There’s one hundred weasels waiting to attack you, you say? What were you doing in the forest, my friend?
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) is a story about truth and falsity, ranging from fidelity to the needs of a story, to the needs of the heart and how ill-served it is by Cyrano’s insincerity. Cyrano, the bearer of the largest and ugliest nose in France, is a Guardsman in the 17th century, the leading member of his military unit, and the finest swordsman in the country. But his opinions are at least as pointed and aggressive as his sword; it is his supreme skills with the sword that keeps him alive – and esteemed by his comrades.
As the story opens, he appears shouting critiques of a play at a tavern, accusing the lead actor of playing poorly, of his failure to be true to the story he is to tell. He is pre-emptory, dominating, ecstatic, and when it is required, he donates all his available funds to refund the tickets to the patrons gathered: a considerable sum. This does not settle one patron, though, a member of the upper classes disposed against a man for interrupting a play – and possessing such a nose.
Cyrano owns up to the nose in memorable fashion, embracing its existence and how it might serve as a pivot for the agile wordsmith; during the following duel, he embraces his three most important attributes, of wit, nose, and swordsmanship, composing a ballad and reciting it during the fight, capping it all off by critically injuring his opponent.
But when his love, Roxanne, appears, he is uncertain, hesitant, his stomach in his mouth, as it were. She wishes to arrange a meeting, and his heart soars; when a friend and amateur poet appears, fearful for his life due to maladroit wordplay, Cyrano is delighted to fight the hostile band off, and even expresses disappointment at their small numbers.
The meeting with Roxanne, it turns out, is a dart in his chest: she loves a new Guardsman by the name of Christian, despite never having spoken with hi, and begs Cyrano to take care of him. Wracked with disappointment, he returns to his comrades, and pressed to recount his night’s battle, begins to do so – only to be interrupted by a stranger who makes wordplay of Cyrano’s deeds – and famous appendage. Cyrano demands this puppy’s name – Christian! His comrades, expecting the quick end of the newest Guardsman, are astounded at Cyrano’s restraint, and soon Cyrano chases all but Christian out.
Soon enough, Christian admits to admiring Roxanne, and Cyrano, betraying his allegiance to truth, has agreed to supply the words Christian lacks the wit to use. Let the wooing commence! It’s a rough road, but soon enough tongue meets tongue, much to their mutual delight. Roxanne is not above a little deceit, for when a message arrives instructing her to marry a military commander not to her liking, she reads it to all present as instructions to marry Christian, and Cyrano is assigned to delay the commander until the ceremony is complete.
But the commander has one more set of orders to his name, and that’s to wheel out and engage in war with the Spanish, and to leave immediately: there will be no wedding bed for Christian, no rest for Cyrano.
At the front of the war, Cyrano seals his fate with the letters he writes Roxanne under Christian’s name, for when Christian dies in her arms, it proves impossible for Cyrano to hope to court her, even as he proves his courage against the Spanish.
Years later, he is now a somewhat faded version of the man he once was, writing condemnatory opinions of how France is run for the local broadsides. No man willingly will face his sword, but assassination need not be accomplished via that avenue. Mortally injured, he finds himself making one last pilgrimage to the still-bereft Roxanne, where his lies are finally laid bare for Roxanne to mourn, and he faces death, sword in hand: and if he’s delusional, it is the sort he’d like, facing opponents and dealing them their blows, but he’s lost his way through his ill-considered lies, not only his life wasted, but Roxanne’s as well. A man cannot be two men and hope to have either end well, it seems.
This film has its problems, primarily with the visuals – they are blurry and, perhaps, this was not the best copy of the film available (Amazon Prime). On the other hand, the lead, José Ferrer, has a wonderful voice and plays the part just about perfectly. If you can put up with the visuals – or find a better copy of this film – then you should have a very good time.
Recommended.
