'Cyrano' and Redefining Diversity

The representation of diversity within the world of cinema is now a key topic of public debate. While small and large productions have embarked on an increasingly inclusive path, it is also the case that such representation often takes place in a stereotypical or inadvertently offensive way. This is especially true when it comes to the important and delicate union between cinema and disability. 

Often, if a protagonist is disabled, they are usually portrayed in one of two ways: either as a completely depressed and defeated person because of their condition (Me Before You is a good example) or as an angelic figure, characterised by unwavering optimism and kindness despite all the pain they have suffered (examples may be Wonder or the long list of teen movies in which the protagonist is affected by some kind of terminal illness). 

In the first case, the intention of such a portrayal may be to represent the great difficulties and suffering that disability can involve, and in the second, to represent models of positivity and hope. Yet, in both cases, a huge problem remains: disability is the only factor that defines the protagonist, their personality, and their story.

This is why it is particularly refreshing to see films like Cyrano (2021), a musical directed by Joe Wright (Atonement, Darkest Hour) based on the play Cyrano de Bergerac (1897) written by Edmond Rostand. The plot of the original play revolves around Cyrano, a skilled swordsman and poet from 17th-century France. He suffers because of his appearance, characterised by a very long nose, that on the one hand makes him the victim of exclusion from society, and on the other makes him feel unworthy of the beautiful Roxanne, the woman he is secretly in love with. It is through a series of letters, sent under the name of his handsome friend and 'rival' in love Christian, that Cyrano is finally able to reveal his feelings, setting in motion a story that at its centre, is an intense yet painful desire to be loved for who you are.

In the film, Joe Wright decided to make Cyrano's physical difference no longer his nose but his height through the choice of Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage who has dwarfism. Although the protagonist's disability is a factor of discouragement and marginalisation, it is not Cyrano's defining feature. He is a complex character, who hides immense sensitivity behind a cynical and proud demeanour. In a 2022 interview with The Independent, Dinklage stated: “A lot of people think my height is the reason Cyrano is insecure about showing his love to Roxanne, but it really isn't. It's that feeling we have of being unworthy of love and insecure about who we are.” Indeed, one of the most interesting choices of the film is how the other characters also share the same anxieties and fears as Cyrano regarding love, putting everyone, despite their physical condition, on the same level.

Furthermore, it is particularly interesting how Wright portrayed the relationship between a disabled character and an abled one. Indeed, the aforementioned Christian, despite fitting the conventional physical ideal, finds himself genuinely envying Cyrano for his poetic talent, singing: “God, what I'd do to have / Thе one thing that you have / That I never will”. For once, the admiration felt for a disabled character is not based on the resilience they show in the face of their physical difficulties, but on their talents and common interests.

Throughout his life, Dinklage made the brave choice to reject blatantly stereotypical roles and commit to parts that allowed him to express his voice as a complex personality and not just a token of diversity. He now states that his height is “not who I am, that's a part of who I am. And if it doesn't define me, why should it define a character? That's just bad writing.”

With Cyrano, Joe Wright once again proves to be an outstandingly sensitive director determined to break with the stereotypes of mainstream cinema that, all too often, seems afraid of digging deep.

Illustration by Jordan Anderson