Zorro 1975

On the eve of his return to Spain from Alta California, the mysterious mercenary Diego [Alain Delon] meets his old friend Miguel Vega de la Serna [Marino Masé], who is about to take up the governorship of Nueva Aragón. Diego’s uncle Don Fernando has died in a malaria-free region, and the region has fallen under the dictatorial and unscrupulous Colonel Huerta [Stanley Baker]. Diego warns Miguel that Nueva Aragón is ruled by greed and hatred; later that very evening, Miguel is assassinated by Huerta’s underlings. Diego vows to avenge Miguel by taking his place, but not before a dying Miguel makes Diego swear

“the new governor will never kill”.

As Colonel Huerta asks the local council to appoint him both military and civil governor of Nueva Aragón, Diego arrives in disguise as de la Serna. While lulling Huerta’s fears by pretending to be a useless fop, Diego learns that Huerta is a cruel despot, as well as a dangerous swordsman.

With Joaquín [Enzo Cerusico], Miguel’s devoted mute servant, and aided by Assassin, the late Don Fernando’s Great Dane, Diego goes among the people and learns how miserable and afraid they are: the innocent are punished for speaking the truth, while the guilty, who cheat unmercifully, are labelled as “respectable” citizens.

Inspired by street urchin Chico’s tales of Zorro, a freedom-loving fox spirit, Diego creates his own black-garbed alter ego and launches a campaign for justice with a lively, action-packed marketplace brawl. Outwitting Huerta and his men time and again, Diego finally stages his own kidnapping (as the region’s governor and as Zorro), both to free wrongly held prisoners and to trick Colonel Huerta into thinking both are now dead.

Huerta, feeling himself safe at last, forces aristocrat Hortensia Polido [Ottavia Piccolo] to the marriage altar. He shoots Brother Francisco [Giampiero Albertini] when the monk leads protesters to the church steps, just as Zorro reappears. Brother Francisco’s murder finally frees Diego from his vow to Miguel, leaving Zorro free to engage Huerta in an action-packed sword duel-to-the-death, which he wins after a lengthy battle.