Zorro vs. Elena

When you say "Zorro", I think sexy, Spanish Robin Hood.  When you say "Mask of", I think mystery and intrigue.  So, it should be no surprise that my next pick of fight scenes involves combining the two. Yes, we are looking at The Mask of Zorro.



This film is a 90's classic. There is all kinds of sexy Spanish flare going on as well as juicy fights scenes; it is sincerely hard to pick just one fight to analyze and critique. But, there is a fight in particular that I think stands out. Let's watch the rapier fight between Zorro and Elena:

Overall, I really do like this fight. Antonio Banderas (Zorro) and Catherine Zeta Jones (Elena) are two very talented individuals. I think with their “powers combined” they make quite a match. They also seem to be in-sync with one another, which is important to any good fight scene. The reason for this is because there needs to be clear and constant communication between fight partners. In this scenario,  they are demonstrating their ability to communicate through their use of vocalizations and eye contact. As fight partners, they are a team and definitely act as such.

Their speed is good, as is their timing. However, I would like to have seen Catherine Zeta Jones more relaxed. If you look at the section about 2 minutes in, it’s as though someone dropped a bug in her dress and she was trying to shake it out. Instead of moving her feet and body into the advances and retreats she was making, she just sort of “hops” around.  It looks very silly.

To be honest, my biggest issue with this fight is that the constant changing camera angles make it seem like the film has something to hide. Catherine Zeta Jones did, in fact, do all of her own fighting. But, by the looks of this scene, you would never know it. It’s as though they wanted to hide the fact that she was really doing the fight choreography! The same could be said about Antonio Banderas. Because of the ever-changing camera angles, who’s to say someone else wasn’t really fighting for him? It makes me sad because I know they are both capable fighters and should be featured as such. The camera angles do not give these performers enough credit.

This is not the only fight scene in this film. In fact, I may even return and review other fight sequences in the future.  As for now, this critique will have to suffice.

Thanks for Reading!

Amy