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(France) Directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau (The Horseman on the Roof)
Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Anne Brochet, Vincent Perez, Jacques Weber, Roland Bertin
Plot: Cyrano de Bergerac (Depardieu) is a larger-than-life officer of an elite French guard. He is legendary among his fellow soldiers for his skill with a sword (in one pivotal scene he takes on, and bests, 100 men), his sharp, witty style, and, of course, his gigantic nose. But Cyrano has the soul of a poet and he falls in love with his cousin Roxanne (Brochet). The day he finally summons the courage to speak she tells him she's in love with a handsome young man she's never met -- Christian (Perez). Christian is going into the guard and Roxanne enlists Cyrano's help to protect him from the other cadets and to act as a go-between.
Devastated that he will never be handsome enough to woo Roxanne himself, Cyrano helps Christian to woo her. Christian, it turns out, is exceedingly dull so Cyrano writes love letters for him, pouring out his heart to Roxanne under Christian's name. Roxanne is smitten by the letters, but does she love Christian or Cyrano?
Awards: Won: Cannes '90 Best Actor; 10 César wins including Best Actor, Best Film, Best Director; London Film Critics Actor of the Year. Nominations: '91 Oscars Best Actor, Best Foreign Film. For more awards, see imdb.com link below.
Critical Consensus: This film is often regarded as Depardieu's best -- an illuminated pairing of actor and role. Depardieu himself called Cyrano his "role of my 40's". He reportedly had a great deal of trouble coming out of character once production ended and continued to sport the Cyrano hair and moustache for a long while.
Trivia: Depardieu was considered a shoe in for the 1991 Best Actor Oscar for "Cyrano", but when a scandal break out in the press regarding a comment Depardieu had made about his youth as a juvenile delinquent, the Oscar went to Jeremy Irons for "Reversal of Fortune" instead.
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