Cyrano
One of the most striking scenes of Joe Wright’s directorial career comes at a moment in “Atonement” where James McAvoy’s character is fighting in WWI. We see the soldiers at Dunkirk, and the horrors of war. Wright’s camera gives us the scene as a Dario Marianelli’s music, which includes a moment when a choir is singing on screen, reflects the pain of the scene. Since I watched the film in 2007, that moment has stuck in my head, and it is unfortunate that Wright has not had more moments like it in his career.
Wright’s new film, “Cyrano,” has such a moment in it, when two of our main characters are starving on the front lines of battle against the Spanish. Under orders from the King, and a rival of theirs for Roxanne’s affections, they are to charge to almost certain death. We see them giving a page their final letters to their loved ones as they sing about them. Letters play a fundamental role in “Cyrano,” and so the significance of this moment is heightened as we watch these men get ready for what may be their last stand. This is not like the Dunkirk sequence, however, where Wright is going for emotional impact through technical accomplishment, but it’s quieter, more personal. The result is even more devastating.
One of the best things to come out of “Game of Thrones” was how the series gave a larger audience a look at Peter Dinklage as a lead character. Fans of films like “The Station Agent” and “Death at a Funeral” already knew he was more than just a comic relief character, but as Tyrion Lannister, he was able to shine in all sorts of different ways that made him one of the most popular characters in the series. This is one of his best film roles, as Cyrano de Bergerac, a poet and soldier whom we first see berating a hammy, aging actor on the stage before seeing how he plays into the life of Roxane (Haley Bennett), a distant cousin for whom he longs for, but worries his appearance will not be acceptable for her, and Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a new cadet whom will serve with Cyrano in the French Army.
The music and songs are by Aaron and Bryce Dessner (lyrics by Matt Berninger and Carin Besser), and while some contain a sweeping feel to them that we are accustomed to in musical songs, many more are intimate and powerful, and the performances by Dinklage, Bennett and Harrison feel authentic and akin to a small stage setting than a Broadway production. Wright’s approach to the film is to build the set pieces in confined places, even in an exterior location; even though it takes place in 17th Century France, we feel as though we’re with these characters as the story unfolds. This isn’t about capturing a historical moment in song, but a personal story about longing and lies for the sake of love and happiness. This is a beautifully-crafted film, and the cinematography by Seamus McGarvey captures the world Wright creates perfectly. Most importantly- the film is edited with a respect to allowing the scene play out fully, rather than trying to show off. The result is one of the strongest movie musicals in recent years.
It’s been a long time for a movie to really tap into the romantic side of me. “Cyrano” is hinged on tragedy, but I empathize with each of the main characters. To a certain extent, that includes De Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn), whom wants Roxane for himself, and is arguably the best candidate, as he can offer her something neither Cyrano nor Christian can- a better life, and high society. She has to follow her heart, even if that leads to lifelong heartbreak. Bennett makes us understand the choice; her final scene with Dinklage is deeply moving. It’s another moment by Wright that will linger in my memory.
