Film review: ‘Chevalier’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’

Historical drama Chevalier is a mostly stylish mix of racial politics, romance, music and revolution.  The film is based on the true story of 18th Century French composer Joseph Bologne, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner who, having displayed a remarkable talent for music, particularly the violin, is enrolled at a Paris conservatory. There, despite the efforts of racist classmates, he emerges a consummate French gentleman, equally capable of writing exquisite poetry, composing symphonies and trouncing upstarts in a sword fight.  His prowess with both violin bow and blade earns him the attention of women throughout French society but particularly Queen Marie Antoinette.  She anoints him with the new title of Chevalier or knight, a gig that comes with perks like a swish apartment and access to the 18th century equivalent of Led Zeppelin backstage parties. Feeling the world is at his feet, he attempts to take the mantle of Director of the Paris Opera but is starkly reminded of the treachery lurking beneath the surface of this privileged world and the fact that, for someone like him, acceptance is often a mirage.

According to the film, Napoleon destroyed Joseph Bologne’s compositions and much of the evidence of his history so the filmmakers had only fragments of surviving evidence about Chevalier’s life. Consequently, it’s a little hard to say how much of this story is real but apparently increasing historical evidence is being unearthed that shows that he was a pretty remarkable character.

Kelvin Harrison Jr (who played B.B. King in Elvis and Christian in Cyrano, which this film occasionally resembles) does a fine job of portraying Chevalier.  At first showing him to be vain and brash, he steadily draws us into the character, revealing a mix of painful uncertainty and desperate determination.  Amid some strong supporting performances, Lucy Boynton stands out as Marie Antoinette.  She plays her very differently to Kirsten Dunst’s relatively innocent and ebullient French Queen.  Boynton’s Marie is a clever and at times manipulative power player but one who’s forced to recognise the limitations of her authority.  Samara Weaving is also memorable as would-be singer, Marie-Josephine de Montalember who, according to the film, was Chevalier’s secret lover.

The film mostly engages as a personal drama and also provides a fascinating insight into the way in which a person of colour was treated in the unusual environment of the revolution-era French court.  Still, the film has some gnawing issues.  It’s limited visually with most of it taking place at aristocratic soirées or in Chevalier’s apartment.  Also, some of the CGI backdrops of Paris aren’t entirely convincing and its depiction of the French Revolution, as it erupts in the streets, lacks the epic scale such a monumental event requires.

Some might also be taken aback by the film’s deliberate anachronisms, especially people using contemporary speech; at one point Mozart drops the F-bomb. This approach makes sense, though, given the subject matter, as it seems to be a way for the film to remind us that racism, political corruption and elitist power structures are still as prevalent today as in 18th Century Paris.

Understandably, there’s some fine classical music in this film as Chevalier showcases his prodigious talents, at one point peeling off the violin equivalent of a ‘widdly-diddly’ heavy metal guitar solo.

It’s not quite the Barry Lyndon-esque powdered wig extravaganza it might have been but Chevalier is still a compelling look at a remarkable historical figure.

Nick’s rating: ***1/2

Genre: Drama/ Historical/ Biopic.

Classification: M.

Director(s): Stephen Williams.

Release date: 3rd Aug 2023.

Running time: 104 mins.

Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm on 88.3 Southern FM.

 

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