Image © 20th Century Studios
Kelvin Harrison Jr. in 'Chevalier'
Kelvin Harrison Jr. in 'Chevalier'
American slaveholders didn’t give theirs name to any sons they may have conceived with any enslaved women. And although the first casualty of the American Revolution was Black, many Blacks fought with the British to gain their freedom from American slaveholders. France was a different story. As seen in the fact-derived Chevalier, Joseph Bologne, the “free Creole” son of a French planter in the West Indies and his wife’s African maid, was presented at the court of Versailles where he associated with the aristocracy and became the first European classical composer with African ancestry.
Chevalier’s screenplay might have been more interesting had it explored the nuances of being Creole in the Francophone world, and the circumstances of Africans in France on the eve of the Revolution. If anything, Bologne’s range of skills (which drew admiration from future U.S. President John Adams) are short-sold and might have been ample material for a series rather than a feature film. As it is, director Stephen Williams sheds light on a composer who—until recently—was seldom granted even a footnote in the chronicles of classical music and opera. He’s surely a fascinating figure, but like most Hollywood biographical pictures, Chevalier shrinks life to a three-act drama.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. gives a smooth performance as the adult Bologne. The boy was given sound advice by his French father when enrolling him at a private school in Paris: “You must be excellent. Do not give anyone any reason to tear you down.” It’s the old story familiar to successful African Americans. To succeed, you must be twice as good as everyone else. Chevalier reflects many known facts of Bologne’s life as it moves swiftly from adolescence through his peak as the toast of French society. He was a fencing champion, was knighted and became a regular at fancy balls glittering in the light of a hundred candles. He really did hope to direct the Paris Opera and was passed over because of his complexion (or did he make enemies—or both?). And yet, he was concertmaster of several orchestras, and his compositions were performed—biographical highpoints glossed over by Chevalier in favor of a (rumored) dangerous liaison with Marquise Marie-Josephine (Samara Weaving), reinvented here as a proto-feminist.
Chevalier offers two morals, both delivered by Bologne’s mother, Nanon (Ronke Adekoluejo), who in this account was freed after his father’s death and sent to Paris from Guadeloupe. First: pride comes before the fall. In Chevalier, Bologne displays unrealistic self-confidence that his talent will win all battles (even against well connected foes). Second: be true to your African roots. In one scene, he comes across a djembe and begins slapping the skin with his palms, discovering polyrhythms within minutes.
In the film and in reality, Bologne was inspired by the French Revolution’s motto: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. He lived long enough to witness the way revolutions are often consumed by the revolutionaries.
Chevalier is screening at Marcus South Shore Cinema, Landmark Downer Theater, Marcus Ridge Cinema, Silverspot Cinema, Marcus Majestic Cinema, Marcus Menomonee Falls Cinema and Marcus Gurnee Mills Cinema.
