâs not the point here. Itâs all about action and romance and flashing blades and quick witâthe basis for the genre. Thatâs made it feel less dated than the others.
While not as dramatic as The Count of Monte Cristo, or as beautiful as The Adventures of Robin Hood, or as uplifting as The Sea Hawk, or as lyrical as Cyrano de Bergerac, or as witty as The Princess Bride, I think it may be the most fun. Humor is responsible for much of that, but at least as import is pacing. The Mark of Zorro has the best pacing of any Swashbuckler, and I canât think of a single film of any genre which beats it. There is not a slow moment. Humor flows into chases which flow into romance which flows back to humor then on to swordfights. No time to get up for popcorn.
There are small problems that I could nit-pick, but The Mark of Zorro never gives me the chance. Later, I can wonder how Zorro happens to be drinking with the banker at the proper time, and why the soldiers canât shoot into a river, but not while I watch.
The nearly âprettyâ Tyrone Power has no problem convincing me that he is the dashing, romantic champion, but it is as the effeminate peacock that he excels. One of the great moments is after a spirited dance; Lolita, out of breath and in awe, says that she has ânever dreamed dancing could be so wonderful. Diego, blotting at his face with a lace handkerchief, responds that he âfound it rather fatiguing.â
Linda Darnell was an inspired choice for Lolita. She was seventeen, as was her character, with uncommon beauty and grace. She is all the good things about youth personified, and as such, it isnât troubling for the film that Diego loves her on sightâI did too.
The rest of the cast is excellent as well.  Swashbucklermainstays Montagu Love and Eugene Pallette play variations on roles theyâd perfected. Gale Sondergaard mixes sympathy and sensuality with unscrupulous social climbing to make Lolitaâs aunt, Inez Quintero, a surprisingly engaging character. Keeping to my view that the villains make the movie, The Mark of Zorro gives us a bumbling, evil alcalde played by J. Edward Bromberg, and an ex-fencing master/strongman played by the greatest portrayer of Swashbuckler villains, Basil Rathbone.  Rathbone adds yet another classic swordfight to his resume.
Alfred Newmanâs Zorro theme has stuck with me from childhood. I wouldnât have minded a bit more variation in the score, but whatâs there is good, so the repetition doesnât hurt the film.
If the The Adventures of Robin Hood is the first film to see to understand and appreciate Swashbucklers, then The Mark of Zorro is the second.