|
|
||
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Recent Articles Trivia Addict Superfan Movies Browse Search Film Festivals Frameline Out on DVD Inside the Indies Big Screen Short Movie Awards Television Music Sundance Tonys Out on DVD |
|
Some hope so, and The Mask of Zorro star Antonio Banderas thinks that maybe guys can learn a few things from the selfless mysterious renegade he plays on screen. "The thing that makes Zorro appealing, or anyone appealing, is a sense of humor," says Banderas. "It's so important that Zorro has the capacity of laughing at himself. If you don't do that, the character becomes arrogant." And, likewise, a guy can seem arrogant. He acknowledges that his on-screen sparring with romantic lead Catherine Zeta Jones may provide the clearest window yet into his relationship with starlet wife Melanie Griffith. In the film he comes across as gallantly macho toward women, but allows an air of equality. "There's also a walk," says Banderas, strutting across the room with a cocky swagger, his chest out and arms in front of him. "At the end [of the film] he walks like this, head up, before his training at the beginning, he slumps his shoulders." Training of Banderas in the movie comes from the aging Zorro, Anthony Hopkins, who admits to identifying to the isolating aspects of the dashing hero. "I think there's a bit of a parallel in me, I'm sort of a dropout myself, I'm a bit of a rebel and bit of a loner, quite a loner," Hopkins muses, and says he doesn't see as much of his 30-year-old daughter as he would like, similiar to the character he portrays in the movie. "I'm pretty distant from people and so that aspect of Zorro is very much me." Director Martin Campbell knows classy characters since he's also directed Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in Goldeneye before doing The Mask of Zorro. Both have charm, but Zorro is romantic, the director says. "Zorro is far more sexy and romantic than Bond," Campbell says. Dancing or swordfighting should be equally erotic for Zorro, and the director says Banderas ad-libbed some of the comic timing in the film with his love interest. "In the sexy swordfight, his sword becomes a phallic symbol that comes up and their eyes meet in this seductive foreplay," Campbell says. "That came from the actors." Other traits of Zorro may or may not help a guy out today in his quest for developing masculinity. Banderas helps assess what makes Zorro:
* Horseback riding. "Oh well, it's not exclusive for men," Banderas sighs. "It doesn't help masculinity, but in women it transforms them into tomboys, which is very attractive. Melanie is a great horseback rider." * Sword fighting. "It is a very elegant thing, much more elegant than guns. Guns are boring," Banderas laughs. "With the sword you need that physical contact. It is looking into the brain of the other guy's machismo, a measuring thing. I think it's more brave. And at the same time more elegant." * Dirty dancing. Although some people don't think that dancing is macho, Banderas surprised a lot of people with Evita since he has never taken a dance lesson in his life. Nothing could be more macho than his tango. "Well, we had a good trainer from Mexico," Banderas says, "And Catherine dances beautifully, she made me look good." * Blatant flirting. "Flirtation is always important to keep romance alive," Banderas winks. "Elena [Zeta-Jones] falls in love with four different guys who are really the same man." * Simply relaxing. "At the beginning he [Zorro] is an excitable rough guy," Banderas explains. "At the end he's slower, he's measuring. He's more in control, he breathes better, he just relaxes better." "He's Zorro, but he can make mistakes," says Banderas, the first Spanish actor to play the role. "He needs that to center himself, and it's a good message, too." For Zeta Jones, the quality in Zorro she would find admirable in a man is the charisma. "It's classic charm, and there's a fine line between that bad being a complete macho s---. Also, I love men wearing black, it looks so chic." But will guys start trying to mock The Mask of Zorro in real life? "God, I hope not," laughs Zeta Jones. "The whole idea of a masked man is very seductive to a woman. But I do hope that S&M isn't coming back in style." PQ MOVIE NEWS: PQ Video Hot List | Interviews | Advance Guide to Queer Film | Movie News Archive | PQ Video Hot Lists Galore MORE NEWS ON PLANETOUT: PlanetOut News & Politics | PlanetOutRadio | Entertainment
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||
