To what extent is the 1940 film The Mark of Zorro a realistic and accurate depiction of California under Spanish colonial rule pre-Mexican independence in the early 19th century? In particular, what are the movie’s intersectionalities with what Felipe Fernández-Armesto writes about this period in Our America? Does the viewer emerge with a factual, reliable vision of any of the following factors: social-class divisions? Ethnic hierarchies? Differences between courtly European Spain and colonial California? Abrupt changes in colonial administration? Military/ administrative rivalries? Secular/religious tensions? The role of the Catholic Church/missions? Profiles of typical European colonial settlers? Gender relations? How do you believe the proverbial “Hollywood treatment” affected the authentic portrayal of California life at the time? Do any representations seem deliberately false, outright incorrect or plainly exaggerated?
