Learning Guide to Roxanne:
Subjects: Comedy/U.S.; love story; Adaptation of Classic French play;
Social-Emotional Learning: Romantic relationships; Self-esteem;
Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect, Honesty;
Age: 12+; MPAA Rating—PG; Comedy; 1987, 107 minutes; Color; Available from Amazon.Com.
Note to teachers: Roxanne is a romantic comedy, often used as a reward film, which offers teachers an opportunity to enrich their student’s study of both literature and film. The following guide can be used in several ways: the film alone serves as a basis for assignments that exercise several of the standards important in English Language Arts; by following Roxanne with the 1950 version of Cyrano de Bergerac, with its black and white artistry or the 1990 remake, teachers can introduce students to film history; and by exposing students to the classic play from which both films were inspired, teachers can enrich the study of drama as well as the art of adaptation. For a complete Guide to the 1990 remake of Cyrano, click here.
Description: Steve Martin created Roxanne in a loose adaptation of the story of Cyrano de Bergerac, first told in the 1897 play by French author Edmond Rostand and adapted to film in 1950 and again in 1990. The story's value, in each of its incarnations, lies in its presentation of the conflict between style and substance; the outward appearance of an individual often masks what lies inside. C.D. Bales, (Charlie) an unattractive man with a huge nose, is blustery and brash, yet inside he is beautiful. His rival, Chris, is physically beautiful, yet shallow and dull. As in the story of Cyrano, Charlie writes the lines and speaks the words that seem to be coming from Chris, and Roxanne quickly grows to love the beautiful man because of what she perceives to be his intellect and soul. Ultimately, the deception fails.
Benefits of the Movie: Roxanne, with or without the play and the films from which Steve Martin adapted his script, gives young people a lighthearted opportunity to work through important issues they face in a culture driven by images from mass media which place undue emphasis on outward appearance. Using humor unique to Martin’s comedic style, the film provokes thought about the pain felt by those who do not measure up to society’s conception of what defines beauty and how they may seek to compensate for their perceived ugliness or disfiguration. It also addresses the moral implications of deception used to shape and twist affection.
An interesting aspect of Roxanne which varies considerably from the two film versions of Cyrano de Bergerac is the development of the female lead. In both of the films, as in the play itself, to woman named Roxanne is one dimensional in that her character is beautiful, but lacks depth. She is portrayed as an object rather than a subject. In Martin’s remake, Roxanne is an intelligent woman, working on her doctorate in astronomy; she is independent and self directed and has language and wit that rivals her counterpart. Charlie appreciates and acknowledges her substance and character.
In Rostand’s play and in both the 1950 and 1990 film adaptations, Cyrano dies after visiting Roxanne who had sequestered herself in a convent following the death of her lover in battle. In the last moments before he dies, the truth is known and Roxanne lives on knowing she lost the love of her life first in the person of Christian and again in the person of Cyrano. Thus, there is no clear resolution of the problem of deception and no opportunity to understand and to forgive; the emphasis is on sacrifice and nobility. Martin’s film offers resolution and the opportunity for each character to develop and to live by honest and ethical standards. His characters are credible and coherent and illuminate the painful movement from awkwardness to intimacy.
Background Information: Charlie, the protagonist of Roxanne, is, as his initials C.D.B., suggest, an allusion to the character of Cyrano de Bergerac, about whom Rostand based his 1897 play. The Cyrano of this play was fashioned after a real person, Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac (1619 - 1655), a French duelist and satirist who is credited with writing some of the earliest works of science fiction. De Bergerac was born in 1619 in Perigord, a province in southwest France. As a child he was the subject of ridicule by children due to his prominent nose. De Bergerac joined the French army and fought against the Spanish at Arras. He left the military in 1642 to study science and literature in Paris. Rostand’s play, referred to as a heroic comedy, was a huge success when produced in 1897 and, although important in academia ever since, was brought to the attention of modern audiences with the film adaptations done in 1950 and 1990. Considered a virtuoso play, one in which focus of character is paramount to story, Cyrano was easily adapted to the skills of actors Jose Ferrer in the earlier version and Jean Depardieu in the later production. Both films are excellent. Steve Martin’s performance in Roxanne replicates the virtuoso aspect of the original play; through his mastery of physical comedy and timing, he dominates the film. Martin also wrote the screenplay and served as the executive producer.
In a 1996 release of Audrey Wells’ film, The Truth about Cats and Dogs, the Cyrano story is again visited with a twist that may be of interest to students who want to look further into the ideas presented in Roxanne. Wells reverses the gender roles of the main characters and addresses the issues associated with the fears of being found unworthy as they affect women. The Cyrano or Charlie character in her film is a woman with weight problems whose best friend is a striking and slender beauty. Students might be encouraged to see this film and to report to the class the various ideas developed from notions introduced in Roxanne or in the earlier film versions of Cyrano de Bergerac.
Irony:
In Roxanne, both film adaptations of Cyrano de Bergerac and the play itself, irony is the dominant literary tool used to tell the story. There are three different types of irony. Each relates to a difference between what is perceived or expected and what occurs. The different types of irony are described below:
(1) Situational irony occurs when there is a difference between what happens and what we expect to happen or what we think should happen. An example of situational irony in fiction is contained in the story of the frog who, when kissed by the princess, becomes a handsome prince. We do not expect that kissing an ugly slimy thing that lives in a swamp and eats flies will bring forth a beautiful young man. In fiction, irony usually points to a theme or moral in the story. Situational irony is often used in comedy and satire because, when skillfully used, it quickly exposes the truth.
(2) In a work of fiction, dramatic irony occurs when an author creates a contrast between the reality perceived by one or more of the characters and what is known by the audience or the reader. This happens when the audience/reader has greater knowledge about present or future circumstances than the characters in the story. The classic example of dramatic irony is contained in Oedipus Rex. Oedipus kills a man who is a stranger to him and then meets and marries the dead man's widow. The audience knows that the dead man is Oedipus' father and that his new wife is his mother. Only later does Oedipus learn these facts, with tragic results. As with situational irony, dramatic irony usually points to a theme or moral lesson.
(3) An ironic statement is one in which there is a significant difference between what is said and what is meant. It occurs when the speaker doesn't intend to convey the literal meaning of the words used, but instead means something quite different. Often the meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning of the words. Ironic statements can be either "facetious" or "sarcastic". A facetious comment is one in which the point is to make a joke or a humorous reference. Sarcasm is used to taunt, insult, or cause pain. Facetious statements and sarcasm are often very similar. The identity of the speaker, the tone used, and the context can determine whether a statement is facetious or sarcastic. A person who likes a lot of sugar with their coffee might say, facetiously, "I like a little coffee with my sugar" as he pours an astounding amount of sugar into a cup of coffee. However, a person who wanted to taunt the coffee drinker would say, "You like a little coffee with your sugar, don't you."
Irony is central to the appeal of the story in Cyrano de Bergerac as well as in Roxanne. The dominant irony is that while Cyrano, and in the case of Roxanne, the character Charlie, is ugly on the outside, on the inside he has many admirable attributes including intelligence, humor, kindness, friendship and understanding.
Other examples of irony in the films are as follows:
· Christian, in contrast to Cyrano, and Chris, in contrast to Charlie, look beautiful but when they opens their mouth what comes out is far from beautiful.
· In the play and in the early film versions of Cyrano, Roxanne is attracted to Christian for his looks but comes to really love him because of the beautiful words and images written by Cyrano, a physically unattractive person. The same dynamic operates between Roxanne and Chris in Steve Martin’s comedy; Roxanne is attracted to Chris for his looks but comes to love him for the written and spoken words of Charlie.
· Cyrano and Charlie are confident in most situations but in regards to the most important thing in their lives, love for Roxanne, their fear of rejection prevents them from acting to attain their goal.
· Both Cyrano and Charlie insist that everyone else ignore their nose but thereby keep the consciousness of it in everyone's mind, nor can they forget it for a moment.
· Cyrano and Charlie exert considerable effort to make up for ugliness by wit and physical prowess yet they don’t even try for something that means more than anything else, i.e. Roxanne.
In Roxanne, there is a delightful tribute to the ironic content of the story: Martin asks Roxanne a question and she responds in the negative. He accepts her answer and later she tells him she was being ironic. He says that they have no irony in his town so he did not recognize it.
For a brief reading on the nature of drama that may be important for your students, depending upon their level of exposure to plays, click here. You may offer the information in a lecture or as a reading.
Use of Roxanne in the Classroom:
Prior to showing the film, select students to read aloud the parts of the play listed below. Take care to select students with the skills necessary to hold the attention of the class. Drama requires skilled readers.
Act I, Scene IV: In this scene, Cyrano is introduced. He comes into a playhouse and disrupts the performance with his insistence that the actor has no talent and thus has no right to be on stage. Cyrano bullies the performers and the audience. One man insults him by commenting on his nose and Cyrano replies with a series of jests that put to shame the witlessness of the man’s insult.
Act II, Scene VI: In this scene, Roxanne tells Cyrano that she loves a young recruit that will serve in his regiment. She asks Cyrano to protect the man. Cyrano is crushed, having expected that Roxanne would express interest in him.
Act II, Scene VIII: This scene, though not duplicated in Martins film, referred as his “No Thank You” speech, expresses Cyrano’s individualism. It is important to hear as it establishes Cyrano’s character. Martin’s film reveals character in other ways.
Act III, Scenes IV, V and V1: Here Cyrano is under the balcony, speaking the words that Chris cannot find to express his affection for Roxanne.
Act V, Scenes IV and V: Fourteen years after Christian dies in battle and after Cyrano has been wounded in an attempted murder, Roxanne and Cyrano meet in her convent and the truth is learned.
Once students have heard the scenes, they will be aware of the characters and conflicts that shape both the play as well as the film, Roxanne. They will know the contrasts in how the story ends in the play as opposed to the film.
Show Roxanne in its entirety. Ask the students to pay attention to the flow of the film and to try to find how Steve Martin has woven the scenes from the play that they had heard performed into his comedy.
After the film has ended, engage students in the following Discussion Questions, the first five of which pertain only to Roxanne.
1. What is it about the character of Charlie that allows the viewers to appreciate him in spite of his bullying and violence? Suggested response: Charlie’s heart comes through in scenes such as when he is on the roof with the boy who had been hurt by the teasing of other children. At the end of the film, when Roxanne seeks to resolve their problem, he is seen on the roof; now he is acting as the hurt boy, thus showing his sensitivity. Moreover, Charlie is admired by others, has a sense of humor and seems gentle in spite of his bravado. In an echo of his list of witty insults about the size of his nose, in one scene, he takes a parakeet out of its cage and allows it to perch on his nose, showing a soft and self-deprecating nature. Also, the film’s violence is comic in its presentation and thus not taken seriously. The tennis racket Charlie uses to beat the two athletes who had insulted him is a humorous echo of the saber used by Cyrano in the play and the films.
2. Why does Charlie go along with the deception that enables Chris to have an intimate relationship with Roxanne and what does this say about his moral code? Suggested response: Charlie feels deep affection for Roxanne and wants her to be happy. He has no confidence that Roxanne would ever love him. The deception shows that he is willing to sacrifice the principle of honesty in order to make her happy.