Award-winning director Joe Wright envelops movie lovers in a symphony of emotions with music, romance, and beauty in CYRANO, re-imagining the timeless tale of a heartbreaking love triangle. Cyrano de Bergerac (Peter Dinklage) dazzles with both ferocious wordplay and brilliant swordplay but is convinced that his appearance makes him unworthy of the love of his devoted friend, Roxanne (Haley Bennett), who has fallen in love at first sight with Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.).
For in-depth thoughts on Cyrano, please see my colleague Devin McGrath-Conwell’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment brings Cyrano to Blu-Ray with a magnificent 1080p video presentation in 2.39:1. The image is clean with the warm color palette popping off the screen during the first half of the film before shifting to a more dour setting in the latter half on the battlefield. The film employs subtle splashes of colors within the production design which makes for a sumptuous image. The production design from the bakery where Cyrano and Roxanne meet to Roxanne’s bedroom, along with the fabrics of clothing, provide crystal clear textural details. The cinematography presents a hazy, dreamlike quality to the film which brings a greater sense of wonder to the narrative. The presentation provides a significant amount of depth on display, especially in the interior shots. The black levels are appropriately deep and inky with no discernible digital noise. The flesh tones are natural with a magnificent amount of detail present in close-ups, especially when said faces are covered in ridiculous makeup. This Blu-Ray is a top-tier representation of this movie, although a 4K UHD release would have been a dream come true.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a stellar DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track that captures the soundscape as intended. Music is the driving force of the film, and it always comes through crisp and clear without being clipped by any competing sounds. Both the songs and the score from the Dessner brothers fill the speakers in a wonderful, well-balanced way that envelops you like a warm hug. Dialogue never struggles to come through with every word rendering crystal clear in the mix. There is not too much in the way of pure kinetic sequences, but the environmental sounds of the world engage the expanded array of surround speakers in a really pleasing way. When the characters are walking through the bustling streets or waiting in the audience of the theater, there are some really nice ambient details that flesh out the setting in a more three-dimensional way. The various sound effects provide a fantastic engagement to the low end of the track. The audio track is a fabulous sounding presentation for this feature that deserves the best.
Special Features
- An Epic Adventure – The Making Of Cyrano: A nine-minute featurette which explores the development of the story for the screen, the qualities that each performer brings to their roles, how the music shaped the film, finding a town to function like a massive backlot, shooting on an active volcano and more.
Final Thoughts
Cyrano is a movie that was badly mistreated when it came to its theatrical rollout, which is an immense shame given the quality. Peter Dinklage not only should have been nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards, but he should have been vying for the win. Dinklage gives a beautifully heartbreaking performance in the titular role which requires him to tap into an array of different skills with ease. The remainder of the ensemble complement him perfectly, especially the flawless Haley Bennett who exemplifies longing in a way that feels palpable. The soundtrack for this one has been playing on repeat in my household for months, and once you hear it you might fall into the same loop. Universal Pictures has provided a Blu-Ray disc that sports a top-notch A/V presentation and a brief supplement. This movie is one of the best of the year so far, and it deserves a resurgence in the cultural consciousness. Highly Recommended
Cyrano is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
