Original subtitles

When daggers are pointed at innocent hearts And muskets are ready to fire

Where tyrants ride high and govern with fear as the forces of evil conspire.

Then from out of the night, my hero must rise with courage that evil a mask

won't disguise.

They turn to the man called Zorro.

Zorro! Oh, who's larger than life and defender of all is this man who the

people acclaim.

He's the one who's right back for the poor and oppressed.

A hero whose name is Sorrow.

His name is Sorrow.

Sorrow.

Aha.

Another cave, Sergeant. I've got it.

We've already searched 12 caves today.

Still no sign of Zorro.

Well, Sergeant, in less than 48 hours we're both going to hang unless we find

Zorro, so I suggest it's worth the effort.

Why me, Alcalde?

Zorro in the case.

Well, we move on.

Come along, Todd.

I've never seen such a small turnout for Sunday Mass

before. People are afraid to come to town, Diego.

All right.

I assume you said your prayers, Alcalde. Because if you don't capture Zorro

within two days, you'll soon be meeting your maker.

A splendid mission you have here, Padre Benitez.

Oh, thank you.

It was built by the local Indians.

Under Spanish rule and supervision, of course.

But then I'm sure you appreciate His Majesty's generosity.

Generosity? But it is the duty.

Of every Christian king to send the word of God to the four corners of the

earth. Just as it is your duty to discharge this mission's obligations to

royal throne.

With all respect, our only obligation is to God.

God is not engaged in a war with the French.

We are.

And since the church shares our duty to support the Spanish crown in that

effort, I hereby confiscate all mission property.

What?

You can't do that.

Really? And just who is going to stop me?

This is unheard of. What you propose is unprecedented.

It is rather creative, I agree.

Be warned, Senor Resendo.

The people of this pueblo will never stand for this. The people are a

pack of jackals.

Don't threaten me with insurrection, de la Vega.

For years, the church has grown fat with the help of the crown.

Now it is simply time.

To pay the piper.

Elevega's right. This could force the people to rise up against us.

Allow me to arrest the ringleaders and make an example of them.

No, Lieutenant.

Let them simmer a while longer.

An angry mob is easily led by the nose.

And I know precisely where to lead them.

It's time for a town meeting. Come on.

My friends.

We are faced with a brazen disregard for the sanctity of our church.

No, my friends.

Rebellion is not the answer.

His troops will crush us. We have to give Zorro to help us.

Good people.

The fact is I share your concerns.

But you've got to take a broader view of things.

I have been sent here to collect a special war tax.

If I return to Madrid empty -handed, the king will undoubtedly make an example

of this pueblo. A violent, bloody example.

You see, my friends, there are two inescapable realities of life.

Death and taxes.

And you must choose between them.

The church has never been required to pay taxes.

If the people of Los Angeles would only pay the balance of this special

assessment, I would not be forced to confiscate church property. Many people

have paid.

True, Padre.

Humble farmers go hungry to support their country's war effort.

But as long as certain wealthy caballeros avoid paying taxes, I have no

but to sell off church property to make up the deficit.

What do you mean?

Why don't they pay the same tax as us?

Because they get tax credits for supplying the military garrison with

but the value is well below the market price.

And they get 12 ,000 acres of prime land tax -free just for putting it under the

plow. That is perfectly legal. Oh, it may all well be perfectly legal, my

friends, but as always, there is one law for the rich and another for the rest

of us.

Who does this?

Which caballeros?

Well, there are.

Two? Right here?

Let the emissary take their haciendas instead of our church.

What good will a letter to the governor do?

Or send it as an emissary to the king?

You expecting someone?

No. Well, I'm still sending the letter.

Emissary Resendo, Lieutenant Tidalgo, what can I do for you?

Aren't you going to invite us in?

Of course. Why not?

Diego.

Magnificent, Hacienda.

How long have you lived here?

Many years.

Ever since my father first arrived and worked the land.

Indeed.

But I'm afraid your fellow Los Angelinos won't let you justify your failure to

pay taxes on the backs of your ancestors.

You see, the mere threat of my seizing church property very nearly caused a

earlier today.

And since part of my responsibility is to prevent civil insurrection, the will

of the people must be taken into account.

Lieutenant Hidalgo, if you please.

Alejandro de la Vega, by the power invested in me by King Ferdinand, I

seize this hacienda and all adjacent property.

And so, dearest mother, I cannot wait for you to join me where we truly

In the magnificent De La Vega Hacienda.

Now only one more hurdle remains.

Alejandro and Diego will soon be groveling at my feet.

Don't know Alejandro is not going to take this eviction lying down.

Diego that troubles me.

I can't imagine why.

Something about him.

There's more to Diego de la Vega than meets the eye.

It's really very kind of you to put us up like this, Victoria.

Oh, well, it's the least I can do for all the times that you and Don Alejandro

have helped me.

Diego.

I don't believe it.

What's wrong?

Emissary Resendo.

He's impounded our bank accounts. But he can't do that.

As the emissary is so fond of telling us, he can do anything he pleases. How

we get our hacienda back?

You should have paid your taxes.

Like that, you wouldn't be in so much trouble.

Senor Peralta. Father, please.

The man is living in our hacienda. I know. I know.

Consider this.

It was simply a matter of collecting the 10 ,000 pesos war tax.

He'd quickly sell our Hacienda to the first bidder and be on his way back to

Madrid. Instead, he chooses to protract this entire affair by taking our

Hacienda as his own home.

And why impound our bank accounts so we have no way of regaining the Hacienda?

He's after more than money.

Why doesn't Zorro do something about this now?

We can't expect Zorro to fight all our battles.

I'm going to Santa Barbara to consult with Don Luis Cristobal.

Oh, my friend, the lawyer.

Yes.

We are to rid ourselves of Resendo. This battle must be fought in a court of

law. I'll return within three days.

Adios.

Alcalde? Sergeant, any luck? No, no luck at all.

Resendo's not in his office.

He's not here, is he?

No, Alcalde.

The man is firmly ensconced in my hacienda.

You sold your hacienda? No, Sergeant.

We've been evicted.

Evicted?

Diego's on his way to Santa Barbara to hire a lawyer.

Ah, chicken moly.

Sergeant, your stomach can wait till after we've captured Zorro.

Go, boy.

Leave the bottle.

Get out of here.

Good to see you too, Felipe.

You all right?

Obviously, I had to come in through the cave. Resendo has the house surrounded

with guards.

Yes, Felipe.

Tonight is a night Gilberto Resendo will never forget.

How can you be sure that Zorro will come?

De La Vega's been thrown out of their own home, Sergeant.

So?

There's no greater friend to Zorro than Don Alejandro De La Vega. Zorro has to

come to help him.

It doesn't seem right to capture Zorro if he's coming to help a friend.

I'm not trying to capture Zorro, Sergeant.

We're going to kill him.

We are?

Do you want to die the day after tomorrow?

No, but... And Zorro?

An excellent meal.

I may just take the de la Vega cook back with me to Madrid.

Where is that boy?

I don't care if you are, Death, you insolent pup.

This is a brandy glass. When I hold this up and it's empty, it means I want

brandy. Then you shall definitely have your brandy.

Let me have it. Kill him and be quick about

it.

Not a guess.

But not quick enough.

Guys, slow down!

And here I thought this was just going to be between the two of us.

have interfered with my plans for the last time.

It is indeed the last time.

I was in there.

How'd he get in?

He's a very tricky fellow.

Maybe he used the back door.

Tricky or not, I'll be the final victim.

Farewell, my masked friend.

What happened, Alcalde?

Emissary, what happened?

Hero has died fighting for the King of Spain.

Alcalde!

See that Lieutenant Hidalgo's body is properly taken care of.

I have some unfinished business.

Answer!

So you're back.

Zorro killed my lieutenant.

He did.

But only after making your house unlivable.

Does that mean you're abandoning our hacienda? I've lost my taste for it.

Therefore, the church property will have to be sold to pay for the overdue

taxes.

Just one moment.

You've got the money from my bank accounts.

You pay the taxes with that.

But since we'll be investigating the sources of your frozen assets, which

take years, those funds aren't legally available to pay the taxes.

Say how and now, Emissary.

Zorro? Gods!

Enough! Enough bottle beer!

I personally released the De La Vega funds from the bank.

Since they're now mine, allow me to pay the Pueblo's back taxes.

You can't pay the taxes with stolen money!

Why not?

But that money is really yours, Don Alejandro.

It's money well spent to save the church.

Give me the rest of me, it's good grief, Flamigo.

I'll have your head.

Yeah, Flamigo, you want my head.

The rest of me.

Remember who your friends are.

We're only by standing together.

Will any of us be able to stand at all?

The events have undermined my true purpose in volunteering for this

The ruin and humiliation of Alejandro de la Vega and his son.

But first there is one obstacle I must overcome.

A bandit by the name of Zorro.

I shall tear him limb from limb and bring his head back to Madrid on a spike

Toledo steel.

There is no alternative.

And I will not rest until this is done.