Cyrano De Bergerac

Since its debut in 1897, "Cyrano de Bergerac" has been considered the ultimate triumph of the great French romantic trad... (more)

Since its debut in 1897, "Cyrano de Bergerac" has been considered the ultimate triumph of the great French romantic tradition. This edition features a new Introduction. Original. (less)

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This beloved classic has fascinated and enchanted generations. Not since 1938 has there been a more readable or stageabl... (more)

This beloved classic has fascinated and enchanted generations. Not since 1938 has there been a more readable or stageable prose translation. Its fast-paced plot and rich tapestry of gallant soldiers, starving poets, musketeers, marquises, and bluestockings delight, but at its heart is Cyrano: masterful soldier, accomplished poet, ferocious orator, chivalrous lover… and the possessor of an extraordinary nasal appendage! (less)

Set in France in 1640, Cyrano, the charismatic swordsman-poet with the absurd nose, hopelessly loves the beautiful Roxan... (more)

Set in France in 1640, Cyrano, the charismatic swordsman-poet with the absurd nose, hopelessly loves the beautiful Roxanne. She, however, loves another man - Christian, who is quite handsome himself. Cyrano, being his chivalrous self, sets up an innocent deception with Christian, which unfortunately yields tragic results! (less)

Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac was a triumph from the moment of its premiere on December 28, 1897. It has become th... (more)

Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac was a triumph from the moment of its premiere on December 28, 1897. It has become the most popular play of the modern French theater, and Cyrano, despite an ugly visage dominated by an enormous nose, has become a world-beloved symbol of generosity, magnanimity of spirit and beauty of soul. The wonderful Cyrano of this film, Pierre Magnier, understudied Coquelin in the original stage production. He toured with Coquelin and Sarah Bernhardt in 1900, playing Laertes to her Hamlet. Magnier frequently performed Cyrano following Coquelin's death in 1909 and remained active on stage and in films for another forty years, being best remembered today as the General in Jean Renoir's Rules of the Game (1939). In adapting Cyrano de Bergerac to the silent cinema, director Augusto Genina and scenarist Mario Camerini faced the contradictory task of opening up the play to take advantage of its spectacular 17th-century settings and its possibilities for action; while at the same time retaining as much as possible the beloved poetic language of Rostand's original work. The grandeur of costume, setting and action is captured not only in impressive staging and sensitive performances but also through the filmmakers' bold decision to present almost the entire work in the highly stylized and beautiful Path- Stencil Color process. A NOTE ON THIS EDITION: Film preservationist David Shepard copied an original nitrate source print to Eastman color negative frame-by-frame using a 1909 Bell and Howell film printing machine, and Alpha Cine Laboratories in Seattle, Washington used several dozen single frames snipped from this original print to carefully match Mme. Thullier's original colors in a new print which was digitally mastered at 20 frames per second. Mr. Kuenne's music was recorded in Olympia, Washington in 1999. Video mastering and audio post-production were achieved at Lobster Films, Paris, and NTSC video conversion and post-production at Image Post, Chatsworth, CA. We gratefully acknowledge the support of La Sept ARTE in preparation of this edition. (less)