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A new version of Cyrano de Bergerac arrives in UK cinemas this weekend \u2013 with Peter Dinklage leading the cast for a musical update of the classic French play.<\/p>\n
The new film, titled simply Cyrano, is based on Erica Schmidt\u2019s 2018 stage musical, itself adapted from Edmond\u2019s Rostand 1897 work.<\/p>\n
But that original play is also loosely based on something else \u2013 the real-life story of Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac, a novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duellist who lived in 17th century France.<\/p>\n
Read on for everything you need to know about the real man.<\/p>
Although Cyrano de Bergerac was a real person, the famous play is a heavily fictionalised account of his life \u2013 even if there are some clear similarities with the historical record.<\/p>\n
One thing that does appear to be true is that he did indeed have a notably large nose \u2013 although it seems unlikely it was quite as large as has been depicted in some stage and film versions \u2013 and this appears to have caused him much distress throughout his life.<\/p>\n
Born in Paris in 1619, the real Cyrano was reportedly mistreated by the adults in his life from a young age and was sent away by his father to the University of Paris when he was just 12 years old.<\/p>\n
After leaving university, he joined the French army and became an expert in fencing and duelling, while also serving in the Franco-Spanish War, suffering a serious wound during the Siege of Arras in 1640 \u2013 a fictionalised version of which appears in the play.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also true that Cyrano was an accomplished writer, turning to writing once his days in the army were behind him and penning an assortment of plays and pamphlets.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, another aspect of the play which appears to be at least in part based on the historical record is the iconic sequence in which Cyrano takes on 100 men \u2013 as unlikely as such a feat might seem, this event has been extensively written about by his contemporaries.<\/p>\n
However, while this character might bear more than a passing resemblance to the real Cyrano, the actual love story appears to have been the invention of Rostand.<\/p>\n
Even though Christian and Roxanne are also based on real people, there is no evidence to suggest a love triangle, nor anything which shows that Cyrano used his ability as a wordsmith to aid his tongue-tied companion.<\/p>\n