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Cyrano (film)
2021 film by Joe Wright From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Cyrano is a 2021 romantic drama musical film directed by Joe Wright and based on the 2018 stage musical of the same name by Erica Schmidt, with music by Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Matt Berninger, and Carin Besser. The film, itself an adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, stars Peter Dinklage in the title role alongside Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Ben Mendelsohn.
Adapted for the screen by Schmidt, Cyrano marks Wright’s second musical feature following Anna Karenina (2012). It follows the story of Cyrano de Bergerac, a gifted poet and soldier who, convinced of his unlovability, helps another man court the woman he secretly loves. The film was produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Guy Heeley and features original music performed by members of the band The National. Principal photography took place in Sicily, Italy, from late 2020 to early 2021 under strict COVID-19 protocols.
Cyrano premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on 2 September 2021, followed by screenings at several major festivals, including Rome and the Hamptons. It was theatrically released in the United Kingdom and the United States on 25 February 2022. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at Dinklage and Bennett’s performances, Wright’s direction, and the film’s musical score. However, it underperformed at the box office, grossing $6.4 million against its $30 million budget. The film earned nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, the 75th British Academy Film Awards, and the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Costume Design.
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Plot
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In 17th-century France, the orphaned and intelligent Roxanne attends a theatrical performance accompanied by the wealthy and vain Duke De Guiche, who intends to marry her. Though aware that marrying the duke would secure her future, Roxanne desires to marry for love. Upon arriving at the theater, she exchanges glances with Christian de Neuvillette, a newly recruited soldier in the King's Guard. The two are instantly smitten. During the play, Cyrano de Bergerac—a highborn cadet and Roxanne’s childhood friend—interrupts the performance by mocking the lead actor with poetic insults and drives him offstage. He then duels a heckler who insults his appearance, replacing the play's traditional "nose monologue" with a new verse.
Roxanne, unaware of Cyrano's deep love for her, confides in him that she has fallen for Christian and asks Cyrano to help arrange a meeting. Though heartbroken, Cyrano agrees. After meeting Christian, Cyrano discovers that the young soldier lacks the eloquence to express his feelings. Determined not to disappoint Roxanne, Cyrano begins writing letters to her on Christian’s behalf, pouring his own emotions into them. Roxanne, moved by the depth of feeling in the letters, falls in love with Christian, believing him to be the author.
When Christian and Roxanne finally meet in person, Christian struggles to match the poetic language of the letters, leaving Roxanne disillusioned. Cyrano assists him by hiding in the shadows and whispering words for Christian to say, convincing Roxanne to forgive him. Their reunion is interrupted by a letter from De Guiche, who threatens to force himself upon her unless she agrees to marry him. Roxanne and Christian hastily marry. Enraged, De Guiche retaliates by sending Christian and Cyrano’s regiment to the front lines.
At war, Cyrano continues writing letters to Roxanne daily, risking his life to ensure they reach her. As their unit is sent on a suicidal charge, Cyrano entrusts Christian with a final letter already stained with tears. Realizing that Cyrano is the true author—and that Roxanne loves the soul behind the words—Christian urges Cyrano to tell her the truth. Before he can do so, Christian rushes into battle and is killed.
Three years later, Cyrano—impoverished and suffering from injuries sustained in the war—remains close to Roxanne, who is now living in mourning at a convent. Sensing his death is near, Cyrano visits her one final time. When Roxanne hands him Christian’s last letter, he recites it from memory, revealing he was the one who wrote all the letters. Roxanne realizes the truth, and the two finally confess their love. Moments later, Cyrano collapses and dies in her arms.
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Cast
- Peter Dinklage as Cyrano de Bergerac
- Haley Bennett as Roxanne
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Christian de Neuvillette
- Ben Mendelsohn as De Guiche
- Monica Dolan as Marie, Roxanne's attendant
- Bashir Salahuddin as Le Bret[4]
- Joshua James as Valvert
- Anjana Vasan as Sister Claire
- Ruth Sheen as Mother Marthe
- Glen Hansard, Sam Amidon, and Scott Folan appear as a singing trio of guards, credited respectively as guard #1, guard #2, and guard #3.
- Mark Benton as Montfleury
- Richard McCabe as Priest
- Peter Wight as Ragueneau
- Tim McMullan as Jodelet
- Celeste Dodwell as theatre lady
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Production
![[icon]](#/media/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion with: more details about the stage musical and the development/production of the film. You can help by adding to it. (April 2022) |
It was announced in August 2020 that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had acquired the rights to the film, which was written by Erica Schmidt, based on her stage musical Cyrano. The film was produced by Working Title Films, and Joe Wright was set to direct. Peter Dinklage and Haley Bennett reprised their roles from the stage musical, with Ben Mendelsohn and Brian Tyree Henry also cast.[5] Kelvin Harrison Jr. joined the cast in September 2020.[6] Bashir Salahuddin later joined the cast to replace Henry.[7] Music for the film was written by members of the National, who also wrote the music and lyrics for the stage musical.[5]
Principal photography began in Sicily (Noto, Syracuse, Scicli) in October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. All of the vocal performances for the musical numbers were recorded live on set.[8][7][9]
Music
The film’s opening number, “Someone to Say,” was released as a single on October 8, 2021.[1] A second track, “Somebody Desperate,” written specifically for the film and featured during the end credits, was released on December 3, 2021.[10] The full soundtrack, composed by members of the band The National, was released by Decca Records on December 10, 2021.[11]
Release
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Festival screenings
The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2021.[12][13] By the end of its festival run, it screened at the Hamptons,[14] Mill Valley,[15] Rome,[16] and Savannah.[17]
Theatrical release
Cyrano marked the final theatrical release by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) prior to the studio’s acquisition by Amazon, which was finalized on March 17, 2022.[18]
The film was originally scheduled for a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 25, 2021, which was later postponed to December 31.[7] In November 2021, United Artists Releasing revised its release strategy to improve the film’s positioning for awards season. A one-week exclusive theatrical engagement in Los Angeles began on December 17, 2021, followed by plans for a limited release on January 21, 2022, with a wider expansion in subsequent weeks.[19] These plans were later modified: the film was first rescheduled to open in limited release on January 28, then to a wide release on February 11,[20] before ultimately being released wide in both the United States and the United Kingdom on February 25, 2022.[21][22]
In the United Kingdom, Universal Pictures had originally slated the release for January 14, 2022, but postponed it due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23]
Home media
Cyrano was released for digital streaming on March 9, 2022, and on Blu-ray and DVD on April 19, 2022, by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.[24]
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Reception
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Box office
Cyrano grossed $3.9 million in the United States and Canada and $2.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $6.4 million.[3][2]
In its domestic opening weekend, the film was released alongside Studio 666 and was projected to earn between $2–5 million from 797 theaters.[25] It debuted to $1.4 million, placing ninth at the box office.[26][27] In its second weekend, the film earned $678,783 and rose to eighth place.[28] By its third weekend, it fell to eleventh, grossing $398,932.[29]
Internationally, Cyrano earned $1.04 million from ten markets during its opening weekend.[30]
Critical response
Cyrano received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Peter Dinklage's performance, Joe Wright’s direction, and the film's visual design, while some noted uneven pacing and a lack of emotional depth in the adaptation.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 248 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Uneven yet ultimately hard to resist, Joe Wright's Cyrano puts a well-acted musical spin on the oft-adapted classic tale."[31] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[32]
On IMDb the film attained a weighted 6.4/10, with generally mixed reactions from users, most of which was directed to the film's substance and music. [33]
Dinklage's performance in the title role received widespread acclaim. Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com called the film “a showcase for Dinklage’s remarkable talent,” praising his ability to convey Cyrano’s pain and longing with subtle emotional precision.[34] Kevin Maher of Time Out described Dinklage as delivering a performance that “combines soulfulness with startling charisma.”[35] Similarly, Entertainment Weekly’s Leah Greenblatt wrote that he brought “a bruised romanticism” to the role that made the character “feel palpably real.”[36]
Wright’s direction and the film’s production design were also commended. Peter Debruge of Variety praised the “sweeping cinematic flair” Wright brings, calling the film “an unabashedly theatrical, gorgeously filmed interpretation.”[37] Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph highlighted the “stunning costumes and candlelit interiors,” adding that the film feels “like a dream staged on a velvet proscenium.”[38]
The film’s music received a more mixed reception. Some critics appreciated the modern score by members of The National, with Deadline Hollywood’s Todd McCarthy calling it “a bold musical experiment that mostly works.”[39] Others were less enthusiastic. Richard Brody of The New Yorker found the music “so gently pleasant it becomes soporific,” arguing that the songs lacked dramatic power and variety.[40] IMDb reviews reveal many citing the music as dull and lackluster. [41]
Several reviewers also pointed to the film’s tonal inconsistencies. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw praised the sincerity of the performances but criticized the film’s pacing, writing that it “swoons toward an underwhelming climax.”[42] A. O. Scott of The New York Times noted that Cyrano was “too tasteful for its own good,” suggesting that its restraint dulled the emotional impact.[43] NPR's critic Justin Chang echoed this sentiment, observing that while the film is “beautifully mounted,” it “never quite sings with passion.”[44]
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Accolades
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References
External links
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