Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

paid in full This film is important to understand: the french culture, the french history and the french literary style. This film is original in its plot...it would be perfect for a play. But as a movie, it can be a bit boring...partly because it describes a period of time that is quite ancient therefore the action scenes have a hard time rivaling with the special effect movies of modern era. Nevertheless, women might enjoy it very much, given its romance theme and perhaps some men might be inspired to develop their seductive skills. Worth a peak.

Jackson Booth-Millard José Ferrer won the Oscar for the leading role in the English language 1950 version, and romantic comedy Roxanne with Steve Martin modernised the story, but the majority of people will recognise this French language adaptation of the play by Edmond Rostand, in particular for the leading actor. Basically in the 17th century, in Paris, France, the charismatic Cyrano de Bergerac (Oscar and BAFTA nominated Gérard Depardieu) is a talented poet and supremely skilled swordsman, he has a large nose, which he is ridiculed for, and he is self-conscious because of it, but he pretends to be proud. Cyrano is hopelessly in love with his beautiful "friendly cousin" (though they are not actually related) Roxane (Anne Brochet), but he believes she will not love him because with his oversized hooter he considers himself physically unattractive. Cyrano finds out Roxane has become infatuated with dashing new recruit to the Cadets de Gascogne, Christian de Neuvillette (Vincent Perez), but despite his good looks, Christian is tongue-tied when speaking with women. Cyrano sees this as an opportunity to vicariously declare his love for Roxane, he helps Christian learn to court a woman, and writing love letters and poems to Roxane, declaring the very emotions Cyrano feels himself for her. Roxane starts to appreciate, not only for his good looks, but for his apparent eloquence, one night Christian is forced to prove his talent for words in person, Cyrano joins him beneath her balcony, when Christian fluster Christian speaks his words, Roxane is enraptured, Cyrano unintentionally wins Christian a kiss with her. Roxane eventually falls in love with Christian, and they contract a secret marriage in order to thwart the plans of the arrogant nobleman Comte de Guiche (Jacques Weber), himself a frustrated wooer of Roxane. In revenge, De Guiche summons Christian to fight in the war against the Spanish, Cyrano also joins the harsh and brutal battle, but escapes over enemy lines each morning to deliver a love letter, signed by Christian, to Roxane. At this point, Christian is completely unaware of Cyrano's doings on his behalf, the love letters eventually draw Roxane from the city to the war front, she had come to visit Christian, the supposed romantic poet, but she admits she would rather love an ugly, but great poet, than a handsome, dimwitted fellow. Realising his mistake, Christian tries to find out whether Roxane loves him or Cyrano, he asks Cyrano to find out, however, following her visit, Christian is wounded and dies in battle, as he lies dying, Cyrano tells Christian that he asked Roxane and it was Christian she loved, but he had done no such thing, Cyrano continues to fight and the French win. Cyrano keeps his love for Roxane secret for fourteen years, during which time he has become unpopular because of his satirical writing about nobility, the grief-stricken Roxane enters a convent, Cyrano faithfully visits her over the years every week. Cyrano is never late for his visits, until a fateful attempt on his life leaves him mortally injured, he is not injured by a sword, but instead suffers a serious head injury when struck by a heavy wooden beam, against doctor's orders Cyrano visits Roxane at the convent one night. Cyrano faints, but dismisses it as the effect of his wound at Arras, when Roxane mentions Christian's last letter, Cyrano is able to recite it be memory, only then Roxane realise that is was Cyrano who wooed her under the balcony and wrote the love letters, after fainting again, Cyrano is forced to reveal his mortal wound, as he dies, Roxane realises that it was Cyrano, not Christian, whom she truly loved all along. Also starring Roland Bertin as Ragueneau, Philippe Morier-Genoud as Le Bret, Pierre Maguelon as Carbon de Castel-Jaloux and Josiane Stoléru as The Duenna. Depardieu gives an exceptionally passionate, witty and finessed performance as the noted Parisian poet and swashbuckler whose search for happiness is hindered, and there is good support from Brochet and Perez, the fight sequences and political stuff is fine, but it definitely all about the love story, you feel real sympathy for the hero with the big conk, an interesting period romantic drama. It won the Oscar for Best Costume Design, and it was nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Makeup and Best Foreign Language Film, it won the BAFTA for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Make Up Artist and Best Original Film Score for Jean-Claude, and it was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film not in the English Language and Best Production Design, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Very good!

Armand and nothing more. for the art of Depardieu to explore and use and give force to the details who defines his character. for Vincent Perez as the lover who ignores the feelings of his friend. for Anne Brochet's performance, subtle and delicate and seductive. a film who reminds old recipes and Rostand's universe. mixture of old fashion romanticism and adventures, high sensibility and profound beauty of sacrifice in name of loyalty . few admirable scenes. and grace of script for rebirth a world in its original spirit. a great Depardieu who manage emotions and vulnerability and force and touching love declamation. a film about love. in a refined style. short. a real must see. or, only, simple, a gem.

david-sarkies Now this is interesting because I have a feeling that Roxanne, the American version of this film, was released first. I am not sure as to the release date of the first film for I believe it to be a 80's movie as opposed to a 90's movie. It was on recently but I think, no, I know that I threw out the television paper so I do not know. Anyway, Cyrano de Bergerac seriously romps all over Roxanne, as most French movies tend to do to their American counterparts.Cyrano de Bergerac is about the captain of the Gascony guard who has a big, no a whopping great nose, and he is very sensitive about its size. He considers himself a freak and that nobody will see past the nose to his soul. Cyrano is a poet and a great lover but he feels he can never be loved because of his physical appearance. The woman that he loves, Roxanne, is in love with another man, Christian, who is in Cyrano's battalion but Christian does not know how to be romantic so Cyrano becomes Christian's romantic side and uses his romantic words to create an intellectual depth to Christian that does not exist.Cyrano de Bergerac is a tragedy in a number of ways. There is no fulfillment in the romantic sequences. Christian is not what Roxanne wants and they can never really be together because Roxanne loves Christian's words and his looks and nothing else. She claims to love his soul, but it is a soul that says the words that she wants to hear. When Christian tries to confront her without Cyrano's help, she sees a brute that she wants nothing to do with. She does not love his soul but rather his words, the words that Cyrano speaks. The further tragic part deals with the Duke who also loves Roxanne, and wants to marry her. Instead, Roxanne marries Christian, with Cyrano's help and upon discovery, the duke sends them off to the Spanish Front where there is little hope of survival. They are married in word but it is not consummated and the duke makes sure that it is not, and never will be consummated.The greater tragedy is that of Cyrano. He holds a love for Roxanne, though it is really only attraction to her physical appearance, yet he does not speak of it to anyone. Christian learns before his death, and he is the only one that knows that Cyrano loves Roxanne. This he learns from the letters that are sent in his name. He has read the letters and soon realises that Cyrano gives Roxanne a love that he never could, but Cyrano is constantly held back by his deformity. There is constantly reference to love in spite of a deformity, but Cyrano feels that he is not for Roxanne and remains silent. He spends time with her, every Saturday, and even manages to crawl to visit her on his death bed, but it is a love that remains silent, and the only person that knows and can reveal it is dead.Roxanne was a comedy, Cyrano de Bergerac is a tragedy. There is no hope in the film and everything is spiraling down to a very bloody conclusion. Cyrano is a master swordsman, who defeats a hundred men by himself, but he cannot stave off the anger of a duke. He is able to fight the Spanish hordes, but he is taunted by a love that he feels that can never be fulfilled. He speaks only of it on his death bed, and even though is very reluctant. This is a very sad movie, nothing like the Hollywood rubbish that is splattered over all of the screens. This is a movie with depth that deals with the real emotions of people. It is not one where the couple get together and live happily in the end, but one in which pain strikes through it right until the end. It is a poetic movie, though much of it will be lost in the translation. In essence, I see Cyrano de Bergerac on the level of a modern Shakespeare for it seems to have lots of Shakespearian elements, including a very deep, poetical language -- even though it is in French.Cyrano de Bergerac is a film that has one overriding theme and that is Carpe Diem - seize the day. Though such a thing does not happen in this movie, it shows us that it is something that we should do. We cannot let our love kindle unspoken, especially when the woman that our love is focused on so dearly wants to hear. In my opinion, it is not something that should be done for I feel that we need to be tactful in regards to the woman that we speak with and shouldn't overwhelm them, but in Cyrano's case he feels that his nose makes him hideous and that Roxanne won't want anything to do with him, which is not true as you learn at the end. When it comes down to self-doubt then it should be cast away. One should be tactful, but one should not attack oneself in belief that no woman would even want him.