Zorro

Cinematic versions of the legend of Zorro has been told and retold since almost the invention of the medium, from Douglas Fairbanks swinging from chandeliers in The Mark of Zorro in 1920 to Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones trading blows and swapping spit in The Mask of Zorro in 1998. This 1975 version starring French actor Alain Delon as the masked sword fighter who marks his enemies with a Z is one of the best. Directed by Duccio Tessari (A Pistol for Ringo), the film, unlike the others before it, doesn’t try to be an action movie spectacle or worry that Zorro isn’t likeable enough. Instead, it takes the legend and the man who is bringing it to life seriously and, as a result, is far superior. Delon is particularly effective in the title role, making the decision to play Don Diego, the man hidden behind the mask, as a foppish fool. Stanley Baker is effective as the evil Col. Huerta, and the lovely Ottavia Piccolo is perfect as the fiery lady Don Diego and Col. Huerta fight over.