NFR Project: “Cyrano de Bergerac”
Dir: Michael Gordon
Scr: Carl Foreman, Brian Hooker
Pho: Franz Planer
Ed: Harry W. Gerstad
Premiere: Nov. 16, 1950
113 min.
This immortal story is largely fiction, but it has its roots in reality. Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655) was a real person – a writer, poet, playwright, and soldier of France. He was witty and daring. He created science fiction long before anyone else ventured into it. His brief life was studded with achievements. And, yes, he had an unnaturally large nose.
French playwright Edmond Rostand created the legendary figure of Cyrano de Bergerac in his dramatic work of the same name in 1897. He extrapolated the facts of Cyrano’s life and built what he termed an “heroic comedy” out of them. His play, wildly successful, received an extraordinary English translation by Brian Hooker, which proved to be a starring vehicle for the American actor Walter Hampden.
A revival of the play in 1947 led to a Tony win for Best Actor for Jose Ferrer. It was deemed worthwhile to capture his performance on film. This performance led to Ferrer winning an Oscar for Best Actor for the role in 1950. It was well-deserved.
In the play, Cyrano is highly regarded as a duelist and writer, someone not to be trifled with. He is proudly independent, consistently making powerful enemies that attempt to thwart him. He routinely wipes the floor with detractors who make fun of his nose, skewering them with his sword.
He has one weakness – he is madly and secretly in love with his cousin Roxanne, who sees him only as a brotherly figure. He fears that she will despise him due to his grotesque appearance. She confides to him that she is in love – he thinks excitedly at first it is with himself, but then sadly realizes that the object of her affection is a young and handsome new recruit to his fighting unit, Christian. Cyrano befriends Christian, and tells him of Roxanne’s attraction to him.
However, Christian is in despair. He has no gift for words, and Roxanne demands poetic love-talk from him. Cyrano hits upon a plan. He will write love letters to Roxanne and attribute them to Christian, so that the young cadet can win her love. In this way, Cyrano can unburden his heart to her in disguise.
In the famous nighttime balcony scene, Cyrano feeds Christian romantic lines to recite to Roxanne as she stands above him in the darkness. Christian is too hesitant, so Cyrano thrusts him aside and delivers a heartfelt romantic speech to her, which wins her heart – for Christian. The two are married, but their honeymoon is thwarted by the antagonistic Comte de Guiche, who orders Christian and Cyrano off to war.
Later, in the trenches, Cyrano writes and mails letters in Christian’s name to Roxanne, even when surrounded by enemy Spanish troops. Roxanne makes it through the lines with supplies for the cadets, and finally sees Christian again. She tells him of her delight at receiving love letters from him daily – and Christian realizes Cyrano loves her as well. Roxanne declares that she loves him for his soul, and would love him even if he were ugly.
Christian confronts Cyrano, and declares that Cyrano must reveal his love for her – that she must choose between them. This Cyrano is about to do when Christian is fatally wounded. Before dying, Cyrano lies to him, saying that Roxanne has chosen him. As Roxanne mourns, “My love weeps for me, and does not know!” Cyrano exclaims.
We move forward several years. Roxanne is now ensconced in a convent. Cyrano, as her old friend, visits her weekly, bringing with him amusing bits of court gossip. However, on this day, he has been attacked by his enemies and is fatally wounded. Hiding the bandages around his head, he goes to see her, though it means his death. The truth is finally revealed, and Roxanne declares her love for him. But it is too late. Sword in hand, Cyrano defies death and proclaims his triumph over it in the form of his panache, his vibrant spirit, his “white plume.” And he dies.
Ferrer’s performance is extraordinary. He is alert, intelligent, intense, not letting his cumbersome nose prevent him from fleshing out his heroic character. Whether he is dueling and rhyming simultaneously, or pretending to be a lunar traveler, his hearty spirit dominates the proceedings. The film follows the play faithfully, with minimal cuts to the original script. The settings and costumes are lavish, and the ensemble of actors is ideal.
Rostand’s Cyrano is the Cyrano we know today. Rarely has a fictional elaboration so completely eclipsed an actual historical figure.
The NFR is one writer’s attempt to review all the films listed in the National Film Registry in chronological order. Next time: Ida Lupino’s Outrage.

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