*Note: The following review contains a complete synopsis, and, therefore, spoilers.
The Mark of Zorro, a 1920 film directed by Fred Niblo, is a swashbuckler action-comedy starring Douglas Fairbanks as the masked hero, Zorro, an alter ego of Don Diego Vega. The film opens in a Southern California town, where Sgt. Pedro Gonzales (Noah Beery) and some of his men are having drinks and discussing the town’s newest nuisance and rabble-rouser: Senor Zorro. Into the saloon comes Don Diego Vega, newly returned from Spain, and he and Sgt. Gonzales begin to converse. The two men talk about Zorro, with Don Diego subtly insulting Gonzales at every opportunity. Sgt. Gonzales finally claims that were he to encounter Zorro face-to-face, that the nuisance of Zorro would be no more. Don Diego leaves the saloon, and Zorro appears, thoroughly embarrassing Gonzales in front of his men with both his wit and his swordplay.
As the story develops, we become aware that Governor Alvarado (George Periolat) has been oppressing the poor citizens of the town to serve his own ends, and that through the two commanders of his troops, Captain Juan Ramon (Robert McKim) and Sgt. Gonzales, the natives and the clergy are being abused. Wherever there is an outbreak of oppression, however, Zorro miraculously appears to save the day, embarrassing the oppressors, and marking them with a “Z” from the blade of his sword. We come to learn (far before the characters on screen) that Don Diego and Zorro are one in the same, and when Zorro is not playing the role of champion of the people, Don Diego is attempting a courtship with Ms. Lolita Pulido (Marguerite De La Motte), daughter of a once wealthy Don who has had his money and belongings stripped from him by the corrupt government. Unfortunately for Don Diego, Lolita has developed a love for Zorro, and she is unaware that the two are the same.
The plot thickens when Captain Ramon arrives at Lolita’s home and attempts to court her against her will. Zorro arrives and saves the day – forcing Ramon to apologize on bended knee – and Lolita rewards her hero with a kiss. Captain Ramon returns to the Governor, who has the Pulido family arrested and jailed. When Don Diego receives word, he rallies the caballeros and leads an attempt to free the Pulidos and end the governorship of Alvarado. A fight breaks out, and ultimately comes to a close in the house of Don Diego, where it is revealed to all that Don Diego is the masked hero Zorro (gasp!). The soldiers side with Don Diego, and Alvarado is forced to surrender his position. Lolita is thrilled to discover that the mysterious hero she loves and the man who has been courting her are the same person – the two share a kiss behind a handkerchief, and the film comes to a close.
From a technical standpoint, the film is unremarkable, but it is not flawed. The camera remains still throughout the film, never moving with the action. The vast majority of the shots are from medium to long range, with only a select few close-ups (and even these are not terribly close) for emotional effect. The editing is done primarily through jump-cuts, though at the end of some scenes, Niblo uses a cross-fade. The camera remains at a height that is level with the action throughout the film – there are no shots from above or below the action. The most impressive aspect of the film is the acting itself; the actors are very lively and energetic, fully embracing their roles. The stunt work by Fairbanks (a true silent film master craftsman) is also fantastic, and highlights the film.
The Mark of Zorro remains an entertaining, competent action-comedy some 90 years after its initial release. Fairbanks’ physical acting is fantastic for the role of the masked hero, and some of the stunts performed were truly impressive, especially for the time. Noah Beery also turns in an engaging performance as Sgt. Gonzales, and the interaction between the two in the opening saloon scene is among the most memorable moments of the film. Despite Don Diego’s terrible magic tricks, he is a likeable character whom I am delighted to see succeed in “getting the girl” at the end of the film. A quality early entry into the Zorro canon, the actors and actresses appear to have fun with the movie, and the film is all the more fun and entertaining because of it.
Bru's Reviews 