Catfisher blues… Cyrano de Bergerac (1925), with John Sweeney, Phoenix Cinema

My daughter explained a new take on this eternal fable of head and heart, the modern practice of catfishing, whereby people create a “sock puppet” account on social media in order to convince people that they are someone they are not. Catfishing is – apparently - used for romance scams on dating websites which brings us right back to point: in this story is Roxane being deceived by the sock puppet or by the hidden hand? Edmond Rostand had no clue about any of this when he wrote the original play in 1897 and nor did Ferrer, Depardieu and Steve Martin when they were in filmed versions but the essential device is the same even though Cyrano is only of good heart in letting Christian use his words to impress the woman he loves.

In her introduction, Miranda Gower-Qian, explained how it took three years of painstaking post-production to bring this film to release as the Pathe Stencil process was used to add colour throughout this almost two-hour long film. Cyrano stands almost uniquely as an extant colourised feature from this period and is even more remarkable on the big screen and with John Sweeney’s skilled accompaniment. It’s a sumptuous classic that revels in its own excesses in full expectation that the audience know exactly what’s coming.

Repeat after me...

The story is set in 1640 during the reign of Louise XIII when France was on the verge of war with Spain. We see some of the main players arriving at the Hôtel Burgundy Theatre to watch a performance by the actor Montfleury. There’s the beautiful Roxane (Linda Moglia) who is admired from afar by the youthful cadet Baron Christian de Neuvillette (Angelo Ferrari) and who is hardly in the running as the Count De Guiche (Umberto Casilini) has plans to marry her off to a noble ally.

The theatre fills and the colours are superb as the play begins and, Montfleury who has been banned by another noble cadet, Cyrano de Bergerac (Pierre Magnier) after making “sheep eyes” at Roxane, bravely ventures forth to the centre of the stage. There is movement in the crowd and two white plumes are seen passing through the throng, eventually revealing themselves atop the hat of Cyrano - a man revered as much for his poetry as his swordsmanship - Montfleury pulls back in alarm and, after a volley of rhyming couplets retreats as fast as his legs can carry. One of De Guiche’s party challenges Cyrano and is swiftly despatched by a combination of his words and blade…

It’s an audacious opening and all the more difficult to pull off in a silent film, yet director Augusto Genina paces things well and allows his lead the time to use his expressiveness to good effect with his prosthetic proboscis somehow drawing the viewer’s focus to his eyes.

"Look into my eyes..."

Cyrano’s cousin Roxane is more than impressed with his display – no one seems that bothered about the play - and his eyes reveal his depth of affection as the two agree to meet the next day. He accompanies his pals Le Bret (Maurice Schutz) and the pastry chef-cum-poet Ragueneau (Alex Bernard) to the latter’s home were his heroism is celebrated en masse: who needs a stage play when you have the best improv in France?

Roxane reveals that she is in love and, his hopes flickering, Cyrano is crushed to discover that it is with another, the youthful Baron Christian who, like so many in this film, looks like a refugee from an early seventies progressive rock band (the guitarist in Jethro Tull or Gentle Giant’s bass player?) Cyrano promises to do his best to protect his fellow cadet and he is soon bound by an additional duty after meeting the fellow and discovering his tongue-tied reciprocation of Roxane’s infatuation.

Now this is going to get complicated and the story’s most famous scene is soon played out as Christian tries to woo Roxane by repeating words of love fed to him by Cyrano. As he stands below her balcony Roxane melts at the sweet phrasing as if words meant more than looks ever could… and here is the universal appeal, as truth is found in expression not necessarily in beauty. So, put a sock in your puppet, you catfishers!

Linda Moglia being sublime

Roxane and Christian marry but war is coming and the men must away… who will survive and will the course of ventriloquent love ever run smoothly?

Again, my daughter found new meaning in the letter Cyrano writes on Christian’s behalf as they ready from almost certain death on the battlefront. Cyrano has exposed his heart by the teardrop he shed on the paper whilst Christian’s blood is there too after he is wounded. Roxane loves them body and soul but will she realise the additional separation without which her feelings would never have been so stirred… Modern love is so complicated.

The acting is so strong especially from Linda Moglia and Pierre Magnier who is superb even from with under the prosthetic. The cinematography by Ottavio De Matteis is dynamic too but you really have to take your plumed hat off to those colourists: the film was followed by a mass outbreak of carpel tunnel syndrome which was only alleviated by the advent of technicolour.

John Sweeney provided suitably stirring motifs and drove the narrative onwards with a mix of dash and daring do that Cyrano himself would have loved. You could almost see two feathers bobbing over the keyboard.

Another excellent silent film from the Phoenix and well worth braving Storm Ciara for on a day National Rail told us not to travel! Faint hearts and all that…

It's just a gorgeous film!