#CYRANO DE BERGERAC FILM 1990 REVIEW HOW TO#
But despite some flaws, this Cyrano is frequently moving, aided by a suite of songs from the moody indie-rock outfit The National.Ĭyrano De Bergerac is such a beloved work that it’s understandable why any filmmaker would want to take it on - although the challenge then becomes how to bring freshness to this venerable love storyĪfter making its debut in Telluride, the musical drama will arrive in US theatres on December 31, opening in the UK in mid-January. Based on Erica Schmidt’s 2018 stage show, which also starred Dinklage in the title role, the film is very much akin to director Joe Wright’s adaptation of Anna Karenina, once again attacking a literary classic with stylistic flourishes and a playful air of inventiveness. Pity he didn't have the nose to sniff out too many decent roles later in his career - look at his CV and you'll see stinkers like The Swarm and Dracula's Dog.Peter Dinklage’s melancholy eyes express so much in Cyrano, a wistful musical remake of the oft-told tale of a man who believes his true love could never possibly think of him as a suitable romantic partner. This Cyrano might not be as lavish as the 1990 version, starring Gerard Depardieu, or as funny as Steve Martin's Roxanne, but Ferrer is a class act. "When Beauty said I love you to the Beast, all his ugliness changed and dissolved, like magic. When Roxane tells him she loves him - the one thing he has longed to hear all his life - he refuses to accept it. It's a measure of his performance that we can see the real man behind the nose, even if Cyrano himself is blinded by it. His Cyrano is a mixture of contradictions, surly but selfless, conceited but painfully aware of his own shortcomings. It's a win-win situation - Christian gets the girl and Cyrano gets to seduce his one true love, albeit vicariously.įerrer is outstanding in a role that he made his own (he also won a Tony for it on Broadway). Christian will pursue Roxane, but Cyrano will pen his love letters and feed him lines. Knowing that he will never win Roxane for himself, he settles for the next best thing. very much."Ĭyrano, hiding in the background, cringes, but he has a plan. Christian tries again, but the best he can come up with is, "I love you. She wants more, wants him to seduce her with fancy words of love. "I love you," he says, trying to woo Roxane. He looks good in his musketeer's uniform, but can't string two words together. Christian has also fallen under Roxane's spell and Roxane, confiding in Cyrano, declares an interest in her young suitor. How ironic that Cyrano, the silver-tongued romantic and eloquent wordsmith, can't bring himself to utter the very words that would melt Roxane's heart.Įnter dashing young guardsman Christian de Neuvillette (William Prince), one of Cyrano's new recruits. How could anyone ever love a man with such a prominent protuberance? Certainly not the beautiful Roxane (Mala Powers), the great love of his life. Me, with this nose of mine that marches on before me by a quarter of an hour." "Me, whom the plainest woman would despise. He also happens to own the largest nose in Paris. He can cut a man down at twenty paces with sword, or tongue. Cyrano de Bergerac is a man of many talents - duellist, wit, poet, philosopher. Jose Ferrer won an Oscar in this faithful adaptation of Edmond Rostand's play about the 17th century swordsman with the super-sized snout.