Horner had won an Oscar the previous year for Titanic, and again, as in Titanic, he and lyricist Will Jennings tried their hands at a money-making song. But “I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You” proved far less successful than “My Heart Will Go On” in that liner flick.
Horner, who, it should be pointed out, does most of his own orchestration—a rarity among Hollywood composers—wrote an extravagantly flamboyant score, better than Titanic, with a company of flamenco dancers and guitarists to add snap and flavor to the Spanish/Mexican atmosphere. One of the best sequences in the film, uniting photography, action and music, is “The Ride,” where Zorro unsaddles a group of galloping horsemen. Other remarkable moments include the subtle “Fencing Lesson” and the extended “Plaza of Execution,” where the music has room to move and develop, certainly “adjusted” for the Sony soundtrack album, which is highly recommended.
And now for a bit of a rub. Remember, in the beginning I surmised that The Mask of Zorro might be out of place in a website devoted to Hollywood’s Golden Age, in this case as a Flynn-style swashbuckler? Well, while there is little vivid gore and bared skin, though Zeta-Jones is quite fetching partially disrobed in a duel with Banderas, there are a few disqualifications.
For one thing, that tongue-in-cheek humor—the slapstick nature of the fights, for example, a rider being unhorsed by a passing tree branch around his middle, or Zorro dropping from a roof top, only to have his horse move at the last moment—is a jarring contrast with the gruesome presentation by Captain Love of the head of Alejandro’s brother in a jar of formaldehyde. The explosion of the gold mine is a little over the top, and the film goes on a little long.
All and all, though, this latest Zorro film stands up well against the swashbucklers of old, and in this day when most remakes are botched beyond recognition and computerized beyond reality, this is a refreshing success story. Banderas is an heroic and romantic leading man. He is agile in the action moments, and in keeping with the nature of his role, he never takes himself too seriously. His scenes with Zeta-Jones have a smoldering chemistry that is undeniable. And she is not only beautiful, she can act.
The versatile Anthony Hopkins—even in an occasional bad film always dependable—gives an underplayed performance; he seems to take his role more seriously than it would seem this kind of film deserves. This approach pays dividends, adding stability and giving his dialogue a touch of refinement. While Letscher as Captain Love is a one-dimensional villain, far more interesting is Stuart Wilson as Don Rafael, a refined adversary and something of a delight to watch.
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Si, the Mask of Zorro and the Mark of Zorro are excellente films, excellente. I watched the Power version in a San Francisco revival…. although I had seen in on TV it was fun to watch on the medium (not big — it was a small theatre) screen. The swordfight finale is, of course, perhaps the best ever filmed. It seemed that many in the audience had never seen it before, because that sequence made they gasp (actually, one guy said, “That’s bad!” And yes, Power’s super fop is very much fun, with classic lines I happen to have forgotten at present; however, I do remember the lines, “Do you think you can handle his sword?” and “Be careful, my dear, or I will have to send you to a convent!” The romance in this film is more appealing than the newer film. However, Banderas makes a fine Zorro, it’s too bad they couldn’t make a third one. I recall that the fencing instructor was the same who had worked with Flynn and all the others, even Rathbone. He said that Banderas was the best natural swordsmen of all the stars, and that he would’ve made a fine one in real life. The score is a great surprise, since movies nowadays don’t seem to have memorable themes. Finally, I must put in a plug for my favorite Zorro, Guy Williams. He had the best costume, had the best physical look and he pronounced “Tornado” as Tor-nah-do, and not Tor-NAY-do like Banderas did (unforgiveable, Senor!) … plus, he had beautiful theme music. Although it was limited by the small screen budget, Guy Williams (Armand Catalano) is the best sst! sst! SST!