Chevalier

Centred on a magnetic performance from Kelvin Harrison Jr., this sumptuous biopic brings to the fore the life of virtuoso violinist Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the Black French composer whose talent is finally being recognised in the classical music world

Words: Carmen Paddock

The life of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges is a dream for cinema. Born in Guadeloupe in 1745 to a noble French father and an enslaved Senegalese woman, he was taken to France at the age of seven to complete a military education. He was a great swordsman; he famously defeated a racist fencing master in a duel that was seen as a coup for France’s burgeoning anti-slavery movement (and earned a horse and carriage as a reward from his proud father). But it’s Bologne’s extraordinary skill on the violin that won him the most acclaim. His compositions were performed at the city’s most prestigious venues, including the Paris Opera, but with several opportunities curtailed due to his race, he cut ties with the court and threw his weight behind the French Revolution’s message of liberty and equality.

Director: Stephen Williams

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr, Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton

There are still many gaps in this history. Bologne’s death certificate was lost in a fire. The French Revolution put a damper on the country’s musical and operatic scene for several decades, allowing the work of his contemporaries in Vienna (Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven) to eclipse Bologne’s contributions to the era. Most damningly, as the end titles of the lush and loving biopic Chevalier explain, Napoleon Bonaparte reinstated slavery following the Revolution and outlawed performances of Bologne’s works, resulting in many of his manuscripts being destroyed and lost. Bologne’s music is slowly re-entering the classical canon, and this vibrant new film from director Stephen Williams – replete with splendid period detail – arrives at the perfect time to continue this exploration.

The charismatic Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Bologne as a man who’s incredibly sure of himself – and deservedly so. His skill and charm seem to open every door. He sits in Marie Antoinette’s (Lucy Boynton) box at the opera and sweet-talks Marie Josephine (Samara Weaving), the wife of a gruff officer, into starring in his opera. His charisma will only get him so far, however. As the opening title card reveals, France is about to change forever, and each achievement and setback in Bologne’s life is going to be met and matched by the oncoming political storm.

Not every element of Bologne’s fascinating life has made it into Chevalier – for example, he went on to lead the French Revolution’s first all-Black regiment – but what is here is a sweeping portrait of a mercurial artist trapped in limiting times. Some incidents invented for the film, meanwhile, provide fantastic drama. While Mozart and Bologne lived under the same roof for a short while, there is no record of one crashing the other’s recital for a high-spirited violin showdown.

Kris Bowers’ score wonderfully complements the compositions in the film by Bologne and his contemporaries Gluck and Mozart, fitting the mood and era perfectly while allowing the period music to still take centre stage. It’s a similar story with Stefani Robinson’s script, which juxtaposes ‘modern’ ways of thinking and talking within the reconstructed pre-Revolution setting, allowing concepts of racial justice and female autonomy to be introduced in a world far removed from the 21st century.

Arriving at a time when Bologne is experiencing a resurgence in the classical music world, Chevalier is a gorgeous introduction to a remarkable man.

Chevalier is released 9 Jun by Disney

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