The Mark of Zorro (1940)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by John Taintor Foote, based upon the story "The Curse of Capistrano" by Johnston McCulley
Directed by Rouben Mamoulian
Starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Basil Rathbone, Gale Sondergaard, Eugene Pallette

Features:

• Biography episode on Power
  
• Running audio commentary by film critic Richard Schickel
  

Released by: 20th Century Fox
Region: 1
Rating: NR
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Get it.

Don Diego de Vega’s (Power) father (Montagu Love), a noble and honest man, has just been forced out of office as the mayor of Los Angeles by the wicked Captain Pasquale (Rathbone) and his cronies. Now, these evildoers run roughshod over the populace, robbing them and abusing them at every turn. Only a mysterious masked avenger stands between the innocent people and the greed and violence of this evil alcade of politicians: a masked man who leaves the enigmatic letter "Z" slashed into something wherever he goes to right wrongs...including metaphorically in the heart of the new mayor’s beautiful niece (Darnell).

The acting is of course excellent--Tyrone Power was born to play roles such as this. Rathbone is always deliciously sinister, and Darnell is luminous and glows right on cue. The movie itself is presented in its original black and white format. The cinematographer, Arthur Miller, did a great job of using lights and darks, chiaroscuro, and value. When a director and a cameraman know they can’t rely upon color to tell the story for them, they have to use mood and lighting much more carefully, and their experience and taste show well here. In addition, given that the film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, the audio quality really counts on this disc. Luckily, the digital transfer is excellent, and both music and dialogue come through crystal clear.

The features list is solid. We have a full-length commentary track with film critic Richard Schickel, who is quite knowledgeable and adds a fantastic extra dimension to the viewing experience. This is definitely not a throwaway commentary for which we are grateful. Also kudos to Fox for putting a commentary at all on the disc, since, regretfully, we've lost every major player in this production.

We also get the A&E Biography show on Tyrone Power, which answers most questions fans will have about this fine actor. Considering the age of the film, there's not much else we could hope for--but there's always something. A theatrical trailer for the film would have been nice, as well as perhaps a featurette discussing the evolution of the Zorro character down through the years. Certainly there might be some interviews with the stars (audio at least) and some still for a gallery of some sort.

All in all, if you love a good adventure, a classic romantic tale of justice and revenge, then you’ll love The Mark of Zorro. It will give you rousing swordfights, glorious costuming, witty dialogue blessedly free of the usual cliches, and more. Fans of pirate movies and other such swashbuckling epics will enjoy this one, as will anyone who likes their adventure tempered by romance or just romance on a grand scale.