• CYRANO (film review by Mark R. Leeper)

    From Mark Leeper@21:1/5 to All on Sun Jan 9 08:51:27 2022
    There were many adaptations of classic literary works in 1990, but
    for both production quality and pure entertainment value I gave the
    edge to that year's CYRANO DE BERGERAC, giving it a +3 (-4 to +4
    scale), and said that that was likely to remain the best adaptation
    of the story to film we would see in our lifetimes and very likely
    the most entertaining, even if we included Steve Martin's popular
    modern reframing ROXANNE. I still stand by that.

    CYRANO DE BERGERAC, and this year's film of similar title, CYRANO,
    are of course adaptations of Edmond Rostand's popular play, first
    presented in 1897. (Rostand took some poetic liberty,
    incidentally, but Cyrano was a genuine historic figure who was
    soldier, expert swordsman, poet, playwright, philosopher, and even
    a science fiction writer. His best-known literary work today is A
    VOYAGE TO THE MOON, which is why Rostand put so many references to
    moon travel in the play. Cyrano suggested several means of extra-
    terrestrial propulsion, mostly absurd, but on one he got lucky.
    Cyrano de Bergerac was the man who first suggested that space
    travel might be possible using rocket propulsion.) The story is of
    the noble swordsman who would like to woo his beautiful cousin but
    is stigmatized by his own prodigious nose. When it turns out that
    an inarticulate but handsome soldier under Cyrano's command also
    loves her, Cyrano agrees to help the soldier. The soldier will
    provide the good looks and Cyrano will provide the words. The
    story packs into a surprisingly small space comedy, tragedy, drama,
    action, and adventure.

    This year's version, titled simply CYRANO, it does everything it
    can to make the nobility repulsive, visually as well as character-
    wise. We see the Count De Guise (played by Ben Mendelsohn) giving
    instructions and orders to his fiancee, Roxanne (played by Haley
    Bennett). De Guiche does not know that he will soon be losing his
    safe control over the woman in his own coach. Let De Guise rest in
    peace.

    Cyrano is played by Peter Dinklage, and as a result, almost all the
    nose jokes are dispensed with in favor of remarks about his height.
    This means, among other things, that the marvelous scene in which
    Cyrano comes up with dozens of insults to his nose. Apparently
    screenwriter Erica Schmidt (Dinklage's wife) did not feel she could
    do that scene justice with height jokes--or maybe decided that
    height jokes were a bit too insulting in real life to put a whole
    scene of them on the film. Dinklage is immensely talented but his
    singing voice leaves a lot to be desired. (On the other hand, the
    same could be said of Rex Harrison in MY FAIR LADY.) Christian is
    played by Kelvin Harrison, Jr., with no comment being made about
    his race--I'm not sure if we are supposed to acknowledge it or not.
    (One reviewer felt that having a Black character be inarticulate
    and rescued by what is in some sense a white savior was a bad
    choice.)

    Kudos for the very detailed sets and production design.

    Released theatrically 12/31/21. Rating: low +2 (-4 to +4), or 7/10.

    Film Credits:
    <https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12889404/reference>

    What others are saying:
    <https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cyrano>

    --
    Mark R. Leeper

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