Film adaptation of musical brings familiar story to new heights
Cyrano (Peter Dinklage) feels too self-conscious to confess his love for Roxanne (Haley Bennett) in “Cyrano.”
If you see “Cyrano,” the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical, bring tissues.
This take on the unrequited love story of Cyrano de Bergerac pulls on the heartstrings and never lets go.
Much of the credit must go to stars Peter Dinklage and Haley Bennett, who, as Cyrano and Roxanne, commit to their roles with total sincerity. They express their emotions well and make every word count. It is a joy to hear the dialogue. It is a joy to hear the movie’s songs and see the dances, which express the deepest of feelings.
And there’s some comedy too in this film, one of the better adaptations of the story and masterfully directed by Joe Wright. Credit also must go to playwright Edmon Rostand and screenplay writer Erica Schmidt.
In “Cyrano,” the title character is in love with his longtime friend Roxanne, who loves another man, Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) Christian and Cyrano are both members of the military guard, but Cyrano, a poet, has a gift for words. Christian doesn’t.
In the original story and most adaptations, Cyrano is self-conscious because of his long nose. In this one, Cyrano is self-conscious because of his short height, but finds he can connect with Roxanne through Christian. Cyrano writes letters that Christian signs and stands behind him and feeds him his lines as he looks up at Roxanne’s balcony and courts her from below.
As Christian, Mr. Harrison is effective at showing Christian’s good heart and his lack of eloquence. He’s as self-conscious about his inability to express himself as Cyrano is about his height.
Not that Cyrano lacks self-confidence. The film establishes early that Cyrano is an expert swordsman and able to overcome a group of thugs attacking him. He’s confident in everything except matters of the heart. His friend, Le Bret (played wonderfully by Bashir Salahuddin) tells him to try to have faith in himself and in Roxanne. He wants him to tell Roxanne how he feels about himself and trust that his height won’t be a factor.
It’s a leap of faith that Cyrano finds he can’t make. And that sets the stage for a tragedy, which grows more complicated with Duke de Guiche’s (Ben Mendelsohn) interest in Roxanne. She has no interest in the duke, believes she loves Christian, and the reality is she’s falling in love with the soul of Cyrano.
“Cyrano” hits all the right notes in terms of emotions, music, dancing, cinematography and atmosphere. There’s also a great sense of timing in the movie, which never feels rushed and never drags. The actors take their time, pull you into the story and give the story an incredible amount of heart.
The music is poignant, and one of the best songs is performed not by the lead character but by supporting characters, soldiers who aren’t sure they will live to see their loved ones. They sing “Heaven is Wherever I Fall,” and it is performed with the utmost sincerity. And it’s a powerful example of how “Cyrano” brings a familiar story to new heights.
If you’re a fan of the original story, you absolutely must see this adaptation.
email: dmason@newspress.com
