Cyrano de Bergerac. 1925. France. Directed by Augusto Genina. With Pierre Magnier, Linda Moglia, Angelo Ferrari. DCP. Silent with piano accompaniment. 104 min.
Tinting and French stencil-coloring distinguishes this version of the timeless 1897 verse play by Edmond Rostand on the themes of unattainable love and nobility, and are credited with giving the film “a precise, painterly look, especially for the seventeenth-century setting and costume.” Precision was key to the stenciling process, allowing for the frame by frame, color by color application of hues to 35mm prints. Here this serves to suggest depth and “convey a material sense of fabrics, patterns on shirts and skirts, and intricate details such as feathery plumes on hats.”