Chevalier review: A surprising and warm period biopic
Biographies of famous faces are great, but some of the most affecting biopics in cinema have been about people who were not household names beforehand. After watching Chevalier, you may have a new name to research.
The film is the true story of Joseph Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr), born in 1745 to an enslaved mother and a white slave owner father. Despite the stark racial prejudice of the time, Bologne is enrolled in a private school in Paris, and eventually his musical talent takes him to the court of Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) who knights him Chevalier de Saint Georges. Despite his prowess as a composer, he is thwarted from professional and personal happiness.
Directed by Stephen Williams (TV’s Watchmen), the film has the laudable aim of introducing you to a musical genius hidden from history. Bologne’s work was prohibited and kept from the history books, only being pieced together in recent decades and considered a notable example of whitewashing history. As such, the film has a lot on its plate, exploring not only the man and his abilities but his personal life, attitudes toward race at the time, and the political climate that led to the French Revolution. It feels impossible to cover everything in two hours, but while the story can feel dense it is always compelling. Williams takes the viewer inside the opera houses and halls of power, making sure every micro-aggression and barely-disguised slight is heard.
Visually stylish, he provides a stunning stage for the excellent cast to shine. Those who have seen Harrison in his breakthrough drama Luce, or biopics Elvis and The Trial of The Chicago Seven, won’t be surprised to hear that he is the best thing about the film. Filled with the fire of someone who has had to fight for every step gained, he faces excruciating confrontations with grace and gives a glimpse of what it is to survive in such times. He has magnetic chemistry with Samara Weaving, who plays a white actress he falls in love with. One scene, where the pair discuss what marriage means to them, is absolutely heart-breaking. In support, Minnie Driver and Marton Csokas are deeply affecting as society figures intent on holding Bologne back.
Chevalier could have delved deeper into the many facets of its subject’s life, but incredible performances and stylish direction ensure it’s an illuminating tribute to a talent suppressed by hate.