Product Details

• Actors: Gérard Depardieu, Anne Brochet, Vincent Perez, Jacques Weber, Roland Bertin
• Directors: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
• Writers: Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Edmond Rostand, Jean-Claude Carrière
• Producers: André Szots, Michel Seydoux, René Cleitman
• Format: DVD, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• DVD Release Date: February 10, 2004
• Run Time: 137 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000YEENU
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,387 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #18 in	Movies & TV > Drama > Love & Romance > Unrequited Love
  #22 in	Movies & TV > Art House & International > European Cinema > France > Drama
  #34 in	Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Original Language > French

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Director Jean-Paul Rappeneau and cowriter Jean-Claude Carriere had the brilliant idea of casting France's most lovably vulnerable hunk, the massive Gerard Depardieu, in one of French literature's meatiest roles: the sword-wielding poet Cyrano. Equipped with a massive nose and a heart to match, Depardieu soars as the heart-broken soldier who must lend his words of love to another man to woo the woman he yearns for. Rappeneau spared no expense in taking this Edmond Rostand play into realistic locations for the battle scenes in the second act, making the film as exciting as it is romantic and funny. Depardieu attacks the role in great gulps, consuming all the oxygen in any room he enters. Macho but sensitive, he creates a larger-than-life Cyrano, whose wrenching sadness at the lack of interest from his lady love will have you reaching for the tissues. --Marshall Fine

Product Description
One of France's literary treasures commands the screen with this "exceptionally graceful adaptation" (Los Angeles Times) that received a Best Foreign Film Golden GlobeÂ(r) and five OscarÂ(r) nominations*, including Best Actor for Gerard Depardieu! Cyrano (Depardieu), a master swordsman and poet, feels he cannot woo his beloved Roxane (Anne Brochet) due to an unfortunate physical flaw: his grotesquely large nose. Resigning himself to helping another suitor, the dashing yet tongue-tied Christian (Vincent Perez), Cyrano uses his mastery of words to win Roxane forhim. But when Roxane finds that she has fallen for Christian's mindand not for his beautywhich of her two suitors will finally possess her heart? *1990: Foreign Language Film, Art Direction-Set Decoration, Costume Design (won), Makeup

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointment in long-awaited release., March 25, 2004

By	K. Bowden "Zodgilla" (Richmond, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'd been waiting years for this to be released on DVD, it's a fabulous movie, my absolute favorite adaptation of the original play - however, MGM messed up.

This edition is a matted letterbox, which means that it's actually a 4:3 TV image with the full image reduced to fit on the screen of a traditional TV screen and has black mattes on the top and bottom.

However, it should have been presented in anamorphic widescreen - which gives the same presentation on a 4:3 TV but also fits a widescreen television set.

As it is, it will not display properly on a widescreen tv - the image is either stretched out (so that everyone and everything is flat) or is enlarged beyond the border of the tv screen - thus cutting off the subtitles! My wide television has 6 separate display formats but I cannot format a full image on my screen that is not warped or severely cropped. Extremely disappointing.

I'm hoping for a new true anamorphic widescreen edition to be released eventually, but at least I have the film for now.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ""We All Have Our Wounds" ~ A Romantic Film For The Ages, June 2, 2007

By	Brian E. Erland "Rainbow Sphinx" (Brea, CA - USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Note: French with optional English and Spanish subtitles.

This French language film adaptation of the classic 'Cyrano de Bergerac' released in '90 is without question the most enjoyable 138 minutes in front of the television screen I've experienced in quite some time. Everything about this production is absolute perfection; cinematography, settings, music, screenplay and of course acting.

Gerard Depardieu is an unstoppable force of nature as the eloquent but hot-headed Cyrano. He thunders and rages about one moment only to suddenly turn ethereal and wax poetic the next. The lovely Anne Brochet is a wonderful complement to the blustering Cyrano as his unattainable Roxane and Vincent Perez delivers a strong performance as the handsome but slow tongued Christian.

The dialogue is crisp, textured and witty, however if you're French impaired as I am you'll probably have trouble keeping up with the subtitles. But that's OK, you'll just catch the missing parts the next time you watch and you will definitely watch again and again.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Restore your respect for Depardieu ..., February 9, 2003

By	Miyo K Geddes Wratten (North Brookfield, NY United States) - See all my reviews

and watch Cyrano de Bergerac. I was a French major in university, and am not a fan of any of the "classics" in any language. But this film made me run out and read the play -- in French -- three times. I did a special senior project on the film and the written play ... Depardieu's training in stage plays comes through strong in this movie, and so does his passion as well as the passion of the author who wrote the original play. Depardieu's massive energy in this role as Cyrano serves only to accentuate the beautiful words he uses to express his love for Roxanne. Beautifully acted, beautifully filmed, you'll never see Depardieu the same again.