“Chevalier” (2023) is a costume drama biopic about composer Joseph Bologne (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.), Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the child of an owner of a Guadalupe plantation and enslaved black woman, as he discovers the obstacles to his talent-fueled rise in French society during the events leading to the French Revolution. Chevalier is a French word for knight, which the protagonist became after winning a fencing tournament. Jamaican-Canadian Stephen Williams directed, and African American Stefani Robinson wrote the screenplay.
I planned to see “Chevalier” when it was still in production, and I was fortunate enough to get the assignment. The filmmakers project contemporary Black experiences on to Bologne instead of telling his actual story to make him and the era more relatable to viewers. The film serves two purposes: to make viewers want to learn more about the historical figure and to tell an every Black person experience of navigating challenges in a white majority country. It is an anachronistic modern story of what is it like to be black, told that merit can trump racism and discover that it is a lie. The celluloid Bologne goes on a journey from assimilation, betrayal, defeat to embracing his nuanced identity and becoming a revolutionary.
Because the historical figure’s story is not widely known, “Chevalier” can take more liberties with his story, but I found it hard to believe that a man who could have been enslaved would be too shocked that racism held him back. The anachronistic narrative’s main flaw is keeping the protagonist at arm’s length too long by adopting the view of an outsider, focusing on his public persona and waiting to show a more intimate, behind-the-scenes depiction closer to the middle and end. The first half of the film is about how others see him: as a savage threat to French society or the boastful best who wins every duel. The film rushes through his childhood in a few minutes and diverges from history. His father did take him to a school, but his paternal uncle watched over him, and two years later, his parents subsequently came to Paris, and they lived together in Paris. Considering his mother, Nanon, was treated as property, I won’t say that they lived as a family, but he was not as alone as the film depicts. Instead the film depicts a young black man alone adapting to society and excelling by its rules as a way to survive. Bologne is framed as an unbeatable fighter with the bow or the sword.
Bologne becomes a more approachable figure as he sets his sights on becoming the director of the Paris Opera and casting married singer Marie-Josephine (Samara Weaving) in his opera. I am not into romance, but the film gains momentum as the film shows Bologne’s private side, and it is the most historically accurate part of the film. Marie-Josephine becomes the personification of pre-revolutionary women eager for autonomy, and they find common ground over their frustrations that they cannot live as they wish because of society’s limitations over race and gender. It is the zenith of Bologne’s story before he finally begins to experience defeat.
“Chevalier” uses conventional tropes and emotional beats to tell the story. The bad guys are the traditional mean popular girl and masculine bully. La Guimard (Minnie Driver), a popular opera singer seeks revenge by thwarting their ambition for Bologne’s rejection of her advances-a historically accurate plot device. Poor Marie-Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) gets to get blamed again post-mortem for the state of society when she turns from popular girl bestie to disloyal friend just looking out for herself, a bejeweled Miss Millie. In real life, Bologne continued to privately work for the Queen. The king gets glimpsed once and never gets seen again. I do not even remember him getting a single line. The bad guy is a military guy, Montalembert (Marton Csokas, who is on every casting agent’s speed dial as villain), who was bad in real life, but it is unclear if he was as racist, sexist and fascist as the film portrayed him to be or the standard jilted husband of the day. The revolutionary denouement manipulates well, but not subtlety as black and white people chant “Egalite” to turn away all the baddies, who skulk away impotently instead of wreaking more havoc on the protagonist’s life. I found it emotionally stirring as a moviegoer, but as a thinker, it was so over the top that I could not allow myself to get swept away. It is a much-needed image because real life does not provide such inspirational moments. Despite being a colonel in the military after the revolution, the government imprisoned Bologne for not doing enough during the revolution. Regardless of his support for either government, the government never reciprocated his unflagging devotion.
The acting is phenomenal. Harrison has a broad range and is a bit of chameleon as he disappears into every role. He was more restrained as the composer than the supporting cast, but was convincing as a swordsman and violinist. Weaving delivers her best performance as she makes the most of an opportunity to show a more sensitive, poignant character than her usual action and horror fare. It probably helped that she has brown hair because with blonde, she gets limited to discount Margot Robbie fare.
Ronke Adekoluejo as Nanon, Bologne’s mother, steals the spotlight and gives an emotional backbone to “Chevalier” missing in most of the film. Initially she is at the edges of the storyline when her son avoids her and is running off to less fascinating company. After society rejects Bologne, and Bologne hits rock bottom, his mother becomes the cornerstone of Bologne’s recovery from despondence, and Adekoluejo gets more screentime. I loved when Adekoluejo threw in that Nigerian “eh hen” Also I loved how the film kept track of her gradual glow up after she gets her freedom, and her social life kept getting richer. I wanted more focus on black society during that period, but it is just a rousing fraction of the film.
After Nanon, I enjoyed getting a glimpse of Stephanie Felicite, Comtesse de Genlis, Marie-Josephine’s cousin, billed Madame De Genlis (Sian Clifford). It felt like the most modern part of the film as a busy writer eating out, conducting producer business, and seeming independent from the constrains of her husband (at least on screen)
“Chevalier” is a gorgeous film. The production and costume design are perfect and sumptuous. The beautiful editing and cinematography, particularly the dynamic camerawork, brings the period to life. Williams excels at transitions and time lapses and contrasting the haves’ environments with the greys of the people’s streets. The camera is like another character wandering through each scene and exploring the space. If I had a pet peeve about the film, it is casting French characters with mostly British and Americans actors, and everyone has British accents.
Overall, “Chevalier” is a solid though conventional film, and it will get all viewers interested in learning more about the historical figure. If you enjoy period films, check it out.
