#The Christian in Solès' version I loved as well in the end‚ but probably this Italian one and the 1950 Christian are my favourite for now

[longagoitwastuesday]

Truly the José Ferrer version of Cyrano de Bergerac is the best by far because by the end of the film he has you convinced he's the most attractive man ever, even if he still doesn't believe it, and that is at the core of what the play is about

[longagoitwastuesday]

Do you have favorite actors for the various roles in "Cyrano de Bergerac"? I would love to hear your thoughts!

I do! I actually rambled a lot about this while I was watching the different productions I could get my hands on (I tagged it "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "I talk too much").

My favorite productions are the one with José Ferrer and the one with Benoit Solès, and those actors make the best Cyranos in my opinion. Though that's probably something in part beyond the actors' choice, their dynamic with their respective Roxane and Christian are the best ones, I think, and I find how Cyrano moves around these two particular characters at the core of a good Cyrano characterisation.

José Ferrer's use of his voice, which is arguably Cyrano's true most characteristic feature, is unmatched imo (although McAvoy does a very good job with this too), and he manauvers very well several of the different aspects of the character, such as his playfulness, his shittiness and longing. By the end of the play you believe he is the most beautiful man on Earth. Cyrano, however, is a bit pathetic (not just in a "pathos" way), and I'd say Ferrer gives off an air full of dignity very fitting of many scenes, but that eats almost entirely this aspect of Cyrano; Benoit Solès manages this very well, while also playing well with some of the other ones, such as the playfulness, the longing, the pain and the despair. Both Ferrer and Solès are hilarious, tender, a bit shitty, vulnerable, playful and sad. Albeit neither of them portrays 100% what Cyrano is, I think both come pretty close in slightly different flavours, and by the end of the play one ends up being terribly fond of them.

My favourite Roxane is Clara Huet in the production with Benoit Solès, but Mala Powers in the 1950 film is a close second. I think they portray wonderfully Roxane's spunk, and her mix of honest playful cheerfulness and her haughtiness, her intelligence and wit, and how much like Cyrano she is.

I've not come to love for now any Christian as much as I've loved Ferrer, Solès, Huet and Powers, but again I think the Christians in the 1950 film and the Solès productions are very very good. I love the dynamic they have with their Cyranos, especially the one Christian and Cyrano have in the 1950 film, enhanced positively by the added scenes (they actually work so well in showing their developing as friends, their deep love and care for each other!). I don't want to expand too much on this to avoid spoilers (beyond the already known 'Christian dies' ones I mean), but some things they do with both these Christians are a thing of genius, and both feel vulnerable, kind, ready to fight and truly desperate at times; I like when they do that.

There's an Italian production which has a Cyrano I truly enjoy as well, despite how they dumbify him more than I usually like my Christians. His mix of anger and deep pain when he discovers Cyrano's feelings for Roxane were so well made, and his physical presence makes you identify who Christian is even before the play starts.

The Podalydès production has two different Christians. The one in the version on youtube isn't bad, but @ride-a-dromedary likes Éric Ruf a lot. I actually adore him based on the clips and gifs she's posted of him, but I haven't been able to find the version with him online, so I can't know. But he truly seems one of the best. Based on what little I've seen, I love his intense gazes and subtle gestures.

I'm not entirely sold on any Le Bret, De Guiche or Ragueneau yet.

I think the German musical has a decent Ragueneau in vibes, and the 1990 French film does as well. I found his poem made song for what I think is a Spanish production (I'm not sure if it's a fan creation based on the Spanish production), and while I've not been able to find that production online, the song works well in vibes too I think.

The German musical's Le Bret in vibes is very good. He encompasses well his deep love and worry for Cyrano while also being done with his shit. They truly feel like close friends. The 1950 film kind of combines Gaston de Castel-Jaloux and Le Bret into one character, which sadly changes Le Bret's dynamic with Cyrano a bit, but that's a very good Le Bret as well. The one in Solès' production is pretty good too. He has my favourite delivery of the scene in which Le Bret chastises Cyrano for risking his life sending letters.

De Guiche is complicated. I think productions often make him too pathetic and laughable or too bad, so bad it makes the last act kind of not make sense. The 1950 one, the 1990 French one, the Kevin Kline one and the Solès one are all good, but I am not passionate for any of them either.

And basically that's it!

[theimpossiblescheme]

#Besides the German musical I watched yesterday Brambilla's Italian production of the play#I didn't like much its Cyrano or its Roxane but I loved its Christian. Easily one of my favourites for now#I was giving a look at first and fell on the scene with the cadets and it was OBVIOUS who Christian was#which is exactly the effect he should have! He was pretty and charming and sweet and fun. And I adored him in Act IV!#He was so heartbroken and so angry! He made me realise that when he is like 'what the hell are you saying about still writing letters?'#he is very logically shocked and angry? betrayed?‚ because there's really no need at that point!#Christian wanted to stop even before getting a kiss‚ but now he's married to her!#There was no need for Cyrano to keep writing her letters for him‚ especially not without Christian's knowledge#The way he tells Cyrano he'd like to write a goodbye letter to Roxane with that in mind seems even more like him wanting to write it#himself even if with maybe some help or support from Cyrano to do so more eloquently#In some productions Christian seems irritated by the fact that Cyrano has already written him one and he is so right to be mad!#I think this Christian enhanced many of these little things. He truly made me reconsider a few things of the entire situation#at that point and why he feels so betrayed and sadenned. There was no need at all...#Aesthetically and musically this production was weird at times but interesting and often pretty. I loved the staging of act iv#I don't understand some musical choices or why at times they seem to be in the south Spain? Or that's the vibe it gave me haha#I loved that the moon moved and I KNEW they were going to make Cyrano die there but I loved it nonetheless#Christian was ready to fight and I love when they make him like that. Not just insulting Cyrano‚#but the insults as a way to incite him to duel. The 1950 version does this as well and I love him#The Christian in Solès' version I loved as well in the end‚ but probably this Italian one and the 1950 Christian are my favourite for now#I love some of what they do with the 1950 Christian. The developing of his friendship with Cyrano‚ how ready he is to fight‚ his insecurity#I adore that in a mix of wanting to prove himself and not wanting Cyrano and Roxane's chat to be disturbed he insists on taking#Cyrano's mission. And I ADORE how they look somewhat alike. The way they could get confused for each other from certain angles ugh#But I loved this Christian as well. How honest and open he is‚ how puppylike. How he is desperate and heartbroken‚#the way he cries in grief and anger and his voice breaks#Also the translation wasn't spectacular in form and was quite literal‚ but I liked the effect#Not too pretty‚ funny at times‚ but I think the Italian flowed wonderfully. It felt natural and organic#At times something I could actually hear in daily conversation. It was perhaps in part the delivery‚ but it felt like it wasn't only that

I'm loving how, being stagings of the play and not reinterpretations, many productions are able to add some characteristic creative twist to it that adds or enhances something in particular