Cyrano de Bergerac, based on the ancient story of Cyrano de Bergerac, is attempting to introduce the classic to a new audience through a modern musical twist. Cyrano, based on the Broadway musical of the same name, stars Peter Dinklage as the titular character, a gifted duelist and brilliant writer who is only kept down by his severely low self-esteem. It’s a typical underdog story in which social outcasts seek acceptance from society before understanding they must first accept themselves. This type of plot is also popular in musicals, so it’s only natural that the latest rendition of Cyrano’s legend would follow suit. If you like Cyrano, then perhaps these seven best historical musical films will keep you entertained.
1. Les Miserables (2012)
Director- Tom Hooper
‘Les Miserables’ is based on Victor Hugo’s novel. It follows prisoner-on-parole 24601 Jean Valjean as he flees the merciless Inspector Javert on a voyage beyond the barricades. In the heart of the June Rebellion. Meanwhile, a working-class girl with a child’s life turns upside down. When she turns to prostitution to pay the nasty innkeeper and his wife who look after her child, Cosette. Valjean’s commitment to look after the child leads to a love triangle including Cosette, Marius, a student of the rebellion, and Eponine, a street girl. The crowd erupts in song, and Enjolras leads the students to the barricades to fight.
2. Rocketman (2019)
Director- Dexter Fletcher
Elton John is a young Reginald Dwight, changes his name to Elton John. He teams up with singer-songwriter Bernie Taupin to become one of pop music’s most recognisable figures. It’s the epic musical biography of Elton John, his breakout years in the 1970s. Along with his fanciful journey from bashful piano prodigy to international superstar, set to his most adored songs.
3. The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Director- Joel Schumacher
Lefevre, the manager of the Opera Populaire, is stepping down. Andre and Firmin, his successors, take over the opera, bringing with them their new patron, the Vicomte Raoul de Changy. The opera hosts a gala to commemorate their new managers, but the main diva refuses to sing since the mysterious ‘Opera Ghost’. It is determine to have the shouting diva go. Without a diva, Andre and Firmin are determine to find a new leading woman, so they enlist the help of Christine Daae, a young chorus singer who has been studying with a mysterious instructor. Christine’s old childhood sweetheart, Raoul, spots her after her triumphant gala performance and want to re-introduce her into his life. Christine’s mysterious tutor, however, suddenly appears in front of her.
4. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Director(s)- Kirk Wise, Gary Tousdale
Clopin the puppeteer relates the narrative of Quasimodo, the disfigured but gentle-souled bell ringer of Notre Dame who was nearly killed as a child by Claude Frollo, the Minister of Justice, in 15th-century Paris. The Archdeacon of Notre Dame, however, forced Frollo to raise Quasimodo as his own. Quasimodo, now a young man, is kept from the world in the cathedral’s belltower by Frollo. But, encouraged by his gargoyle pals Victor, Hugo, and Laverne, Quasimodo decides to attend the Festival of Fools, where he meets the gorgeous gypsy girl Esmeralda and the handsome soldier Phoebus. The three of them are pitted against Frollo’s harshness and his attempts to destroy the Court of Miracles, the gipsies’ home. And Quasimodo must urgently protect Esmeralda as well as Notre Dame Cathedral itself.
5. My Fair Lady (1964)
Director- George Cukor
Professor Henry Higgins (Sir Rex Harrison) takes a wager from Colonel Hugh Pickering (Wilford Hyde-White) that he can turn unrefined, unclean Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) into a lady and deceive everyone into thinking she is one, too. As a result, Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Jeremy Brett), a young aristocrat, falls madly in love with her. Eliza angrily leaves Higgins for Freddy after Higgins takes all of the credit and forgets to appreciate her efforts. Higgins suddenly realises he’s become addict to her face and can’t live without it.
6. Hamilton (2020)
Director- Thomas Kail
Hamilton tells the story of America then and now. “Hamilton” has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and turned it into a revolutionary moment in theater—a musical that has had a significant impact on society, politics, and education—with a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and show tunes. This historical musical film, which was shot in June 2016 at the Richard Rodgers Theater on Broadway, brings viewers inside the world of the Broadway production in a unique way.
7. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Director- Bad Luhrmann
Christian, a young English writer, arrives in Paris in 1899 to see the Bohemian revolution sweeping the city’s drug and prostitute-infested underworld. The thrill of the underworld is alive and well at the Moulin Rouge, a nightclub where the rich and the poor alike flock to be in captivation by the dancers. However, things take a terrible turn for Christian when he begins a lethal love affair with the club’s top prostitute, Satine. However, the Duke, the club’s sponsor, is enamoured with her. A perilous love triangle develops as Satine and Christian struggle against all difficulties to stay together, but a force that no amount of love can overcome is taking its toll on Satine.
