King of Hollywood

Chapter 414: Chapter 136 Entangled Together

This is still an old-fashioned story, where the righteous hero is framed by his enemies and thrown into prison, only to escape several years later and meet a somewhat kind-hearted street urchin. After several trials, he imparts all his skills to the young man, allowing him to inherit his mantle and continue the fight against poverty and bureaucracy on behalf of the poor people.

Of course, various stories took place during that period, such as the hero’s old nemesis—the man who got him thrown into prison and caused him to lose his wife and children—turning out to be the father of his long-lost daughter, thus another drama of father-daughter recognition unfolds. The ending is a typical happy one, where the street urchin, now grown, brings about the deserved punishment to the hero’s old enemy and marries the hero’s daughter, officially taking over his mantle. The winners in life are always the same.

This story could be set in any era and any place, but it takes a different turn when applied to Zorro. Although history has it that Zorro was nothing more than a common thief and bandit, the derived image has been well-received. Novels, animations, movies, and TV shows about him abound, and people love this powerful character who fights for the poor and delivers justice—some things are indeed universal across the world.

The traditional depiction of Zorro is as a smart and powerful figure, with exquisite swordsmanship and wit, and a dashing demeanor befitting the title of a gentlemanly bandit. Even when unfortunate circumstances befall him, he quickly turns danger into safety. But “The Mask of Zorro” is different; it starts with Zorro being captured after an action and without any chance to turn the tables, his wife is mistakenly killed by his enemy and his daughter taken away, eventually leading to his imprisonment.

This is probably the most unfortunate Zorro of all, where the audience originally expected him to break out of prison quickly and seek justice, but years passed and when he finally escaped, he lacked his former vigor and reluctantly chose to help a young man who had helped him, planning to train him to be the new Zorro. This is one of the film’s highlights; like many animations, the timeline of Zorro’s animations is messed up, not as exaggerated as the eternal grade school student, but not far off.

Superheroes can be explained by various parallel worlds, but Zorro, having historical prototypes, is more complicated. One minute he’s in a certain year in Spain, then in a certain year in Mexico, and the next he’s in the current day Texas and California area. Although the film does not explain this problem well, it points out a direction—that the name Zorro is not just one person but a legacy.

These factors, coupled with the fact that there have been no decent Zorro films for a long time, meant it was expected that “The Mask of Zorro” would be well-received.

Not to mention that the three main actors also delivered impressive performances; Hopkins, with his elegant gentlemanly appearance, could easily have replaced Bandaras as the New Zorro if he were just a decade younger. And Bandaras himself, being Spanish, perfectly captured the playful and cheeky vibe required; as for Zetajones, she truly radiated beauty in the film, at the zenith of her youth, lusciously seductive with a classical grace, agile and alluring especially when fencing, making even a mere decorative role seem exceptional.

“Do you hear the sighs of admiration?” Adrian whispered into Zetajones’ ear, gently blowing and teasingly asking after a light breath.

“I think they let out a gasp because the new Zorro slashed open Elena’s dress.” Zetajones replied with a light laugh, though a noticeable thrill flashed across her face.