Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)

Sentimental, but also captivating

Depardieu is a brute in life, but a sublime actor. His interpretation of Cyrano is faultless. A wonderful film. June 22, 2008

The Ultimate Cyrano

Seventy-five years ago, when I was 12 years old, I saw Walter Hampden play Cyrano on a New York stage. Now Depardieu has given me the ultimate Cyrano. The supporting actors also deserve praise, and the entire production merits a place in the top ranks of French cinema. Of course, Rostand's play lacks credibility, but when it is done this well we suspend our disbelief. Even beyond the superb acting, excellent photography and elaborate crowd and battle scenes, this movie's perfection is in the details. The English subtitles are credited to Anthony Burgess of "Clockwork Orange" fame; at the very least they are based on the Burgess translation of the stage version, and offer an Anglophone audience a graceful equivalent of the form, meter and rhyme of Rostand's original French poetry. The background music is noteworthy, but a final touch of perfection could be missed by most viewers. As the credits roll at the end of the film, the background music mirrors the typical closing form of many 17th-century French ballets and operas, and we hear a French Chaconne. March 14, 2008

One of the high water marks of French cinema

Jean-Paul Rappeneau's wonderfully cinematic version of Cyrano De Bergerac is one of the genuine high water marks of modern French cinema. Rappeneau is a director who really understands movement, and his far from static approach revitalizes the piece and frees it from the tyranny of the wonderful words to give it wings, while Gerard Depardieu's magnificent Cyrano keeps the film's emotions beautifully grounded. For once the supporting characters aren't played as idiots: Christian is no fool, merely an inarticulate man increasingly aware that his is a false victory, and the Comte De Guiche is allowed more dignity than you'd expect from a part that's usually reduced to mere comedy villainy.

Almost everything about the film is perfect, from Rappeneau and Jean-Claude Carriere's superb screenplay to Jean-Claude Petit's restrained score, which subtly underlines the emotions rather than play up the pathos (a shame his action cues use a thinly-disguised version of Danny Elfman's Batman theme: someone obviously fell in love with the temp track). Wonderful stuff, even if Cyrano takes longer to shuffle off this mortal coil than Brando did in Mutiny on the Bounty.

Sadly, there's still not a particularly satisfying English-friendly DVD release for the film - MGM/UA's Region 1 disc is disapppointing while even Arrow's UK PAL release only has brief interviews with Rappeneau and Depardieu as extras. One for Criterion to get round to, surely? December 16, 2007

"We All Have Our Wounds"

Note: Will require a multi-region DVD player to view in the America's.

This French language film adaptation of the classic 'Cyrano de Bergerac' released in '90 is without question the most enjoyable 138 minutes in front of the television screen I've experienced in quite some time. Everything about this production is absolute perfection; cinematography, settings, music, screenplay and of course acting.

Gerard Depardieu is an unstoppable force of nature as the eloquent but hot-headed Cyrano. He thunders and rages about one moment only to suddenly turn ethereal and wax poetic the next. The lovely Anne Brochet is a wonderful compliment to the blustering Cyrano as his unattainable Roxane and Vincent Perez delivers a strong performance as the handsome but slow tongued Christian.

The dialogue is crisp, textured and witty, however if you're French impaired as I am you'll probably have trouble keeping up. But that's OK, you'll just catch the missing parts the next time you watch and you will definitely watch again and again. December 16, 2007

Superb Depardieu

Edmond Rostand's 19th play is brilliantly adapted here by director Jean-Paul Rappeneau, and perhaps when I watch the film again I may give it 5 stars like the other reviewers.

Depardieu dominates the film with a stunning performance. This is most evident in the first half of the film where he does everything with a style and feeling that is missing from so many films these days. The acting overall is of a very high standard and the script, even allowing for translation and subtitle misinterpretations is beautifully done.

The reason I have not awarded it five stars is for one main reason. After the brilliant first half of the film, the second half just seemed a little less focused to me and overall I felt the film was a little too long. The ending in particular dragged a bit. Its probably exactly as per the original play, but for me this didn't work on film and it felt a bit hammy.

However this is a minor criticism and overall I strongly recommend the film. November 25, 2007

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