Cyrano de Bergerac

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.

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 Rostands 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 Pathe Stencil Color process.