In seventeenth-century
Paris, poet and master swordsman
Cyrano de Bergerac stops a play from being performed because he had previously banned the principal actor, Montfleury, from the stage for a month. Annoyed aristocrat Vicomte de Valvert provokes Cyrano into a
duel by insulting Cyrano's enormous nose. Cyrano composes a
ballade for the duel and recites it during the sword fight. With the last line, he fatally stabs Valvert. Cyrano's friend Le Bret warns him that he has made powerful enemies of his victim's friends, but Cyrano is unconcerned. When Le Bret presses him for the real reason why he hates Montfleury, Cyrano admits that he became jealous when he saw Montfleury smiling at his beautiful cousin Roxane. He confesses that although he is in love with her, he harbors no hope of romance because of his nose. Roxane requests to see Cyrano in the morning, which finally gives him hope. Pastry chef and fellow poet Ragueneau approaches Cyrano for help. Ragueneau has learned that the Comte De Guiche, a nobleman whom he had mocked with his verses, has hired a hundred ruffians to teach him a lesson. Cyrano escorts him, kills eight of the horde and drives off the rest. The next day, before he can tell Roxane of his feelings, she informs him that she has fallen in love with guardsman Christian de Neuvillette, although she has never spoken to him. Cyrano hides his devastation and agrees to help her. Cyrano befriends Christian and discovers that he is infatuated with Roxane but is too inept with words to woo her. To help him, Cyrano composes Christian's love letters to Roxane, which she finds irresistible. Christian wants no more help and tries to speak to Roxane directly, but he fails miserably and she returns home in an angry huff. Cyrano, hiding in the bushes, comes to his rescue, but this time by imitating Christian's voice and speaking to Roxane from under her balcony. He is so eloquent that he wins Roxane's heart for Christian. When the arrogant De Guiche, who is also wooing Roxane, pressures her to marry him, Cyrano delays him long enough for her to wed Christian instead. Furious, De Guiche, Christian's commander, orders him to join his unit immediately for a war against Spain, preventing the couple from spending their wedding night together. With Cyrano under his command as well, De Guiche earns Cyrano's respect by his conduct in the war. From the field, Cyrano sends Roxane letters every day, supposedly written by Christian. Roxane visits her husband in camp and tells him that she now has fallen in love with him not merely for his looks but because of his words, and that she would love him even if he were ugly. Realizing that she really loves Cyrano, Christian coaxes his rival to agree to tell Roxane the truth and let her decide between them. But before the opportunity arises, Christian volunteers for a dangerous mission and is fatally wounded, silencing Cyrano. Roxane enters a convent in mourning. Years pass, with Cyrano visiting Roxane weekly, having retired from the military and writing satirical articles mocking the nobility. De Guiche, who has also befriended her and has come to respect Cyrano, overhears a courtier plotting against Cyrano. De Guiche warns Roxane that Cyrano's life may be in danger. One night, Cyrano is lured into an ambush and is trampled by a carriage. Near death, he hides his injuries and visits with Roxane for the last time. His secret love for her is finally revealed when he recites from memory the last of his love letters, which she has kept. However, it is too late, as Cyrano first slips into delirium before dying, leaving Roxane to mourn a second time. ==Cast==