Very nice analysis. I always loved the old world elegance and passion of Zorro. He represents a new path in a radically different world—a blend of the positive side of historical high culture, the responsibilities of the warrior and the goodness of average people.
Raphael Sabatini is my favorite author of these type of stories. Captain Blood and Scaramouche are two of his well known works. In essence, he wrote the precursors to HPL, Howard and the early comics and superheroes, though his heroes and villains tended to be historically based.
Captain Blood is basically Robin Hood as a pirate captain with a heart of gold working against the evil inherent in the aristocracy. Swashbuckling at its’ finest.
Sabatini’s writing is like a jewel: beautifully done, colorful and exciting. These stories were targeted at preteen boys, and he wrote quite a great number of them. I read at least ten of them to my son and daughter when they were young, and they both loved them, but for entirely different reasons.
I haven’t read them in years, and now I want to read them all over again, just when I was rereading my Harkaway novels. There is never enough time to read fabulous stories.
Thank you for that heroic reminder.
Free ebook versions were available on internet archive.org.
Well this was a good way to start the day, I absolutely love the Zorro movies, and I think this was a good analysis. I also find it interesting that not only does Antonio Banderas play Zorro, but he also voices a very similar character in Puss in Boots, although the two characters seem to have somewhat different standards. I suppose a comparison between the two would be interesting. Honestly I love heroes like Zorro, and Robin Hood. Rebel heroes. Heroes that are human, and seem to be more representative of a peoples hero. Somehow when Heroes are the exception it makes them all the more interesting and important. They are from a different time and its refreshing. I find it kind if funny, how heroes are the default character position for most stories now. But somehow our heroes seem less heroic and more to tell a story then actually righting a wrong. I kind of rambled but i hope you see my point.
I do and glad you liked this post, yeah Banderas voices Puss.
I do kind of regret him not getting to do Zorro in a live-action series or a better sequel than what we got. But at least we’ll always have Mask of Zorro.
I've heard a story of a Communist country looking for cheap filler for its TV station and getting old Zorro serials. Shortly thereafter, they surveyed boys for who was their greatest hero and most answered Zorro.
Very nice analysis. I always loved the old world elegance and passion of Zorro. He represents a new path in a radically different world—a blend of the positive side of historical high culture, the responsibilities of the warrior and the goodness of average people.
Raphael Sabatini is my favorite author of these type of stories. Captain Blood and Scaramouche are two of his well known works. In essence, he wrote the precursors to HPL, Howard and the early comics and superheroes, though his heroes and villains tended to be historically based.
Captain Blood is basically Robin Hood as a pirate captain with a heart of gold working against the evil inherent in the aristocracy. Swashbuckling at its’ finest.
Sabatini’s writing is like a jewel: beautifully done, colorful and exciting. These stories were targeted at preteen boys, and he wrote quite a great number of them. I read at least ten of them to my son and daughter when they were young, and they both loved them, but for entirely different reasons.
I haven’t read them in years, and now I want to read them all over again, just when I was rereading my Harkaway novels. There is never enough time to read fabulous stories.
Thank you for that heroic reminder.
Free ebook versions were available on internet archive.org.
Will check them out, thanks for telling me about Sabatini’s work!
And thanks for the praise, this movie is one of my favourites, for those exact reasons you mentioned at the top of your comment.
Dan
It's so ironic that this most Latino of heroes was created by a very non-Spanish man named Johnston McCulley.
Lmao that is ironic!
He was a pulp fiction writer from Ohio who didn't write too much of note besides creating Zorro and a guy who called himself "Thubway Tham".
And Tham definitely stayed in the public consciousness that’s for sure, unlike Zorro! Kidding aside, sometimes just one creation is enough.
Well this was a good way to start the day, I absolutely love the Zorro movies, and I think this was a good analysis. I also find it interesting that not only does Antonio Banderas play Zorro, but he also voices a very similar character in Puss in Boots, although the two characters seem to have somewhat different standards. I suppose a comparison between the two would be interesting. Honestly I love heroes like Zorro, and Robin Hood. Rebel heroes. Heroes that are human, and seem to be more representative of a peoples hero. Somehow when Heroes are the exception it makes them all the more interesting and important. They are from a different time and its refreshing. I find it kind if funny, how heroes are the default character position for most stories now. But somehow our heroes seem less heroic and more to tell a story then actually righting a wrong. I kind of rambled but i hope you see my point.
I do and glad you liked this post, yeah Banderas voices Puss.
I do kind of regret him not getting to do Zorro in a live-action series or a better sequel than what we got. But at least we’ll always have Mask of Zorro.
True, although personally i didn't think the sequel was bad as sequels go.
Really? Joe saw it and won’t speak of it, while I find it insultingly bad but to each their own.
Not every sequel is going to be a T2 or Predator 2, or Rocky sequel.
Brilliant analysis. I loved this movie as a kid and I still do
Same and thanks
I've heard a story of a Communist country looking for cheap filler for its TV station and getting old Zorro serials. Shortly thereafter, they surveyed boys for who was their greatest hero and most answered Zorro.
Interesting
Love this movie
Me too!