Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) Jean-Paul Rappeneau   Edmond Rostand's famous tragedy has never come across so well on celluloid as in this exquisite and passionate French production. A warrior-poet whose sharpness of blade is exceeded only by his sharpness of wit, Cyrano de Bergerac fears nothing, except to reveal his true feelings to the lovely Roxanne, the woman he loves from afar. For Cyrano is disfigured by a long and ostentatious nose, and believes no woman could ever love so ugly a man. Thus, when he learns that a young Cadet named Christian also has his heart set upon Roxanne, the hero offers to give the inarticulate Christian the words to woo her so that Cyrano can at last pour out his innermost feelings to his beloved, without fear of ridicule. It would be hard to imagine a more appropriate choice to play Cyrano than Gerard Depardieu. Like Cyrano, Depardieu is somewhat gruff and unhandsome, but he has nevertheless become one of France's most popular leading men because of the passion which flows from within. As Cyrano, Depardieu is at once swaggering and tender, and an enviable yet tragic figure. Still, one can have the finest actor playing Cyrano but without an equally fine Roxanne, no will ever believe in Cyrano's plight. Happily, actress Anne Brochet more than delivers. Likewise, Vincent Perez looks the perfect Christian-young and dashing but a hopeless clod when it comes to romance. The swordfights are vivid and adrenal, and the film has the electrifying excitement of an old-fashioned Hollywood swashbuckler that is suffused with Gallic elegance. Costumes, art direction, and photography are first-rate, and the naturalistic look of the film adds a powerful believability to the story. Jean-Claude Petit's Korngold-esque score is also appropriately rousing. As yet unavailable on DVD in the US, Cyrano has been released on DVD in Australia by Umbrella Entertainment (available at EasyDVD.com). And unlike most DVDs, which are region-coded to prevent viewing-and sales-in other countries, this disc plays on my American deck just fine. Cyrano de Bergerac remains one of the great romantic tragedies of all time. Despite its period setting, it resonates with a universal immediacy which rings as true today as when it was written. This production is widely regarded as the definitive adaptation of Rostand's play, and after viewing this disc, it is hard to contest that claim. —Paul Andrew MacLean

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