José Ferrer, Cyrano de Bergerac

as Cyrano de Bergerac

Won: Academy Award - Best Actor • Golden Globe Award - Best Actor (Drama)

With it's unusual title and a goofy looking, oft-smirking main character bearing a giant honker of a nose while draped in doublets and feathered hats, at face value I had thought Cyrano de Bergerac to be some sort of cartoonish caper B-movie instead of the verbose tragic dramedy it revealed itself to be. Edmond Rostrand's story veers into an array of different directions, but the tale itself remains an intelligible and compelling piece of drama, all the more perpetuated by José Ferrer's magnetic work as the eponymous character.

I always love an actor who sells the hell out of his or her material. And that's exactly what Ferrer does - from his very first off-screen cries and onscreen struts, he projects himself (as ridiculous as he looks) with an undeniable bravado that demands one's attention. If we're judging this performance based on the character alone, you'll find it's a fairly complicated one: Cyrano's make-up seems to be 50% action hero and 50% sensitive romantic. As such, Ferrer is tasked with owning a boiling machismo whilst also simultaneously taking on a creaky, flowery verbiage - both of which require confident execution from its actor. Further, Ferrer must navigate through shades of romantic and self-conscious vulnerability, and in doing all of this he still has a whimsical playfulness about him that makes the audience root for and love his character.

Cyrano is a funky cocktail of opposing attributes which I felt are nailed seamlessly by Ferrer. Having won the inaugural Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for this very role, his expertise with the material is evident here. It's a very interesting balance with these dynamics; theatrically loud and cocky in one scene, Ferrer can quickly transition to dulcet lyricism with potent ease. The latter was my favorite part of his performance: as stagey as the production is (it may as well have been a filmed play), Ferrer remains deeply heartfelt throughout his entire performance, delivering Rostrand's words with passion and spirit.

The film brings up the word rhapsodize a few times, and I associate that word with Ferrer in this film; his performance, regardless if you think it's good or bad, is carried out with total enthusiasm and delight from beginning to end.