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Zorro - 1974 |
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Alain Delon is Don Diego and Zorro |
Ottavia Piccolo is Hortensia Pulido |
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Stanley Baker is Colonel Huerta |
Moustache is Garcia |
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Giampiero Albertini is Brother Francisco |
Enzo Cerusico is Joaquin |
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| Theme Music (full version, 3:58) | ||||
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Miguel Vega de la Serna has been appointed the new governor of Nuova Aragon in the New World. Shortly before he leaves Barcelona, he is assassinated by men who do not wish for him to reach Nuova Aragon. His friend Diego is present when Serna is shot. Just before Serna dies, Diego vows to travel to Nuova Aragon as the new governor and avenge his friend. Serna makes Diego promise to not shed any blood or else not make the trip. Against his better judgement, Diego promises. In Nuova Aragon, Colonel Huerta asks the council for complete control of the army and government so that he can reestablish law and order in the territory. Diego appears at the meeting as the new governor, Serna. Diego speaks in an effeminate manner and claims to be quite shaken by how bad the situation is in Nuova Aragon. |
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Diego and his mute servant, Joaquin, watch Colonel Huerta force his men through a grueling fencing practice which results in several of the men being injured. At the conclusion of the practice, Huerta slices the candles in the candelabra expertly. Diego asks Huerta for protection, and Huerta assigns Garcia, a bumbling soldier with a great appetite. Diego returns to the governor's quarters. Right after Diego says something about needing to find a way out of his quarters, a dog shows him a secret passage. In the plaza, Brother Francisco is charged with selling worthless hides and is sentenced to 20 lashes. As Brother Francisco is lashed, Zorro appears and lashes the soldiers. Zorro forces the soldiers to release Brother Francisco and then forces the soldiers to lash the men who were responsible for Brother Francisco's unfair prosecution. |
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Diego sees a portrait of Hortensia Pulido and is attracted to her. He is told that her family was once wealthy and is now poor. Later, Hortensia urges the people to rise up against the soldiers. She tells them that the scales are rigged and that the soldiers are cheating them. Zorro appears and ridicules Garcia. After toying with Garcia for some time, Zorro makes his escape, aided with the help of a young boy. Hortensia watches Zorro's actions with admiration. Afterwards, Zorro visits Hortensia, displaying more than a casual interest in her. The soldiers approach and Hortensia urges Zorro to run. She states that she is very worried for him. | 
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Colonel Huerta arrives at Hortensia's home and orders his men to search the premises. Huerta proceeds to make unwanted advances upon Hortensia. He offers to marry her and tells her that it will redeem her entire family. When Huerta adds that it might even prove to be a pleasurable experience for her, Hortensia slaps him. Huerta grabs Hortensia and kisses her forcefully. Zorro emerges from the garden, disarms Huerta, and forces Huerta to go down on his knees and ask Hortensia for her forgiveness. Zorro and Hortensia walk outside as Huerta is leaving. Hortensia tells Zorro that she is still frightened for him and wonders how she can help him. Zorro kisses her hand and replies, "You've given me another reason to live and fight. That's help enough. Thank you." Hortensia kisses Zorro's cheek, and Zorro leaves. | |||
| Diego, still in his assumed role as the governor, presides over a dinner party. His dog arrives with a note signed Zorro that threatens the governor's life. Diego pretends to be terrified that Zorro is after him. | ||||
| Colonel Huerta visits Diego and tells him that he has devised the perfect plan to capture Zorro. Huerta plans to imprison Hortensia and cart her around the plaza until Zorro rescues her. Soldiers will be hidden everywhere so that there will be no possible way Zorro can escape. Zorro waits to rescue Hortensia until she is taken to the prison. Zorro instructs Hortensia to go to the mission to hide. As Zorro makes his escape, he overhears Colonel Huerta saying that the governor was the only other person who knew of the plan. Huerta hurries to the governor's bedroom, but Diego beats him there by just a few moments. As Diego and Huerta converse briefly about the failed plan, it is clear that Huerta is suspicious of Diego. Diego suddenly insists that he himself serve as bait for Zorro, since he is the one Zorro wishes to kill. | 
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Continuing his masquerade as the governor, Diego goes on a fishing trip with Garcia. While Diego and Garcia fish, Joaquin appears as Zorro. Joaquin is chased by the soldiers and seeks refuge in the same mission where Hortensia is hiding. The children of the mission help by disguising themselves as Zorro and making several appearances that keep the soldiers chasing along false trails. Diego pretends to be going to the carriage to sleep but instead makes an appearance as Zorro. Zorro then enters the carriage and pretends to have the governor at gunpoint. By using the governor as a hostage, Zorro is able to get the soldiers to release some people who have been forced into labor. Zorro flees in the carriage, hotly pursued by the soldiers. Zorro drives the carriage off of a cliff into the water, and it appears that both Zorro and the governor are dead. | |||
| Huerta plans to marry Hortensia now that both Zorro and the governor are dead. Just as Hortensia arrives for the wedding, Brother Francisco appears with the freed workers, demanding justice. Zorro arrives and tells Huerta that he has a rebellion on his hands. Huerta shoots and kills Brother Francisco, which causes the people to revolt. Zorro comments that the murder of Brother Francisco releases him from the promise he made a friend. Zorro and Huerta begin a very long duel. At one point during the fight, Huerta believes that he has killed Zorro only to discover that Zorro has survived. Finally, Huerta and Zorro end up on the roof, and Huerta says that one of them must die. Zorro says that it shall now be the moment of truth and removes his mask. Zorro runs Huerta through with his sword, and Huerta falls from the roof of the building. The movie ends with Zorro riding off on his horse into the distance. | 
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Comments: While overall very different from McCulley's original story, this film uses several key elements from that story. Once again, the Pulidos are present and have lost their fortune; the daughter, now Hortensia, is jailed and rescued by Zorro much like Lolita was in the original story. Another familiar scene occurs when Huerta makes unwanted advances towards Hortensia, only to be forced down on his knees by Zorro very much like the scene from the original story. The ubiquitous mute servant, now named Joaquin, takes on the Zorro disguise to throw off Zorro's pursuers just as Bernardo did for Don Diego in the Disney series. Finally, Colonel Huerta and Zorro try to impress each other by using their swords to slice through the candles just like in the 1940 film. |
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