Black Fox, rebel, treacherous robber. This is how everyone remembers him who stands in the way of justice and fairness – a harsh bandit or a greedy rich man. At the same time, it represents an example of courage, heroism and selfless courage for the unfortunate and powerless. Although there was already a hero from Sherwood Forest before him, Zorro is in many ways the prototype of a superhero: the fight against evil, a mask, a mysterious person who wants to remain incognito. Legends of the masked man go back to the sixteenth century and the Spanish colonies in America. According to them, there were a large number of daredevils disguised as Zorro. Everyone could put on a mask and help in trouble. Zorro received great publicity after the release of the story “The Curse of Capistrano” in 1919 and its film adaptation “The Mark of Zorro” in 1920. Subsequently, there were more works based on the book, but the connection with the original was sometimes lost so much that the names and identities of the characters belonged to completely different people, or the action took place in a distant alternative future. For some reason, the authors decided to break what was in the original and build their own. They didn’t do it without a reason. Just as the “Z” sign is created by three swings of a sword, three works will also be symbolically considered, containing the same theme, but performing it differently: an animated series, a feature film and a story with an adaptation.

Late eighteenth century. California is still part of the Spanish Empire. Even under a beautiful blue sky, people live in constant terror of the Spanish army. Every day the people’s fear increased, as did their anger, but they were defenseless against the cruelty and injustice of the soldiers. People thought this reign of terror would never end, they almost lost hope. The old days of peace and happiness seemed like a pipe dream. But everything has changed. A hero was returning from overseas to save people from tyranny and injustice. A man who is brave enough to fight for freedom. His name is Zorro.

On the same ship, a young man, the son of a large and influential landowner Don Alejandro de la Vega, Don Diego de la Vega, was returning from his studies in Spain. Having a reputation as a child for being mischievous, brave and a bully, by the age of eighteen, as all his acquaintances noticed upon his arrival, he had become calm and extremely cowardly, and began to avoid various quarrels. This change in character greatly undermined the plans of the Pulido family, a longtime friend of the Vega family. The only daughter Lolita was supposed to become Diego’s wife in the future in order to improve the condition of her family. Previously, before the arrival of young Vega, Lolita might not have been against this, but his sudden change in character made her angry. She couldn’t understand what happened to him and why he became so weak. After all, the old Diego could attack three hooligans at once, but the current one is not even able to raise a sword.

These are two different people

For the viewer, as now for the reader, by this point it may become obvious who the masked hero is. The creators of the series did not keep the secret of Zorro’s identity, because even in the opening the transformation into the people’s avenger is shown.

In general, the entire series is structured according to the scheme “one day an event begins (a crime is committed, some rumor spreads, a person arrives, etc.), and Diego, like Zorro, takes part in it.”. At the crucial moment, Zorro appears seemingly out of nowhere, heroic music begins to play, the hero delivers his speech of justice, fights a crowd of opponents and defeats the villains. He does not achieve his victories alone, as Little Zorro and Diego’s friend Bernardo, an orphan sheltered by the Vega family, often help him in his exploits. Quite often, the freedom fighter is supported by ordinary people who, it will be said without exaggeration, admire the hero. Especially Lolita, who sees in Zorro the ideal man, like many women in the series. Zorro, in turn, shows certain signs of attention exclusively to Lolita.

She is one of the most beautiful girls in the city (if not the most), therefore, not only Señor Zorro is a suitor. Spanish Army Lieutenant Gabriel is the most eligible bachelor. Handsome, strong and fearless fighter, has a high position in the army. But at the same time he is an insidious, arrogant and simply evil person. In most cases, his “company” is Sergeant Gonzales, who is not so insidious, arrogant and evil. On the contrary, it seems that he ended up in the army completely by accident: Gonzales is a gentle person, he can even be sentimental. Like a soldier, he follows the orders of his superiors, although he himself is aware of the cruelty of the command. Because of the gentleness and understanding of the atrocities that the army inflicts on the people, with due effort, the sergeant is sent to counteract the authorities. It is led by Commander Raymond. Cunning, evil, cold and calculating tactician. The commander has his own plans for the future of California, which the governor unknowingly interferes with. The situation is literally characterized by the phrase “The Tsar is good, the boyars are bad,” where the ruler really does not know the situation of the people, which the head of the army takes advantage of.

The series is completely adventure. There are only a few episodes that are important to the main plot, and the rest show secondary stories, most of which are actually interesting. But some of them suddenly introduce strange magic, unprecedented technology and a giant monster like Godzilla. These episodes were made, apparently, for the sake of adding unusual situations and diluting the usual episodes, but against their background they look too strange. The series as a whole is intended for children: it will sometimes be difficult for an adult to follow the non-adult actions of the characters, their manifestation of a caricatured and stereotyped nature. But he can definitely be mature at some points and bring up interesting topics. The most important message running through the entire series is: “What matters in a good deed is not the glory and praise that will follow, but the good deed itself.”. Zorro doesn’t need fame. His goal is to free both his loved ones and other people from tyranny. The hero wears a mask not only because of his identification with crime thanks to the army, but also because Diego simply does not need fame and recognition. The work turned out to be self-sufficient, with its own style and charm. But is there anything left in it from the original story, or has the series completely abstracted itself and come up with something of its own??

In 1821, three hundred years of Spanish rule in Mexico was coming to an end. A popular uprising led by General Santa Anna spread from the arid mountains to the rich and fertile northern province known as California. Peasants gathered in the streets calling for the blood of the last Spanish governor, Don Rafael Montero. Despite orders to return to Spain, Montero refused to leave his post until he got even with his sworn enemy.

This archenemy is Zorro. And although the https://casinobetway.uk/login/ developed plan could not be successfully implemented, Montero still found out who the Black Fox really was. He is the adult Don Diego de la Vega, who was about to give up the Zorro case. As a result of the fight, Diego Esperanza’s wife dies, he himself is sent to prison, and his baby Elena is taken under the care of Montero, mostly as revenge. Twenty years pass. Montero returns to rule California, and Diego Vega is old and in prison. It seemed that the Zorro cause was dead. But on that ill-fated day, the Black Fox, without knowing it, “planted the seed” of the future fighter for justice. After Montero’s plan was thwarted, Zorro gave his medallion to the Murrieta brothers, Joaquin and Alejandro, as thanks for their help. Later they became robbers and, together with their partner Three-Fingered Jack, traveled across the country. One day the gang’s luck runs out and they are surrounded by rangers. Only Alejandro gets out of this scrape: Three-Fingered Jack is wounded, and Joaquin is not given alive into the hands of law enforcement officers and shoots himself. Ranger Squad Captain Love cuts off the head of the dead Joaquin as proof of Murrieta’s death. All Alejandro has left is a desire for revenge and Zorro’s medallion.

Murrieta Gang: Joaquin, Jack, Alejandro

The Black Fox cause is dead, but Diego de la Vega’s fighting spirit remains unbroken. After escaping from prison, he meets Alejandro in a bar. Noticing his ardent disposition, the desire to get even with Captain Love, Montero’s ally, and his medallion, Diego decides to make Alejandro his successor. The theme of “The Mask of Zorro” is the formation of a hero under the guidance of a teacher. At the beginning of the story, Alejandro appears as an ordinary robber, with bad manners, uncut hair, and dirty clothes. Diego prepares Alejandro for the life of Zorro. Gives him fencing lessons, teaches him to behave like a nobleman, explains the main principle of the Black Fox: “Zorro helps people and does not seek glory.”. At first, there were slight disagreements between student and teacher due to the former’s ardor, but in the end Alejandro became worthy of Zorro, although not like Zorro Diego.

Alejandro is more daring, even his clothes reflect the spirit of the bandit. His very behavior shows the fiery character. Diego is a little more restrained, but sometimes gives vent to his emotions. In addition, as was said, Alejandro became Zorro primarily for the sake of revenge on Captain Love. Only later, thanks to Diego’s instructions, did he continue to fight for the people. The film showed the development of a fighter for justice from an ordinary robber. In addition, there is an intersection with those very legends: Zorro can be anyone, it’s not just one person. How far has the story moved from the original work, The Curse of Capistrano??

Oppression by its nature gives birth to a force that will overthrow it. A champion of the oppressed is born. He always appears. About a hundred years ago, California, along with its warmth and romance, peaceful beauty, was struck by a terrible disease – oppression. And then, as if from nowhere, a masked horseman appeared, galloping along the roads, punishing and protecting and eluding the cruel oppressor.

Getting to the point: of the two works narrated, the closest to the story is Kaiketsu Zorro. Almost all the characters are taken from the original: Diego (in the story he is twenty-four years old, and his gentle character is not so caricatured), his father Alejandro (in the story he is a rather strict person), the Pulido family (mostly unchanged), Sergeant Gonzales and the Governor (in the story they are evil people and hungry for money). Lieutenant Gabriel’s character and actions were taken from Captain Ramon. Commander Raymond is not in the story. The biggest change was Bernard, who was a deaf and mute servant, although he also helped Zorro in his affairs. The Mask of Zorro may seem like something of a sequel because of old Diego. But that’s not true at all. There is both a big reason for this, which is a spoiler for the story, and small ones: his beloved is not Lolita Pulido, there are no mentions of other characters from the book. Zorro’s behavior style has been changed. In all the works reviewed, the Black Fox very often fights alone against many opponents, only occasionally becoming a “shadow in the night”. The story shows a strong Zorro, but not omnipotent. He uses his advantages: stealth, sudden appearance, fencing skill. The very first appearance of Zorro in the story demonstrates this perfectly.

Night. Fierce Storm. In the tavern, soldiers led by Sergeant Gonzales are resting by the fireplace. He tells them and his best friend Don Diego de la Vega how he wants to deal with this Curse of Capistrano, how he will meet and easily end it. But no matter where the sergeant was patrolling, news came that the Black Fox was robbing a completely different place. Gonzales thinks Zorro doesn’t have the courage to stand up to him. Don Diego leaves to settle accounts with the secretary, buys wine for everyone with his own money and promises to return later.

The sergeant behind Diego’s back praises him in every possible way in front of the soldiers, and even his shortcomings do not in the least prevent Gonzales from recognizing him as his friend. “He cannot bear thoughts of violence or bloodshed, he is gentle as a spring breeze, but he has a steady hand and a true, penetrating gaze. This is just his way of looking at life,” Gonzales concludes, draining a mug of wine. A man enters a tavern and a native closes the door behind him. A stranger stands with his back to the people in the tavern, shaking off raindrops from his cloak. The owner of the establishment hurried to help the newcomer, but was immediately taken aback when the man turned around. The mask, completely hiding facial features, attracted the attention of everyone in the tavern. The stranger introduced himself: “Senor Zorro is at your service.”!“The robber had a business with Gonzales, because four days ago he beat up a native he didn’t like. The sergeant was about to start a fight, but retreated as soon as he saw Zorro’s gun. The Black Fox does not use this formidable weapon on him, but to control the soldiers who were driven into the far corner. The duel has begun.

In this position, Zorro continued to fence perfectly and did not take his eyes off the corner. At first, the Fox, who made no attempt to attack, infuriated Gonzales with his long defense. The sergeant, realizing that he was succumbing to anger, became deathly cold and continued to fence as he had never fenced in his entire life. But he did not surpass the skill of the robber. Gonzales presses himself against the wall, and Zorro’s pressure intensifies so much that the sergeant is ready to throw away his pride and call the soldiers for help.

His prayers were heard because there was a knock on the tavern door. This prevented Zorro from finishing his punishment, and he retreated through the window. They went in pursuit of him, but at night and in a storm it was impossible to catch him. Upon returning to the tavern, Gonzales began to come up with excuses for his defeat, such as the broken handle of his sword a few days ago and the fact that Zorro had a pistol and could kill him at any moment: “If your attack does not please me, I will shoot, and then I will pierce you right through and thus put an end to the famous sergeant.”. None of the soldiers argued.

Having finished his business, Diego Vega returns to the tavern. Hearing that Zorro had recently been here, young Vega began to question Gonzales, asking leading questions: “Where is the corpse of the robber?”? You said that you would tell how you played with him, how you laughed at him while you fought, how you forced him to retreat and how you pierced him.". Humiliated even more, Gonzales hurried away from the scene of the incident to fulfill his duty and report what had happened to his superiors.

This passage characterizes almost the entire story. Zorro does not scatter dozens of opponents, he uses cunning, surprise, noiselessness and his skill with a sword. Every villain in the book, when defeated, begins to make excuses in every possible way, to lie so as not to be a laughing stock, but for the reader he becomes one. In addition, until the end of the story it is not directly stated who Zorro really is, they are only very strongly hinted at. The ending itself, unlike the rest of the work, feels too dreamlike, which disappointed me a little.

Stills from the film The Mark of Zorro

The 1920 film adaptation, while maintaining the main plot, changed the concept and made Zorro an action film, where the main character jumps, does tricks, and wears the usual mask with his mouth open. The story adheres to the original until the middle, then there is compression and at the end – a reworking of the ending, which slightly reduces the fabulousness, but in meaning does not depart from the original.

A full hundred years have passed since Zorro was first recreated in book and film. Over the years, dozens of works have been created, each of which differs from the original in some aspects. I see several reasons for the differences.

Firstly

Culture, by which I mean country, nationality and the like. Kaiketsu Zorro is a Japanese-Italian work, but mostly still “Japanese”, which is clearly reflected in the visuals and plot structure. So, for example, in eighteenth-century America, according to Kaiketsu Zorro, there are no slaves or Indians at all, there are only hired workers who work for their wages. It is easy to answer why they are not in the work – the Japanese are simply not interested in understanding this. They are interested in making Zorro look cool, Diego looking ridiculous and funny, and so that the mini-story told is exciting for the viewer. The rest serves as decoration, within (and beyond) which you can come up with a story. The Mask of Zorro is an American work; accordingly, the authors approach the history of their country with great trepidation, adding historical figures to the plot, such as General Santa Anna and Joaquin Murrieta. At the same time, they make the main plot direct and simple, but exciting with their battle scenes and stunts. The same applies to The Mark of Zorro.

Secondly

Perception of the original. The authors of adaptations have their own vision of the work, just like many people see something differently. This is the same as the retelling of a story will be different for people: one moment seemed unnecessary to someone and he forgot it, while another found it extremely important. The authors of the works reviewed, for example, decided that it was not necessary to leave the secret of Zorro’s identity to the viewer, which runs counter to the idea of ​​the original.

Thirdly

The desire to make your own. Not necessarily something like “I know better than the original source how to do it right,” although this is possible. Naturally, some people treat the original source with respect and try to adhere to the framework, while others do not. Nevertheless, every author, when adapting, wants to leave a piece of himself in his work. The original source is used rather as a basis for their own creation.

There are no perfect adaptations that convey absolutely everything that the original conveyed. But there are those who can convey the spirit of the original, its main meaning and message, and also add their own ideas that do not contradict the original. The degree of distortion of the original in such adaptations is usually small, as is their number. Are Kaiketsu Zorro, The Mask of Zorro and The Mark of Zorro good adaptations?? If you look at it roughly, the 1920 film adaptation came close to this, and the rest simply distorted the original idea. If you look at them with a view independent of the original, you can find them interesting and charming works.