Depardieu excels as the 17th century Gascon swordsman and braggart whose unsightly nose prevents him from confessing his love to his cousin Roxane. Rappeneau’s film is a genuine cinematic triumph, as visually as it is verbally dazzling: the grace and pace of Rostand’s text is matched by the energetic camera-work, elegant mise-en-scène and faultlessly choreographed battle scenes.
