that's kinda an unwritten desire i have if i ever decide to actually try to be in a relationship, 1. good hygiene 2. don't be a toxic person and 3. please be skilled at some sort of bladed weapon
"Mask of Zorro" is so underapreciated, seriously. By the way, small fun fact: Antonio Banderas trained with the Spanish Olimpic Fencing Team for 6 months to prepare for this movie, and apparently he still practices from time to time to this day. As a Spaniard myself, you can believe me: he's considered a national treasure. And of course, this movie was a huge hit in Spain thanks to him.
From what I recall, Zeta Jones also did some intensive (but not as intensive as Banderas) fencing training for this scene, but also kept it up as a fitness thing afterwards.
Can I just say, as a corset enthusiast, how much I LOVE her corset in this scene? I can’t see the exact details of it, but from what I can see, it is a very good historically accurate corset. Corsets were meant to be lived in, they can be moved around and bent, and there were a great many farmers, manual laborers, and athletes who wore corsets. It just adds so much to this scene for me that they didn’t make it into a ridiculous "can’t move, can’t breath" disadvantage for her.
I love this fight and I love how her biological father sees the two of them flirting and being QUITE INAPPROPRIATE and he loves it. You can tell he's thinking about his past and her mom, lol
I just realized after all these years another thing really cool about their very playful duel. Is that Elena had no idea that she was in a duel with a man trained by her biological father. So they both have a connection that she is unaware of. It almost makes them spiritual siblings in a sense.
The Fighting Pride of Wales and Spain, both at their career and attractiveness peaks, in a great feel good movie, wonderful soundtrack and Anthony Hopkins not even bothering to disguise his accent. Lovely childhood memories, thanks. I've got to watch this with my kids and make a whole new generation fall in love with CZJ 😍
@Kelvin Higgs Goldfinger isn't Goldeneye? Well I sure learned something today, you really got me. I guess Martin Campbell, Bond director twice over, never saw the most acclaimed Bond film and never could have been inspired by it for his Zorro movie, you oaf.
"He draws his sword-" Notice that his sword pops up into frame from somewhere around his waist before he draws it. ...You can't convince me this isn't a deliberate visual innuendo.
I can attempt to, by telling you how swords usually aren't put into or drawn from scabbards but taken from the hands of prop assistants and so it's just being held by an intern or something you're not convinced at all never mind.
This is one of my favorite movies ever. The villain's plan was actually brilliant, but it's overshadowed by the real premise of the movie: Get the two most beautiful people in the world to dance and sword fight each other, and also get them to stare at each other.
I've always liked the clear difference in the degree of investment in the fight between the two characters. Elena while not quite willing to kill Alejandro should she gain the upper hand, clearly would have no scruples about perhaps dealing a flesh wound or two. It seems to me that Alejandro on the other hand while by no means intent on losing the fight wouldn't dream of hurting her, rogue and mildly rehabilitated criminal though he was.
@@towerofgodfan4107 According to the old rules of 19th century gallantery, no, not even then. You never hurt a lady under any circumstances (unless she is your daughter or your wife and wronged you, in which case the gentleman would be totally entiteled to discipline her physically, but any other lady? No chance). So if a lady attacks you with a sword, as a gentleman you could only try to escape or disarm and restrain her without hurting her physically, otherwise you lose your honor. One might say worrying about honor is stupid when your life is in danger, but mind that we are talking about the same class of people who would often be ready to accept a duell challenge from a clearly superior fighter and risk grave injury or death rather than declining and being regarded as dishonorable. Of course there is the loophole that a woman taking up arms and attacking you might make her lose the status of lady. A filthy uncivilized outlaw who e.g. attacks you in the street to rob you and take your stuff is not protected by the code of gallantery, but a lady of a noble house who decides to fight to protect her families property certainly would be.
-Lesson number 1: Never attack on anger -Lesson number 2: Take a bath ever now and then. Make sure that the biggest ammount of time between your baths "now" and "then" is a day and no more than that, please. -Lesson number 3: To get to lesson number 4 -Lesson number 4: Develop charm (And dancing skills, this will help you later.) -Lesson number 5: If you end up in a flirty fight scene with the stolen-as-a-baby daughter of your master, remember to be chairming and vigorous. Very vigorous. (Quick observation: I mean very vigorous during the literal fight, please avoid mutual ways of winning until the epilogue). -Lesson number 6: In the case one of you ends up tearing off the clothes of the other during the fight, go back to the quick observation of lesson number 5 and try your best to keep your focus on the mission. If you reached this point being the one without some of your clothes, avoid the next action sequence until you get new ones. If that is not possible and one of your ripped clothes was your pants, avoid riding horses without saddles. -Lesson number 7: If you were able to survive until now, you are near the climax of the movie. Follow the next logical steps of the Hero's Journey and you will be fine. -Lesson number 8 (And the most important of them all): Avoid making sequels. Specially the ones that start with "The legend of (...)" or something like it.
@Nico Catherine zeta Jones is my first celebrity crush that i can remember, but i didn't realize it was a crush until my twenties when i found out what being bisexual meant. She's one of the most beautiful women ever imho
The first the he does after testing her is circle her, putting her line of sight directly into the light coming through the window. This should have been a disadvantage for her, squinting to see this man in black lit from behind, but she adapts and scores a point on him. This is what really makes him start taking her seriously.
"That Bed is Full of Glass. Idiots." Love this line. One can never underestimate the sharpness of glass. This is also why I extremely oppose the Idea of "Glass-Bending" in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
"you're quite the adrenaline junkie" YES thank you! I swear half of this fight scene I'm thinking. Umm if they get together is this how they spend their Saturday nights?
I remember in kindergraten when boys talked about heroes, everyone mentioned Hulk, Spiderman, Batman etc... whenever I said 'my fave is Zorro' - they would laugh at me, or they didn't even know who he is. He relies on his own brain, strength, and swordsmanship - he doesn't have ultra powers or extra blazers whatever - he is very realistic & the best hero of them all
Funny... as a kid I always preferred Superman over Batman because Superman had all those cool powers. As I got older, I liked Batman over the S-man because he was more "real" than Superman. Zorro aka Batman... yeah, I see that. Love it.@@iainwhite8617
She is actually better, but not by a whole ton. Neither is really taking the fight seriously at first, and he still isn't when she shows him up and disarms him. She used the fact that he was trying to get under her skin against him, which added to the parry/disarm makes it even more impressive imo
Which also further plays into the lesson's he's gotten earlier: she knows the proper form, but he's specifically been trained from emotional control first perspective. She's only trained with proper men, teachers and the like, so he spots the same weakness his mentor did in him: the quickest way to advantage in this fight is to get her breathing a little heavier, by utilising techniques her teachers could have never prepared her for. Playing a little dirty (on occasion, _literally_) while flirting all the way.
The tone of this video threw me fore a moment as it felt incredibly familiar. An then I realized why, analyzing Shakespearian innuendo (specifically R+J Act 2 Scene 4, or more generally any of the comedies) has exactly the same feeling. I mean this as only the highest of compliments!
thumbnail: "Not bad" me: oh good looks like Jill thought it was okay. Thank goodness because I love this fight. brain (way to much later): it's a reference to Zeta-Jones line in the fight you watched dozens of times and claim to love me: ohhhhhhhhh
Okay I have to make this very horrible joke. Elena: Zorro is that a rapier near your belt or are you just happy to see me? Zorro: A rapier *draws sword* Elena: Right answer! *draws sword* You're such a romantic
3:55 I would add Vader vs Luke in ESB, (also choreographed by Bob Anderson) though it's very one-sided Vader is testing and appraising Luke's skill and determination throughout. 7:35 it has always bugged me that his mostly-horizontal slice somehow cuts her dress vertically haha 9:37 omg I just realized they go for a short Roll In The Hay 11:10 I absolutely live for that little smirk she gives when he takes the hat, it's so adorable I really like that you interpret Elena's anger as being at losing the fight rather than at the intimacy itself, that really helps me with not seeing this scene as like, predatory? And it makes sense given all the chemistry that she has built with both Alejandro and Zorro. Not that that's consent, but in the context of a playful adventure movie it's meant to inform the audience that she's probably more than fine with it. The suspension of disbelief runs through the whole movie and I think it's a little disingenuous of certain people to treat the romance as trying to be realistic when the rest of the film very obviously and intentionally is not. Great work as always Jill, this is one of my fave movies along with Princess Bride and the PotC trilogy, there's really nothing else that has the same vibe💜
@@JillBearup Yes absolutely! Ooh I just thought of another fight I'd love your thoughts on someday: d'Artagnan versus Rochefort in The Three Musketeers 2011 I can't say it's a great film but it is one of the only swordfights from the past decade of movies that I found actually conveyed a sense of danger, with some stunning choreography💜
"And then [he] shrugs, the cocky little twerp...BAITING her" Hahah, thank you so much for that combination of words. I'll have them in mind the next time I'll be in an intellectuel "fight off/show down" with my friends.
To be completely honest, my poor pan heart couldn't handle this "fight" scene and it felt like I was swimming in the chemistry they were giving off. Unfortunately I was 11 at the time and had no idea what was happening to me...
This movie gave me hope that romance and swashbuckling wasn’t completely dead in Hollywood. I enjoyed this SO much! I can only hope it got more people interested in this kind of adventure!
I remember being much younger and staying over at my grandmothers house. I was watching this and this scene came on a bit after she came into the room and watched. And then she said very straightforwardly and with a little humor something like ‘see, that’s why they gave her such long hair, so they could do that,’ and it made me laugh cause that wasn’t what I was expecting (she was catholic, and my fam is/was more conservative Christian). RIP grandma.
God I so deeply adore this trope. It's just a lot of fun and I love the idea of two highly skilled people engaging with each other in this exciting and dangerous way. It's ridiculous but perfect for ridiculous characters! Makes me want to go back and re edit a story I wrote for one of my dnd characters that plays on this trope!
"Mutual winning is possible" 1) YEAH it is! 2) Isn't that supposed to be the point of intimate...swordplay? 3) Is it weird that I didn't hear the innuendo at first, and my first thought was about game theory and design of games with both cooperative and competitive elements in them? I *feel* like that's weird, but I need an outside opinion. --- Also: "Seduce and/or sword-fight"? Are those not the same thing in your part of the world? --- Also: That Bob Anderson, he knows his stuff. --- Also: Well of course he doesn't take the threat of being beaten by her as a bad thing, look at her. What? Oh, not like that.
Really glad you're going to do the Lizzy/Darcy fight from P&P&Z. It's probably my favorite scene in that movie and maybe the most in line with the original P&P source material thematically. Also nothing is funnier than "SHE'S SHY!!"
5:52 "A bit like a master waiting for his student to be in the best position possible to give her the best chance of winning" Sorry Jill, but it's the opposite. Alejandro moved into that position to put the sun in Elena's eyes. He does this slowly and deliberately, and Elena, just as deliberately, and smiling back at him the whole time, doesn't move. He attacks first but, despite Elena's handicap, he's quickly put on retreat, gets backed up against the stable stall, and Elena rips his shirt to score the first point. Elena was put in a disadvantageous position and still won the bout because she's better.
I am surprised you didn't mention that Zorro's sword came up like arousal. Also, I had the impression at 5:50 Zorro was trying to put the sunshine into her eyes to make it harder for her to see, a tactic I have seen in several movies involving swordplay, so I don't think he was actually being arrogant, just increasing his chances. She surprised him by not caring about the light in her eyes.
I found this film thoroughly enjoyable. Clearly these participants practiced the shit out of this. I would be surprised if either decided to cease such martial training. They are both quite talented.
CZJ is from a theater family, so she probably already had some stage combat training. She definitely already had dancing training, and had kept that up somewhat (In Chicago, compare her choreography to Renee Zellwigger's; CZJ's is much more advanced.), so it seems entirely probable!
Jill: "While mutual winning is possible.." Me: *raises hand to make a comment befitting of a 13 year old while being a 26 year old procrastinating actual adult job responsibilities* Jill: "..no jokes please" Me: *puts hand down*
I watched this film when I was a kid, loved the whole thing. And years later now I just found that the fight scenes in it was so good, better than most block busters nowadays.
I guess its supposed to be laced in the front? and he cuts that as well as the second shoulder strap, conveniently off camera ;) Or he just cuts the fabric. Anyway, you can see the front of the 'corset'/bodice gaping a little bit in the moment before it slides down.
It's obviously complicated, but yes, his series of cuts apparently undoes the corset, allowing the dress to fall down, *and* also brings more hair forward for her modesty. I can never manage both.
What a pleasure it is to watch a video by someone who is erudite in the art and craft of choreography and film! I love how you appreciate nuance and note all the dramatic elements that go into constructing a set piece.
Very lovely analysis of the fight scene. I can remember watching this movie when I was much younger and I didn’t get the scene, but it makes total sense. Thanks for staying active, and stay safe!
I just rewatched this film recently after over a decade of dedicated learning in the art of storytelling. And it was even more delightfully fun than I remembered.
Well, The Mask of Zorro is absolute great fun, I love the film (and the fight, of course). Of course, I also love the black and white Zorro TV series. Unfortunately it doesn't feature many women other than as damsels in distress.
Your videos are so good they completely distract me from writing my book. Good job! But bad on me... I have to finished the damned thing. 😂 I'll share it to my husband, who also loves sword play. Thank you very much for making it!
This one's also on our list, I'm beginning to see a pattern here. I learned to appreciate Flamenco because of how well it lends itself to fight/stunt choreography. Going through your back catalog, I didn't see any Jackie Chan films; would love to hear your take on them, maybe Shanghai Noon/Shanghai Knights?
Thank you for reminding me how much I love Zorro. Some people have 'Austin Powers' - my nephew, others have 'The Lion King' - one of my brothers, while I loved 'Ariel the Little Mermaid' growing up. But when I saw this movie, it was a marathon of this, and catching the cartoon at 4 am. So much fun. Also, any movie that shows off that much talent in ways that don't cramp said talent is always a win.
I've enjoyed several of your videos, but this is the one that made me subscribe. Incredible sequence in a great film. Peaks you challenged and conquered with this analysis. You had me sitting here, chin in hand, wide eyed and attentive, like a kid hearing his favorite story.
For the record, I hate that you were demonetized, and truly hope it is fixed very soon. That said, I'm so glad it helped me find your channel. I love this video! I never would have found this! Also I'll watch this several times after you get your ad-sense back so you can be properly compensated for my enjoyment of your content!
I would love to see you break down The Count of Monte Cristo, starting with the standoff inside and reaching its climax at the end of the fight outside.
I think what helped this fight, is that both Banderas and Zeta-Jones are very easy on the eye and they both have a way of capturing the attention of whoever is involved with them at the time. Especially Banderas whenever he dances or sings or fights with them just look at how his partner looks at him and how he looks at them, in that moment they are the only people in the world!
"Flirting with beautiful ladies who are unexpectedly good fencers" ahh a recurring dream if ever Iv heard one.
I‘ve heard a dream- I like that, although I doubt that you meant to say that...!?
This comment gave me flashbacks to my champion fencer ex girlfriend lol.
Every lesbians dream 💜
that's kinda an unwritten desire i have if i ever decide to actually try to be in a relationship,
1. good hygiene
2. don't be a toxic person
and 3. please be skilled at some sort of bladed weapon
@@technounionrepresentative4274 well said
She was in no danger because, as we all know, a sword cannot penetrate a corset.
But do you know what CAN penetrate a corset?
Dagger...I meant dagger, get your mind out of the gutter.
Until he cuts her top off. How did he remove the corset so easily?
Clearly, you've never been to Singapore.
@@Zoomeia yeah if her corset had actually fit her it wouldn't have moved, almost at all
@@rowanendriss6664 I had zero problem, repeat zero, with the way her corset fit.
"So how did you two get together?"
"We tried stabbing each other. It's was so hot!"
Worked for Julie d'Aubigny and d'Albert of Loynes
It's a good way to get to know someone, really.
@@RedmarKerkhof Well, good way to get a sense of their temperament under stress, at least
@@RedmarKerkhof It really teaches you what a person is like on the inside.
I'll get me coat.
hahahahxD
"Mask of Zorro" is so underapreciated, seriously.
By the way, small fun fact: Antonio Banderas trained with the Spanish Olimpic Fencing Team for 6 months to prepare for this movie, and apparently he still practices from time to time to this day. As a Spaniard myself, you can believe me: he's considered a national treasure. And of course, this movie was a huge hit in Spain thanks to him.
He is the ultimate spaniard no one is more spaniard than him xD
It is just a fun family film.
I've heard he changed his surname from Bandera to Banderas, to include all the Spanish flags.
If that's true, nice move.
The film is quite famous here in Italy too, as is Banderas himself
From what I recall, Zeta Jones also did some intensive (but not as intensive as Banderas) fencing training for this scene, but also kept it up as a fitness thing afterwards.
Can I just say, as a corset enthusiast, how much I LOVE her corset in this scene? I can’t see the exact details of it, but from what I can see, it is a very good historically accurate corset. Corsets were meant to be lived in, they can be moved around and bent, and there were a great many farmers, manual laborers, and athletes who wore corsets. It just adds so much to this scene for me that they didn’t make it into a ridiculous "can’t move, can’t breath" disadvantage for her.
I love this fight and I love how her biological father sees the two of them flirting and being QUITE INAPPROPRIATE and he loves it. You can tell he's thinking about his past and her mom, lol
@Nico It's a look of "well, I'm definitely gonna have grandkids. And I'm completely OK with that."
I just realized after all these years another thing really cool about their very playful duel. Is that Elena had no idea that she was in a duel with a man trained by her biological father. So they both have a connection that she is unaware of. It almost makes them spiritual siblings in a sense.
The Fighting Pride of Wales and Spain, both at their career and attractiveness peaks, in a great feel good movie, wonderful soundtrack and Anthony Hopkins not even bothering to disguise his accent. Lovely childhood memories, thanks. I've got to watch this with my kids and make a whole new generation fall in love with CZJ 😍
Anthony Hopkins: shall I do an accent?
...
nah.
@@JillBearup "Welsh is an accent, so it counts!"
@@Talisguy I personally have it as a "Subtle" way to remind the audience she really is his daughter.
Fancy seeing you here!!
@@anirudhviswanathan3986 Who?
I like to think the writer/director approached this fight like: “what if we had the Goldfinger stable fight, but not creepy?”.
Considering that Martin Campbell directed Goldeneye and later Casino Royale, that is a very real possibility.
@Kelvin Higgs Goldfinger isn't Goldeneye? Well I sure learned something today, you really got me. I guess Martin Campbell, Bond director twice over, never saw the most acclaimed Bond film and never could have been inspired by it for his Zorro movie, you oaf.
Goldeneye, Goldfinger... phht! Goldmember!!!! 🍌
🤣
I mean it’s still kind of creepy
@@tyree9055 Dr Evil, can I paint his yoo-hoo goooold? It's kinda my thing, ya know!
"He draws his sword-"
Notice that his sword pops up into frame from somewhere around his waist before he draws it. ...You can't convince me this isn't a deliberate visual innuendo.
I can attempt to, by telling you how swords usually aren't put into or drawn from scabbards but taken from the hands of prop assistants and so it's just being held by an intern or something you're not convinced at all never mind.
Don't we also get a musical cue when that happens?
This is one of my favorite movies ever. The villain's plan was actually brilliant, but it's overshadowed by the real premise of the movie: Get the two most beautiful people in the world to dance and sword fight each other, and also get them to stare at each other.
Longingly.
I've always liked the clear difference in the degree of investment in the fight between the two characters. Elena while not quite willing to kill Alejandro should she gain the upper hand, clearly would have no scruples about perhaps dealing a flesh wound or two. It seems to me that Alejandro on the other hand while by no means intent on losing the fight wouldn't dream of hurting her, rogue and mildly rehabilitated criminal though he was.
In honorable circles, men DO NOT hurt women. This is another element Bearup doesn’t address, but hugely relevant
OF COURSE he's not going to hurt her! He's very well acquainted with her father! Papa would simply slay him and dump him in an unmarked grave.
@@persiswynter6357 He didn't know who her real father was at this point in the movie.
@@Swiftbow Yes, he did. He read the script.
@@towerofgodfan4107 According to the old rules of 19th century gallantery, no, not even then. You never hurt a lady under any circumstances (unless she is your daughter or your wife and wronged you, in which case the gentleman would be totally entiteled to discipline her physically, but any other lady? No chance). So if a lady attacks you with a sword, as a gentleman you could only try to escape or disarm and restrain her without hurting her physically, otherwise you lose your honor. One might say worrying about honor is stupid when your life is in danger, but mind that we are talking about the same class of people who would often be ready to accept a duell challenge from a clearly superior fighter and risk grave injury or death rather than declining and being regarded as dishonorable.
Of course there is the loophole that a woman taking up arms and attacking you might make her lose the status of lady. A filthy uncivilized outlaw who e.g. attacks you in the street to rob you and take your stuff is not protected by the code of gallantery, but a lady of a noble house who decides to fight to protect her families property certainly would be.
-Lesson number 1: Never attack on anger
-Lesson number 2: Take a bath ever now and then. Make sure that the biggest ammount of time between your baths "now" and "then" is a day and no more than that, please.
-Lesson number 3: To get to lesson number 4
-Lesson number 4: Develop charm (And dancing skills, this will help you later.)
-Lesson number 5: If you end up in a flirty fight scene with the stolen-as-a-baby daughter of your master,
remember to be chairming and vigorous. Very vigorous. (Quick observation: I mean very vigorous during the literal fight, please avoid mutual ways of winning until the epilogue).
-Lesson number 6: In the case one of you ends up tearing off the clothes of the other during the fight, go back to the quick observation of lesson number 5 and try your best to keep your focus on the mission. If you reached this point being the one without some of your clothes,
avoid the next action sequence until you get new ones. If that is not possible and one of your ripped clothes was your pants, avoid riding horses without saddles.
-Lesson number 7: If you were able to survive until now, you are near the climax of the movie. Follow the
next logical steps of the Hero's Journey and you will be fine.
-Lesson number 8 (And the most important of them all): Avoid making sequels. Specially the ones that start
with "The legend of (...)" or something like it.
If you've got dark force, attacking with anger may proof to be advantageous.
@@Tommuli_Haudankaivaja It depends. Palpatine got his face all burned up by lightning doing that.
@@sobermind9885 And against some low skilled enemies, angrily swining a sword can proof quite effective, can tell from experience.
You don't need to bathe every day if you don't get dirty or sweaty, it's not good for your skin and hair. Other lessons seem to be on point.
@@Sipu97 Or if you rarely meet anyone.
"He draws his sword."
Are we not going to talk about HOW he draws it sword and it pops up into the frame?
BoIng!
@@leftcoaster67 😂😂😂😂
hhhhhh
what I always thought. The popping up is a bit... suggestive XD
Yup. Say hello to my other little friend. A cigar may not always be a phallic symbol, but a sword always is.
Oh god, they are both just so damn beautiful!
They really, really are.
@Nico Catherine zeta Jones is my first celebrity crush that i can remember, but i didn't realize it was a crush until my twenties when i found out what being bisexual meant. She's one of the most beautiful women ever imho
The first the he does after testing her is circle her, putting her line of sight directly into the light coming through the window. This should have been a disadvantage for her, squinting to see this man in black lit from behind, but she adapts and scores a point on him. This is what really makes him start taking her seriously.
"That Bed is Full of Glass. Idiots."
Love this line. One can never underestimate the sharpness of glass.
This is also why I extremely oppose the Idea of "Glass-Bending" in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
hey if you catched the name of that commercial can you tell me? i want to see it
@@aycasaygn4256 I believe it's a Wilkinson Sword Ad.
ua-cam.com/video/jt3eENGS5lI/v-deo.html
Well sorry to tell you, it's cannon now. Read the Kyoshi novel.
"you're quite the adrenaline junkie"
YES thank you! I swear half of this fight scene I'm thinking. Umm if they get together is this how they spend their Saturday nights?
Well...half of them anyway:-)
@@JM-mh1pp great innuendo five * holds up hand*
@@Vashthestampede967 *strikes a hand*
My god it was so long since anyone noticed!
edit
And you know what else was long?
That text break!
That’s a lot of clothes they’re going to be cutting up
@@kokofan50 well I believe the point is they don't want them for long.
“No jokes, please.”
With this fight, that might be an insurmountable challenge.
... I will not make a joke about -what- who IS mountable.
It was just a couple of cuts away from turning into a sex scene.
I remember in kindergraten when boys talked about heroes, everyone mentioned Hulk, Spiderman, Batman etc... whenever I said 'my fave is Zorro' - they would laugh at me, or they didn't even know who he is. He relies on his own brain, strength, and swordsmanship - he doesn't have ultra powers or extra blazers whatever - he is very realistic & the best hero of them all
Have you read the Isabel Allende novel?
Everybody wanted to be Zorro when I was young...
Or "The Black Arrow".
You should have reminded them that Zorro was the one who inspired Batman, in universe at that.
Funny... as a kid I always preferred Superman over Batman because Superman had all those cool powers. As I got older, I liked Batman over the S-man because he was more "real" than Superman. Zorro aka Batman... yeah, I see that. Love it.@@iainwhite8617
That's ironic since Batman's favorite hero is Zorro,in fact the night his parents were killed. They were leaving the theater after weing Zorro 😮
Catherine Zeta-Jones is a really good actress
And she's probably the most mexican welsh person there is.
Still have trouble getting that in my head.
Sadly underused.
Yeah she is. This is one of my favorite movies.
@@dzonbrodi514 ah so a valley girl
@@dzonbrodi514 Valley girl is Welsh slang for people from a certain area of Wales a Welsh person told me.
I love the end when her dad comes in and she's just GLOWING. "He was young and vigorous!" 😂
also my fav part hahaha
I always loved this fight. It shows she is actually better, more skilled with a sword. And the only real way he won was getting under her skin.
she has the study but she lacks the streets smart
She is actually better, but not by a whole ton. Neither is really taking the fight seriously at first, and he still isn't when she shows him up and disarms him. She used the fact that he was trying to get under her skin against him, which added to the parry/disarm makes it even more impressive imo
Which also further plays into the lesson's he's gotten earlier: she knows the proper form, but he's specifically been trained from emotional control first perspective. She's only trained with proper men, teachers and the like, so he spots the same weakness his mentor did in him: the quickest way to advantage in this fight is to get her breathing a little heavier, by utilising techniques her teachers could have never prepared her for. Playing a little dirty (on occasion, _literally_) while flirting all the way.
I could happily talk about Bob Anderson for hourss. I'm very happy that I found this channel!!
Welcome :)
The final climatic fight at the end...ugh.
The tone of this video threw me fore a moment as it felt incredibly familiar. An then I realized why, analyzing Shakespearian innuendo (specifically R+J Act 2 Scene 4, or more generally any of the comedies) has exactly the same feeling. I mean this as only the highest of compliments!
thumbnail: "Not bad"
me: oh good looks like Jill thought it was okay. Thank goodness because I love this fight.
brain (way to much later): it's a reference to Zeta-Jones line in the fight you watched dozens of times and claim to love
me: ohhhhhhhhh
Okay I have to make this very horrible joke.
Elena: Zorro is that a rapier near your belt or are you just happy to see me?
Zorro: A rapier *draws sword*
Elena: Right answer! *draws sword* You're such a romantic
Omg, hahahaha 😂😂😂😂 thanks for this
You remind me of "Addams Family" with Carolyn Jones fencing John Astin: she wears a hobble skirt!
*MarriageGoals
@@auldthymer hey those are my goals gomez and morticia adams are pure life goals.
Zorro: Elena is that a sword in your corset, or are you just happy to see me?
Elena: Draws sword It's a sword.
Zorro: My kind of woman.
That is Not a horrible joke.
It’s always a good day when one of these goes up.
@Nico indeed
3:55 I would add Vader vs Luke in ESB, (also choreographed by Bob Anderson) though it's very one-sided Vader is testing and appraising Luke's skill and determination throughout.
7:35 it has always bugged me that his mostly-horizontal slice somehow cuts her dress vertically haha
9:37 omg I just realized they go for a short Roll In The Hay
11:10 I absolutely live for that little smirk she gives when he takes the hat, it's so adorable
I really like that you interpret Elena's anger as being at losing the fight rather than at the intimacy itself, that really helps me with not seeing this scene as like, predatory? And it makes sense given all the chemistry that she has built with both Alejandro and Zorro. Not that that's consent, but in the context of a playful adventure movie it's meant to inform the audience that she's probably more than fine with it.
The suspension of disbelief runs through the whole movie and I think it's a little disingenuous of certain people to treat the romance as trying to be realistic when the rest of the film very obviously and intentionally is not.
Great work as always Jill, this is one of my fave movies along with Princess Bride and the PotC trilogy, there's really nothing else that has the same vibe💜
Yes, the whole film is very much “in real life this would be Super Not Good, but here we can go for it” 😁
@@JillBearup Yes absolutely!
Ooh I just thought of another fight I'd love your thoughts on someday: d'Artagnan versus Rochefort in The Three Musketeers 2011
I can't say it's a great film but it is one of the only swordfights from the past decade of movies that I found actually conveyed a sense of danger, with some stunning choreography💜
Katherine Zita Jones is a national treasure. 🏴
And absolutely gorgeous to boot!
KZJ and Eve Myles both very attractive Welsh ladies.
Katherine Zeta Jones!
She dips beneath lazers.
Ohhhhh Ohhhhh ohhhhhhhhhhhh.
Spellin kan mattur.
I absolutely love that scene, it’s my kind of romance.
The bit with "... and that bed is full of glass!" had me in stitches :D Pun fully intended ;)
That was one of my favorite lines in the movie: "... he was very vigorous, father.: 😂
And now I really want to watch the movie again
The best time to watch Mask of Zorro is any time
"And then [he] shrugs, the cocky little twerp...BAITING her" Hahah, thank you so much for that combination of words. I'll have them in mind the next time I'll be in an intellectuel "fight off/show down" with my friends.
This duel is 2nd behind The Princess Bride's cliff fight for me, always been a fan of swords and duels.
"mutual winning" - so that's what the kids are calling it these days, Eh?
To be completely honest, my poor pan heart couldn't handle this "fight" scene and it felt like I was swimming in the chemistry they were giving off. Unfortunately I was 11 at the time and had no idea what was happening to me...
Uhh same?? I was young when I first saw this and I just felt like it was something I shouldn't watch with my parents around lol
Omg 12 year old me was SWEATINGGGG
This movie gave me hope that romance and swashbuckling wasn’t completely dead in Hollywood. I enjoyed this SO much! I can only hope it got more people interested in this kind of adventure!
I remember being much younger and staying over at my grandmothers house. I was watching this and this scene came on a bit after she came into the room and watched. And then she said very straightforwardly and with a little humor something like ‘see, that’s why they gave her such long hair, so they could do that,’ and it made me laugh cause that wasn’t what I was expecting (she was catholic, and my fam is/was more conservative Christian). RIP grandma.
God I so deeply adore this trope. It's just a lot of fun and I love the idea of two highly skilled people engaging with each other in this exciting and dangerous way. It's ridiculous but perfect for ridiculous characters!
Makes me want to go back and re edit a story I wrote for one of my dnd characters that plays on this trope!
I forgot how goddamn FUN this movie is. I need to rewatch it.
"Mutual winning is possible"
1) YEAH it is!
2) Isn't that supposed to be the point of intimate...swordplay?
3) Is it weird that I didn't hear the innuendo at first, and my first thought was about game theory and design of games with both cooperative and competitive elements in them? I *feel* like that's weird, but I need an outside opinion.
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Also: "Seduce and/or sword-fight"? Are those not the same thing in your part of the world?
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Also: That Bob Anderson, he knows his stuff.
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Also: Well of course he doesn't take the threat of being beaten by her as a bad thing, look at her.
What? Oh, not like that.
The two leads had wonderful chemistry in this movie. It's what made it work so well.
Really glad you're going to do the Lizzy/Darcy fight from P&P&Z. It's probably my favorite scene in that movie and maybe the most in line with the original P&P source material thematically.
Also nothing is funnier than "SHE'S SHY!!"
Love Mask of Zorro. That fight scene is a pretty substantial reason why. Very iconic. Also, I was 13 when the movie came out.
5:52 "A bit like a master waiting for his student to be in the best position possible to give her the best chance of winning"
Sorry Jill, but it's the opposite. Alejandro moved into that position to put the sun in Elena's eyes. He does this slowly and deliberately, and Elena, just as deliberately, and smiling back at him the whole time, doesn't move. He attacks first but, despite Elena's handicap, he's quickly put on retreat, gets backed up against the stable stall, and Elena rips his shirt to score the first point.
Elena was put in a disadvantageous position and still won the bout because she's better.
Thank you for noticing this special scene . It accentuates the romance between the two. It brings lightness to the movie.
Ooh la la
This is one of my favorite fight scenes
Hi i think your one of the first people here, congrac. Or the first?
I was watching this just last night and thinking "I wonder if this fight has been featured on this channel".
Great minds!
Always thought this was a match made in heaven for the channel
So excited for this series of videos. The inherent eroticism of 1v1 combat (let ALONE combat with swords) is my favorite trope.
I am surprised you didn't mention that Zorro's sword came up like arousal. Also, I had the impression at 5:50 Zorro was trying to put the sunshine into her eyes to make it harder for her to see, a tactic I have seen in several movies involving swordplay, so I don't think he was actually being arrogant, just increasing his chances. She surprised him by not caring about the light in her eyes.
I love listening to you describe this. You're as delightfully breathless as the actors were themselves.
Zeta-Jones was otherworldly beautiful in that film
I found this film thoroughly enjoyable. Clearly these participants practiced the shit out of this. I would be surprised if either decided to cease such martial training. They are both quite talented.
CZJ is from a theater family, so she probably already had some stage combat training. She definitely already had dancing training, and had kept that up somewhat (In Chicago, compare her choreography to Renee Zellwigger's; CZJ's is much more advanced.), so it seems entirely probable!
Jill: "While mutual winning is possible.."
Me: *raises hand to make a comment befitting of a 13 year old while being a 26 year old procrastinating actual adult job responsibilities*
Jill: "..no jokes please"
Me: *puts hand down*
Ahh senpai noticed me twice in one day. I'm so happy.
"Is that a sword, or are you just happy to see me?"
Also swashbuckling Catherine Zeta-Jones is _insanely_ hot.
your videos are like pure serotonin
I dunno, there are some endorphins in there as well ;)
This was my favorite movie growing up, thanks for the nostalgia
This is the movie scene that made me realize I was straight lol, great analysis!
God, I love that movie, I have to watch it again soon...might actually do that later
I watched this film when I was a kid, loved the whole thing. And years later now I just found that the fight scenes in it was so good, better than most block busters nowadays.
Question: how does her dress fall down when she's clearly wearing a corset? Did he slice the strings when we were preoccupied or rule of sexy?
I guess its supposed to be laced in the front? and he cuts that as well as the second shoulder strap, conveniently off camera ;) Or he just cuts the fabric.
Anyway, you can see the front of the 'corset'/bodice gaping a little bit in the moment before it slides down.
There are a lot of cuts he makes like a sculptor. We just watch his face *shrug*
It's obviously complicated, but yes, his series of cuts apparently undoes the corset, allowing the dress to fall down, *and* also brings more hair forward for her modesty. I can never manage both.
Yeah he’s gotta be a surgeon to be able to cut her clothes but not the hair in front of it
@@peterlewerin4213 Wait, what do you mean, you can never manage both...?
I'd been waiting for this one! One of my favorite movie swordfights of all time, for different reasons than my other favorites...
Fun fact, in interviews both CZJ and AB admitted to being extremely turned on while filming this scene.
Wish I'd found this channel years ago. Hands down one of my favorite movies ever and my favorite scene in that film.
What a pleasure it is to watch a video by someone who is erudite in the art and craft of choreography and film! I love how you appreciate nuance and note all the dramatic elements that go into constructing a set piece.
I love your sass! Combined with your librarian glasses just makes my soul fly! 😄
These videos are essentially the perfect source for me to figure out what movie I want to rewatch next. Thank you!
I love how much you clearly love the scene. Your charming enthusiasm is absolutely infectious!
Very lovely analysis of the fight scene. I can remember watching this movie when I was much younger and I didn’t get the scene, but it makes total sense. Thanks for staying active, and stay safe!
Caw, yet again, I love the idea of using a decent fight as a story telling element! Character development as well as story progression!
I thought Zorro's sword suddenly popping up doubles as phallic joke.
I had foregotten just how good this movie is. Thank You Ms. Jill.
I just rewatched this film recently after over a decade of dedicated learning in the art of storytelling. And it was even more delightfully fun than I remembered.
"seduce and/or swordfight" is a fantastic verb phrase and one I hope will some day describe me and someone
Well, The Mask of Zorro is absolute great fun, I love the film (and the fight, of course). Of course, I also love the black and white Zorro TV series. Unfortunately it doesn't feature many women other than as damsels in distress.
"....and you don't get to keep the hat, either." Wonderful. Laughed so hard at a terrific line !
I know nothing about swordfighting, swashbuckling, fake fighting, or classic movies. But damned if that wasn't entertaining. Subscribed.
Your videos are so good they completely distract me from writing my book. Good job! But bad on me... I have to finished the damned thing. 😂 I'll share it to my husband, who also loves sword play. Thank you very much for making it!
All these years later, I still love this movie
This one's also on our list, I'm beginning to see a pattern here.
I learned to appreciate Flamenco because of how well it lends itself to fight/stunt choreography.
Going through your back catalog, I didn't see any Jackie Chan films; would love to hear your take on them, maybe Shanghai Noon/Shanghai Knights?
But masks are so comfortable everyone will be wearing them in the future.
Wrong movie but great comment!
@@jasonswiatkowski9127 I know what movie the quote is from. It seemed appropriate here.
Thank you for reminding me how much I love Zorro. Some people have 'Austin Powers' - my nephew, others have 'The Lion King' - one of my brothers, while I loved 'Ariel the Little Mermaid' growing up. But when I saw this movie, it was a marathon of this, and catching the cartoon at 4 am. So much fun.
Also, any movie that shows off that much talent in ways that don't cramp said talent is always a win.
This is my favorite movie and my favorite flirty fight scene
Definitely the pase double for the dance
I've enjoyed several of your videos, but this is the one that made me subscribe. Incredible sequence in a great film. Peaks you challenged and conquered with this analysis. You had me sitting here, chin in hand, wide eyed and attentive, like a kid hearing his favorite story.
For the record, I hate that you were demonetized, and truly hope it is fixed very soon. That said, I'm so glad it helped me find your channel. I love this video! I never would have found this! Also I'll watch this several times after you get your ad-sense back so you can be properly compensated for my enjoyment of your content!
You are a breath of fresh air... and easy on the eyes. FABULOUS fight breakdown... you are an expert.
This is my favorite movie of all time and this video made me love it even more all over again! Thank you for making my day!
It's amazing how this sword fight adds so much character development for both.
I love it
I did a huge deep dive into swashbuckling films last year. Really enjoyed coming across some of the older Zorro films I hadn't seen in so many years.
I would love to see you break down The Count of Monte Cristo, starting with the standoff inside and reaching its climax at the end of the fight outside.
Happy Valentine's Day! Just coming back for a fun rewatch.
I have this movie in DVD. Lol. One of my favorite scenes of all time. Their chemistry is electric.
Love your content, Jill! Mask of Zorro was one of my favorite films as a kid. I'm grateful that you enjoy it as much as I do!
rewatching it, and it's such a fun film. Always loved how even in the 90s this felt like from another era, so beautiful.
I think what helped this fight, is that both Banderas and Zeta-Jones are very easy on the eye and they both have a way of capturing the attention of whoever is involved with them at the time. Especially Banderas whenever he dances or sings or fights with them just look at how his partner looks at him and how he looks at them, in that moment they are the only people in the world!
5:25 Can we talk about the way his sword handle pops up seemingly on its own 🤣 Could that be a metaphor for his state of "arousal" 😂🤣
* casually making notes on all your favourite fights for future courses *
There's also a pun there in them "going for a roll in the hay." Cheeky cheeky :)
Such a brilliant scene, and such a brilliant breakdown on your part.
this is like THE foreplay and the way he draws his sword at 5:26 is also an innuendo 🤣