The films also play up a slapstick approach to the romantic misadventures of the central triangle and tend to temper the pathos of the source material, especially in how the narrative resolves itself.
Most contemporary adaptations of Cyrano de Bergerac embrace the comic potential of the series of mistaken identities and misguided perceptions that comprise the original narrative’s development.
Recognizing the drawback to viewing the static nature of the videography used to capture that stage production, this version does offer an opportunity to discuss two theatrical approaches to casting, staging, costumes and scene design once your students have seen Chicago Shakespeare’s performance. PBS’s Great Performances series offers the recent Broadway production starring Kevin Klein and Jennifer Garner on DVD. Neither of these films, however, may provide the optimum experience for students, who might be put off by either the black-and-white photography of the Ferrer film or by the burden of reading the subtitles of the French language film. This “film as preview” method would present the characters, incidents and themes that students will encounter when they see CST’s production of Cyrano de Bergerac.
The second is the French language version starring Gerard Depardieu, a film which also won the best foreign film Oscar in 1990. The first is a Hollywood production starring Jose Ferrer in his 1950 Oscar-winning role. A teacher may choose to acquaint students with this highly accessible story of unrequited love and chivalrous service in the name of romance by screening one of the two best-known films that directly adapt the play. Film versions of Cyrano’s story, based on Rostand’s play, go back as far as the silent era.