Cyrano is the film version of a stage musical adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s classic 1897 Cyrano de Bergerac. Set in France around 1640, Roxanne (Haley Bennett, The Magnificent Seven) is a beautiful young woman who grew up an orphan. She is being wooed by the Duke de Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn, The Outsider), a somewhat despicable gentlemen who likes to make others aware of the fact that he is second only to the king. While Roxanne has no interest in the Duke, she plays along with his attention in order to get tickets to the theater, dresses, and other free gifts that she and her governess Marie (Monica Dolan, W1A) couldn’t otherwise afford. They are way overdue on rent, and are constantly dodging their landlord. The Duke is beginning to grow tired of Roxanne’s games, but she wants love, not compromise and sacrifice.
Roxanne’s oldest friend is Cyrano (Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones), who grew up in the same small town in the Southwest. Cyrano is not only a skilled poet, but also a captain in the army. He has always had a crush on Roxanne, but has never told her. He is very short in stature, and fears that Roxanne could never love anyone as ugly as himself. Though he admits to his best friend/fellow captain Le Bret (Bashir Salahuddin, South Side), “my sole purpose on this earth is to love Roxanne”. The Duke is a bit jealous of Roxanne’s relationship with Cyrano and also finds the eloquent but sometimes obnoxious poet a bit irritating, and requests that Roxanne end her friendship with him.
One evening at the theater, Roxanne locks eyes with Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr., Godfather of Harlem), a new soldier who has just arrived in town, and it’s love at first sight for both, even though neither has spoken a word to the other. Roxanne asks Cyrano to watch over and protect the new recruit, and requests he have Christian write her a love letter. Cyrano cannot say No to Roxanne, and agrees to go along, but after he discovers that Christian is a disaster when it comes to expressing his love, he offers to write the letter on Christian’s behalf. This allows Cyrano a way to tell Roxanne how he truly feels about her, but under the guise of being a much more handsome young man. He can now experience Roxanne’s love vicariously through Christian, telling Christian “I will make you eloquent while you make me handsome.” However, one letter leads to another, and another, and things quickly get out of hand. Roxanne is starting to fall madly in love with Christian, thanks in large part to Cyrano’s words. But how long can they keep this ruse going, will Cyrano ever find the courage to tell Roxanne the truth, and what will the Duke do when he finds out that Roxanne has been leading him on while pursuing one of his soldiers?
While I have seen and read various versions and adaptations of the Cyrano de Bergerac tale over the years (even the original for high school French class), I was curious to see this new take on the material, which makes the major change of it being Cyrano’s height rather than the size of his nose that is his remarkable and so-called “ugly” physical trait, and also adds a musical element to the production. I think the physical aspect of Cyrano works quite well, especially since the exaggerated nose can come off a bit unrealistic and comical at times (though 1987’s Roxanne will always be my favorite version of this tale). Playing with Cyrano’s height makes things feel more grounded in reality. Peter Dinklage is great in this aspect of the role, and quite believable as this man smitten with Roxanne, but too afraid to reveal his true feelings to her for fear of being rejected. He always speaks in prose, and is a skilled swordsman who has no trouble taking down a band of ten men sent to kill him, but he melts whenever Roxanne is around, and could never refuse anything she requests, even if that is helping her fall in love with someone else. At the same time, Cyrano has built up a bit of cockiness and impatience for those who are not as wise and eloquent as he, or those who dare mock him. Haley Bennett shines as Roxanne, who, in this production, feels more like a modern woman who happens to live in 17th century France. She knows what she wants and goes after it, even if it doesn’t necessarily fit with tradition.
As for the musical element of the film, I found this to be a bit of a mixed bag. While I quite enjoyed some of the songs and their accompanying dance numbers, most of Cyrano’s solo songs felt more like dialogue spoken slightly rhythmically to music rather than full-on singing. Haley Bennett has a wonderful singing voice, and I found her musical numbers to be the most memrable, especially the opening “Someone to Say”, in which Roxanne expresses her desire to find true love. This is later reprised with Cyrano and Christian also explaining their own desires. Another standout is Roxanne’s power anthem of “I Need More”, just before the story’s iconic balcony scene, which is followed up with Cyrano’s “I am Overcome” as he steps into the darkness to speak as Christian. Near the end of the film, “Wherever I Fall”, finds the various soldiers writing letters to loved ones back at home as they prepare to head into battle. This song is filled with both heartfelt emotional moments, as well as some bits of humor to lighten the mood.
During several of the musical numbers, there are also some beautifully choreographed modern lyrical dance sequences. One of these finds several bakers throwing flour and kneading dough in unison as as Cyrano sings “Your Name” while awaiting an important meeting with Roxanne. Another scene finds more than 50 soldiers dancing around Christian as he sings his reprise to “Someone To Say”. But dance is not the only thing that is well-choregraphed in the movie. The film also includes two action-packed sword fights in which actor Peter Dinklage gets to show off his skills.
Overall, I found the film to be a pretty solid adaptation that stays true to the original source material, and finds a nice blend between drama, action, humor and musical. Cyrano’s love for Roxanne is palpable and believable, as his her love for Christian. However, sometimes the acting and story feel a bit over-the-top, such as a scene that finds Roxanne thrashing like she is in the passionate throes of lovemaking as she reads the letters. I also wasn’t generally a fan of the film’s final act, however, it remains faithful to the source material, so I cannot really complain.
Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. The picture is clean and pristine and captures all the beauty of the period setting with bright colors and an excellent level of detail. The audio track provides clear dialogue and musical numbers, as well as an immersive viewing experience. This is especially noticeable in the opening theatre scene, where the room is filled with the sound of the audience, and Cyrano’s heckling can be heard from the rear. The film did not receive a 4K disc release, but is available in 4K on digital, and the digital copy redeems in iTunes in 4K.
The Blu-ray and DVD discs come packed on either side of a standard HD keepcase with a carboard slipcover. The release also contains an insert with a code to redeem for a 4K digital copy of the the film via Apple TV (it is not Movies Anywhere compatible). Both the Blu-ray & DVD discs contain the same single bonus feature, an interesting and entertaining 9-minute behind-the-scenes featurette.
What’s Included:
Film: (2:03:15)
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Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), French 5.1 DTS Digital Surround
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
- 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), French 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
- 4K iTunes-only Digital Copy (Not Movies Anywhere compatible)
DVD:
Digital (code may not be valid after 6/30/2023):
Extras:
The bonus feature can be found on both discs.
- An Epic Adventure: The Making of Cyrano (9:10)
The cast and crew discuss what drew them to the original play, the themes of the film, and taking this musical theater adaptation to the big screen with the same two main stars, filming the sword fights, composing and recording the music, finding the right blend between the song lyrics and the dialogue, and filming in Sicily and on a live volcano during the pandemic. The cast also discuss what it was like working with one another, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Joe Wright, screenwriter/executive producer Erica Schmidt, co-composer/executive producer Bryce Dessner, lyricists/ executive producers Matt Berninger & Carin Besser, director of photography Seamus McGarvey, production designer Sarah Greenwood, and stars Haley Bennett (“Roxanne”), Peter Dinklage (“Cyrano”) & Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“Christian”).
Final Thoughts:
Cyrano is an entertaining new take on the classic Cyrano de Bergerac story, changing up one core attribute of the character for the better, and adding dance and musical numbers. The film stays very true to the original tale, and while not all of the songs worked for me, there are several that still pop into my head days after watching the movie. I think the film is definitely worth a look, especially for those who are fans of the original or any of its many varied adaptations.
Cyrano – Blu-ray + DVD + Digital
$22.99 $17.85 (as of September 24, 2024 17:57 GMT -04:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Cyrano [DVD]
5% Off $17.90 $16.89 (as of September 24, 2024 17:57 GMT -04:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
