Zigano, der Brigant vom Monte Diavolo (1925)

Europe, in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte. Like many of his fellow rulers, the Italian Duke Lodowico plans to heed the call of the Corsican Emperor and join him with his troops. During his absence, Francesco Ganossa is to act as his governor. Lodowico bids farewell to his beloved Beatrice, an ordinary girl from the people. The ruler promises that when he returns, he will make her his lawful wife. To make their engagement a pledge of fidelity as well, he gives his sweetheart a ring. While the duke seeks glory and honor on the battlefield, Ganossa begins to behave like a despot and tyrant at home. His lust for power, ambition, and greed know no bounds. Extortion, murder, and raids become everyday occurrences in the territory under Ganossa’s rule. His soldiers plunder and kill as they please. But that is not enough for him: Ganossa also has his eye on Lodowico’s fiancée, Beatrice, and intends to marry her before the true ruler returns. Teresa, the duke’s former lover, proves a willing accomplice in carrying out his plans. Young Benito is a student of science who has been brought up with moral principles. He answers a summons from his uncle, who holds an important position as a prelate at the ducal court. Benito is appalled to see how, under Ganossa, standards at court have become debased. Through his blindly devoted lackey Matteo, the governor has summarily had the old police prefect, who was loyal to the duke, murdered. Benito is horrified by the gulf between the world he knows from his scholarly books and the brutal reality. His life changes in an instant when he stops at a farmer’s place during a country outing. Suddenly he comes face to face with the wanted brigand Zigano, a bandit leader on a grand scale. Hounded by Ganossa’s henchmen, Zigano has become an Italian Robin Hood who robs the rich and protects the poor. When one of Ganossa’s henchmen tries to shoot Zigano from behind, Benito bravely intervenes and knocks the pistol from the coward’s hand. But the soldiers’ superior numbers are too great, and Zigano is hit by a bullet. Just as they are about to be overwhelmed, Zigano’s men ride up and put Ganossa’s men to flight. As he lies dying, Zigano points to Benito and tells his men that he is to be the brigand band’s new leader. Although one of his soldiers has told him that Zigano is dead, Ganossa subsequently hears of one heroic deed after another by Zigano. The new Zigano even has the audacity to enter Beatrice’s chambers and steal her ducal engagement ring. Ganossa then offers a reward of 1,000 ounces for Zigano’s head. However, no one but Matteo knows that Ganossa himself committed this villainous deed, dressed in Zigano’s customary disguise—a black cloak, black face mask, and black hat—in order to put pressure on Beatrice and accuse her of being supposedly unfaithful to her ruler. At Ganossa’s orders, Matteo is now to add to the loot and raids a convent. But when he tries to take the plundered treasures to Ganossa’s castle, the new Zigano stops him, and Matteo has to leave his valuables to the brigands. Meanwhile, Beatrice and her loyal friend Fiametta still believe that Zigano has Beatrice’s ring. Fiametta seeks him out and angrily demands its return, but he replies that he knows nothing about a ring. How could he know that the jewel was among the loot Matteo had collected—and that he, Benito as Zigano, had taken from Ganossa’s henchman? On her way home, Fiametta is joined by a young man. It is Benito, whom she had just met as the masked Zigano. Naturally, she does not recognize him, though his voice sounds familiar. He returns with her to the lion’s den because some of his men have fallen into the villainous governor’s hands, and Benito wants to find out how they are doing. Meanwhile, his uncle, the prelate, has used his connections to secure Benito the vacant post of police prefect, which has been open since the murder. But it is not long before Ganossa and Matteo grow suspicious. Benito has meanwhile let Beatrice know that he will help her recover the stolen engagement ring. By chance, Zigano learns the truth about the ring theft. He now knows that, contrary to expectations, the ring must be in his possession, and promises Beatrice he will return it to her. But Ganossa has set a trap for Benito-Zigano. Only a daring escape allows him to get away from Ganossa’s henchmen and return to his men’s headquarters. However, his disguise has now been exposed as well. Benito searches through the treasures Matteo had stolen and finds the ring in question. But his fellow brigands begin to grumble and rebel against their new leader, because they want their share of the loot at last. In the mutiny that follows, Benito is knocked unconscious and left in a cave. The entrance is sealed with a boulder. It takes Benito some time to blast his way out of the cave. He rides back to the city at breakneck speed. Outside the gates, he encounters the duke’s soldiers returning from their campaigns. He joins them and is thus able to pass through the city gate unrecognized. The throne room has been prepared for the returning duke, and Benito is able to enter the castle with the ducal troops as well. There he tries to reach Beatrice. When he enters her chambers, the arch-villain Ganossa suddenly stands before him. They fight a duel with swords to the death. As Zigano/Benito holds his blade to the ruthless villain’s throat, the duke enters the room. Beatrice quickly explains that the supposed villain is the good man, and the supposed good man is the villain. The next morning, the city bells ring. The duke receives the delegates of the estates and allows them to pay homage to him. Through the city gate march the brigands, unusually smartly dressed for once, led by Benito, alias Zigano, with swords drawn. The rehabilitated brigand leader salutes his duke and has his men bring in a chest of treasures. The items once stolen by the real Zigano can now be returned to their rightful owners as well. With nothing now standing in the way of Lodowico and Beatrice’s wedding, Fiametta and Benito also find their way to each other.