Page One: “The Mask of Zorro” (1998)

Screenplay by John Eskow and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, story by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and Randall Jahnson, character created by Johnston McCulley

The movie version of the opening:

The sword play reminds me so much of scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl:

In particular, this sequence:

Methinks screenwriters Elliott and Rossio enjoy sword play!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.

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