Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)

The critic finds this faithful verse adaptation of the classic play a visually sumptuous epic that bursts with life, romance and excitement, far superior to the Steve Martin version. Depardieu's swashbuckling yet vulnerable performance as the poetic swordsman with the large nose is singled out as the film's moving, heart-of-the-romance highlight.

Rappeneau's adaptation of Rostand's play succeeds without fault. Depardieu excels as the witty, tormented swordsman, and the verse text is delivered with rhythmic grace and musical energy throughout the expansive production.

Depardieu is perfectly cast as the noble yet self-dramatizing Cyrano in this well-nigh flawless, dashing adaptation. Rappeneau immerses viewers in a lusty, exuberant 17th-century world with fluid camerawork and period detail.

The film is a magnificently lusty, brawling, passionate classical version centered on Depardieu's virtuoso performance. It succeeds because it acts as if it believes the romantic story.

Depardieu brings mysterious grace to the title role in this lavish adaptation, conveying both bluster and wistfulness through the engineered nose and poetic verse. The film captures the epic scale and emotional complexity of Rostand's drama.

The sumptuous adaptation attains a near-perfect balance of verbal and visual flamboyance with Depardieu's grand performance setting a new standard. It has dash, lyricism, and a superb ensemble while preserving the play's rhyming verse.

The critic praises Jean-Paul Rappeneau for capturing the spirit of the play with energy, eloquence and panache in a superior verse retelling of the classic romance. Depardieu delivers a unique, tragic performance full of humility and courage as the proxy lover and poet.