Cyrano is directed by Joe Wright. Erica Schmidt wrote the screenplay based on her 2018 stage musical of the same name. The film’s leading actors were first paired in the stage play. Peter Dinklage is no stranger to Park City with many appearances in indie films during Sundance over the years. He is phenomenal as the intensely brooding childhood friend and secret adorer of Roxanne.
After eight seasons of playing the intriguing Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones, he transitions quite believably into a 17th century guardsman during the 30 Year War whose impressive ability to handle a sword and a pen, draws admiration from those around him.
His beloved Roxanne is played by Haley Bennett, whose ethereal beauty bewitches not only Cyrano, but the wealthy De Guiche, played by Ben Mendelsohn, who wants, then demands her for his own, and the handsome new recruit to the guard played by Kelvin Harrison Jr.
In the classic original version of the story, Cyrano’s cross-to-bear is an extremely large and unusual nose. In this version, Cyrano is a dwarf, but Dinklage’s talent brings such charm, wit, and passion to his portrayal of this character that as a viewer, I no longer saw that as an obstacle. In fact, it is his pride, not his height, that tragically keeps his love for Roxanne unspoken and unrequited.
The songs, many written by an indie rock band called The National, were wonderful and with the dance numbers were creatively woven into the fabric of the storytelling. I especially loved the song “Wherever I Fall”. It is a hauntingly beautiful song, sung by soldiers sitting in the mist, as they write last letters to loved ones back home. They tell us to whom they write and why, then repeat the refrain: “Tell them not to cry at all because heaven is wherever I fall.”
A young boy collects the letters as the soldiers stand to march away into battle.
For the stage production, sets were described as being ‘minimalist’. The screen version was just the opposite. Filmed completely in southern Italy, mostly in the UNESCO-protected town of Noto, the film is rich with incredible period-authentic streets and structures, including a cathedral, a fortress, and palaces. Vocals were sung live and recorded at the locations which added to the realism and richness of the scenes.
This film can be streamed but if there is any way to see it on the big screen, I would highly recommend it.
Cyrano is rated PG-13 and runs 2 hours and 3 romantically dramatic minutes.