The story of "Cyrano de Bergerac" doesn't do much for me, but it's been so influential culturally and it's been remade so many times that I was curious to see the version that brought Jose Ferrer the Best Actor Oscar.
He's good, easily the best thing about the movie, using that deep, mellifluous voice to great effect. But the movie never really transcends its stage origins, nor overcome the film's famously low budget. The print aired on TCM, which I'm guessing is the best one available if TCM is involved, looks so bad that it renders the movie nearly unwatchable. The whole movie is out of focus, like you're watching it without your glasses. So maybe not fair to judge the whole movie for something it can't help, but I have a feeling I wouldn't have felt much differently about it had the print been pristine.
This also has one of the longest death scenes I've ever scene. It literally feels like it's going to go on forever.
Oscar trivia: Jose Ferrer was the first of only 4 men who would win the Best Actor Oscar for a movie that wasn't nominated in any other category. The other three are Cliff Robertson ("Charly"), Michael Douglas ("Wall Street"), and Forest Whitaker ("The Last King of Scotland").
Grade: B.
He's good, easily the best thing about the movie, using that deep, mellifluous voice to great effect. But the movie never really transcends its stage origins, nor overcome the film's famously low budget. The print aired on TCM, which I'm guessing is the best one available if TCM is involved, looks so bad that it renders the movie nearly unwatchable. The whole movie is out of focus, like you're watching it without your glasses. So maybe not fair to judge the whole movie for something it can't help, but I have a feeling I wouldn't have felt much differently about it had the print been pristine.
This also has one of the longest death scenes I've ever scene. It literally feels like it's going to go on forever.
Oscar trivia: Jose Ferrer was the first of only 4 men who would win the Best Actor Oscar for a movie that wasn't nominated in any other category. The other three are Cliff Robertson ("Charly"), Michael Douglas ("Wall Street"), and Forest Whitaker ("The Last King of Scotland").
Grade: B.