Cyrano de Bergerac

Daniel: The utterances of a well-educated individual who is quick-witted and a master of his own language can be far more devastating than the cold steel of a rapier. Words are weapons, they cut deep and influence the masses. Words are waves, both forceful and soothing when used in the correct context. At least, this is what the titular Hercule-Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac would have you believe. Cyrano de Bergerac is a film that centers on the exchanging of both insults and passion. Our hero is a fiery poet and warrior who only lacks confidence in his appearance. While engaging in arguments and battle he is ruthless, able to dispatch enemies verbally and physically. His one love, Roxane, never knows his true feelings, as he considers his oversized nose too hideous for her to even consider him. So when Roxane confides in him as a friend that she has fallen in love with a young man by the name of Christian, Cyrano soon learns that, although handsome, Christian lacks the ability to eloquently express his affection for the beautiful Roxane. Throughout the film, Christian uses Cyrano’s words in the form of letters and recitations. Roxane begins to fall hopelessly in love with the words that Christian writes and speaks, all the while being wooed by borrowed words and passion.

This was a movie that I remember from my childhood as being very boring. My mom was absolutely in love with this film, and I dreaded the idea of having to sit through a subtitled love story. Having re-visited it for the first time in over a decade, I now see why she so fell in love with it. The amount of wit in the writing and the dedicated performances by the entire cast was far worth the run-time. Paul, I’m curious to hear your initial reaction to the movie.

Paul: “They’re kissing again,” you groaned as your grandfather, Peter Falk, read you the story. I can certainly understand that reaction. This movie is every stereotype about the French put into a single story, isn’t it? They’re just sitting around eating pastries and writing love sonnets all day — when they aren’t having swordfights while wearing capes, that is. I was first introduced to Cyrano in high school. I don’t remember if we read the whole play, or just portions of it, but I know at some point I watched both this film and the 1950 version with José Ferrer, which I’d say is more overtly comic. I really like this story. Cyrano is a hero of mine — both a lover and a fighter, not to mention the most romanticized version of a critic you can imagine. The story has a real integrity to it. The other characters aren’t particularly complex, but they fit together in such a way that the conflicts are never black and white. Christian is a decent fellow who honestly loves Roxane. I think it’s essential that Cyrano is the one with the idea that the two of them should join forces to create the perfect man. Instead of making Christian out to be a bully, the plan actually works in Cyrano’s favor. But the closer he gets to Roxane with his words, the more damage he feels like he’s causing, ever quelling his desire to reveal his secret. This is a classic dramatic scenario, one that’s popped up in numerous movies and shows since. Just last week, I saw a variation on it in an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. We can talk about how this particular version holds together, but I just think it’s hard to go wrong with this story. What are your thoughts on the writing and performances?

Daniel: Having been so long removed from the last time I watched the film I have to admit that the first few minutes were off-putting. You aren’t kidding when you say every “French stereotype” in the book is present. I was annoyed at everything from the guy stealing the pastry at the entrance to the theater to Cyrano himself berating the actor from the balcony…. and then that fop insulted Cyrano’s nose and the gloves came off. Gérard Depardieu shines as the titular warrior in both word and sword. His total commitment to the character is just as evident in the delivery of his lines as it is in his mannerisms. The gravity of Cyrano’s catch-22 situation is visible in every aspect of Depardieu’s demeanor. The more he expresses his love to Roxane, the more she falls in love with his words, and the further from him her heart wanders. As you said, it’s not an entirely novel concept today, but when it’s executed well it can really work. With the wit and word-smithing displayed in Cyrano de Bergerac it surpasses just working and excels. It’s a really good mix of action and dialogue that did it for me, not to mention Jean-Claud Petit’s score which at one point had me questioning if Danny Elfman had anything to do with it.

Anne Brochet portrays the spirited and beautiful Roxane. She lends a bit of humor to the film in her reactions to the letters sent by Cyrano and Christian, and shows real spirit and bravery in her willingness to risk everything for the man she thinks she loves. While not the biggest tragedy in the film, I couldn’t help but feel absolutely awful for the poor baker.

Paul: Yes, the baker’s wife has to be the practical one. That’s how it goes sometimes. One thing I appreciated about the opening scene was how we’re introduced to everything from the little boy’s perspective. The whole society looks so strange and interesting to a kid. The glimpse of the magic lantern show was an especially nice touch.

Petit’s music is lush and romantic, not only transporting us back to the nineteenth century, but also hearkening back to an earlier era of orchestral film scores. I noticed the Elfman connection as well. During Cyrano’s fight with the “hundred” assassins, the music seems to come straight out of Batman — which, unfortunately, dates the movie a little bit, since it came out only a year after the Tim Burton film. On the other hand, Cyrano is a nocturnal avenger in a cape, so it fits. That scene reminded me of a children’s book I remember checking out from the library once and never finding again. It was a Batman story, and I remember an illustration that showed Batman crossing swords with the Joker on a pirate ship. Comic book heroes are, at least sometimes, the next generation of swashbucklers, so it’s easy to connect with Cyrano in that way. But this story is more of a romance than an adventure, when we get right down to it. The war in which Cyrano and Christian fight is basically set dressing, as well as an opportunity for the villain, the Comte de Guiche, to be villainous some more. Roxane’s handling of him is one of the comedic highpoints of the film. He gives us someone to root against when the love triangle proves unsolvable.

Daniel: Therein lies the dilemma, who do we root for? As much as I wanted to stand behind Cyrano the entire time, I found myself liking Christian as well. He stood up to Cyrano, he had a brain (though he often found it difficult to use when interacting with Roxane), and above all, Roxane chose him at the get-go. It wasn’t until after Cyrano started penning his love letters that Roxane’s affections shifted from the good-looking man to the passion-filled soul that revealed itself through words. The story is rife with dramatic consequences and opportunities at every turn. I even found myself somewhat disdainful of Cyrano during the war due to the simple fact that he continued to profess his love to a married woman. Christian obviously felt the same once he, after far too long a time remaining oblivious, realized what was going on. I was most surprised at how well the movie holds up after nearly 25 years. I mean, we’re talking about a French period piece about a poet who has a large nose. Granted, the play is well over 100 years old, but I have never had the opportunity to observe it.

The English subtitles for this movie helped showcase the writing. For the majority of this film to practically be poetry, very little of it was lost in translation. I enjoyed the sound of the French language while at the same time being able to revel in the charm of the clever use of those words is a rare opportunity. I’ve seen my fair share of Foreign Language films, but few surpass Cyrano in this way.

Paul: The subtitles, translated by Anthony Burgess, really aid the theatricality of the whole thing. I agree, translating them into rhyming verse was no mean feat. In addition to being poetic, the dialogue forces us to look for something other than realism in the film. The premise — “I have a comical nose and therefore I will never find love, even though the rest of me looks like Gérard Depardieu and my writing literally makes women faint” — is something I simply choose to accept. Other versions of this story can find more compelling reasons for the Cyrano type to be unlucky in love, but the nose is an adequate symbol, and both Cyrano and Christian have a lot of fun with it. The scene in which Christian mocks the nose is amusing and also teaches an important, humbling lesson: insults are probably the lowest form of wit. Anyone with a little courage can find a reasonably clever way to make fun of someone else. Expressing adoration, however, is something else entirely.

To some extent, I’m tempted to ignore the nose altogether when thinking about the love triangle. Really, Roxane? That nose is enough to make the face “ugly”? What’s really happening is that these are two old friends, and one of them is content to stay that way. It might not even occur to her to go further than that, at least until it’s too late. And so we have Cyrano’s long, dramatic death scene, which I like to think of as “chivalry porn” (I use the term affectionately). It’s a great closing speech, and Depardieu absolutely nails it.

Daniel: To Cyrano’s fault, his abnormally large nose was an enemy mostly to himself, as you’ve alluded. He would get occasional remarks on its appearance, but no one mentioned it more than himself. As is oft the case, we find a way to mask our fears in something we can easily understand. The fear of rejection and from unrequited love is a truly terrifying force. In many ways I found Cyrano brave, however it was not he that took the risk in the letters he wrote to Roxane, rather it was the courageous, albeit somewhat dull, Christian. Had Cyrano’s letters been rejected, it would have hurt only his pride as a writer. That pride was incredibly immense, however he never took the risk of letting the object of his affection know the truth.

Ultimately, when the film ended and the credits rolled, I came away with the notion that I would watch this movie again. It’s a revelation I don’t have with every movie, as there are so many out there that do not merit even a second viewing. Cyrano de Bergerac was everything we’ve mentioned throughout this post, and it’s something worth sharing and discussing. Bordering the lands of drama, adventure and comedy is a precarious existence, one that Cyrano thrives on.

Paul: This film is a briskly paced, lovely adaptation of a classic story. Not quite as daring with its style as the title character is with his words, perhaps, but the director, Jean-Paul Rappeneau, never gets in the way either. It’s a theatrical endeavor, in the fullest and best sense of the word — a showcase for flamboyant acting and bold gestures, an enclosed world where passions roam free. The tributes to Shakespeare extend from a balcony scene to the multiple tragedies of the finale. Even in this world, pure love is an impossible ideal, and the expression of love is always compromised by circumstances. Sometimes, as you said, we get in our own way. But Cyrano lives on just like all poets do, with beautifully expressed ideas that can inspire and enlighten down through the ages. His reputation precedes him even more than that prodigious snout of his.

Tags: Adventure, Cyrano de Bergerac, Daniel Robison, French, Gaffer MacGuffin, Movies, Paul Boyne, Reviews, Romance