Mark
of Zorro – Special Edition (1940)
Picture: B-
Sound: C+ Extras: B+ Film: B
There are perhaps two interesting pieces of trivia that
coincide with this particular film. One
is the fact that it’s directed by Rouben Mamoulian, which is not anything
special, but it’s interesting to note that he is the director of Laura (although uncredited for his
role) and would also be replaced on two other films of note, those being Porgy
and Bess and 1963’s Cleopatra. The other interesting piece of trivia for
this film is that it happens to be the same film that, according to DC Comics
and not the film versions of Batman, is the film that a young Bruce Wayne and
his parents walk out of before they are murdered. However, Mark of Zorro
is now re-released to DVD as a Special Edition for more obvious reasons, that
being the release of a modern version of the film, a follow-up if you will,
entitled The Legend of Zorro.
There are two things that are quite interesting about this
particular DVD from Fox. The first is
that the front cover is almost made to look more like a modern film, and it
wouldn’t surprise me if a few people picked up this DVD thinking it was a
modern film, maybe they thought it WAS the film with Antonio Banderas. On one hand I give Fox props for freshening
up the packaging for a cooler look because sometimes-older films get lame
covers. On the other hand I wonder if
Fox did this partially on purpose and that eludes to the second interesting
thing about this DVD release, which is that the film is presented in both color
and the original black & white.
This is a flipper disc from Fox and the black & white
version is on one side and the identically film is available on the other side,
only colorized. Both images are full
frame 1.33 X 1 transfers and I am only endorsing the monochromatic version
since that was clearly the way the film was shot and intended to be seen and
experienced. However, I took a skim
through the color version, which does display some interesting color, but
unfortunately does not show off some of the great contrast and dimension of the
black & white version. In color it
appears more flat and also a bit fluffier instead of serious and adventurous. I do understand that there are people that
will find the film more accessible in color, so it wasn’t altogether a bad idea
to make the film available in both ways so that the viewer has the choice.
Sound is available here in both Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
and 1.0 mono, which is adequate enough for the films age. Richard Schickel’s commentary makes for a
great addition to this film along with the A&E Biography on Tyrone Power,
which is a great watch especially for those that are more familiar with his
Noir films. Our copy came with an
envelop of artsy pictures inside the DVD case.
Overall this is a terrific set that appeals on various levels to various
types of viewers making it widely accessible.
- Nate Goss
