Cyrano (2022 | USA | 124 minutes | Joe Wright)
Whether you’ve seen Edmond Rostand’s original Cyrano de Bergerac on the boards or not, it’s been told, retold again and again more ways than I’m sure Rostand would ever have imagined. Cyrano’s long-time friend and beloved Roxanne falls instantly in love with Christian, a new soldier in the army, in which Cyrano (Peter Dinklage) is highly regarded and ranked. Roxanne (Haley Bennett) asks her old friend if he will watch over Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and encourage him to romance her through letters. Out of love for her and self-detriment he does so. Lacking in any kind of eloquence, Christian asks if Cyrano can write the letters for him. Again, he acquiesces boldly revealing his own feelings but cowardly hiding behind Christian’s name he writes letter after letter. How can this ruse end in anything but heartache for at least one if not everyone involved?
First, and oddly absent from the description of the film most places you look: this is a musical. Somewhat grand and somewhat stilted. The music itself had a very slow pace most of the time despite the passion and urgency of the storyline. I was almost frustrated at how slowly they decided to run it, and seemingly with no purpose other than a simple artistic choice. There were a few wonderful dance numbers accompanying the interludes, some which were bursting with sexual intensity and frustration. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen someone molest a letter before… but there’s a first time for everything. I’m being cheeky but I really did enjoyed the dance scenes.
There were a few highlights of this quite lengthy film. First and foremost, Dinklage was a delight. Despite not having the greatest singing voice, I was enchanted by his powerful performance and deep delicious voice throughout the film. He continues to beguile audiences regardless of the role he’s in, and I will never not be a fan. Beyond his performance, the cinematography was absolutely stunning. Filmed in a secluded Sardinian village during the pandemic, not only were they forced to create a bubble for the safety of the cast, but created a world all their own that pulled you in. Because of the authenticity the small town created, the war scenes near the end felt a little out of place… but heck, it was a musical, it’s supposed to feel a little surreal right? While Bennett performed Roxanne perfectly well, there was a depth and intelligence missing that I would have liked to see. Harrison’s Christian was also perfectly fine, and honestly he was supposed to be sort of a set piece anyway, something pretty to look at while creating drama that every good story needs.
One last thought I would be remiss in not mentioning: the story itself is out of date. Roxanne essentially isn’t acceptable on her own so she has to be in love to be happy. There were moments in this version where she mentions she’s perfectly happy alone until she finds someone she actually loves, but that’s the end of it. I get it, this was a retelling of the original so we’re keeping with the original story… but why? It’s already been told, this is nothing new; why not bring a little of the 21st century to the 19th century play? It’s OK, you can do that and still be historically accurate in other things.
Cyrano arrives in theaters on March 25th
Check out what my fellow Sunbreaker, Josh, had to say about it from his time at Telluride.