The true untold story.|Apr. 20, 2023|Czech Republic|107 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Drama;History;Music
Description: “Chevalier” is a 2022 American biographical drama film directed by Stephen Williams and written by Stefani Robinson. The movie tells the story of Joseph Bologne, also known as Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a talented French-Caribbean musician portrayed by Kelvin Harrison Jr. The cast includes Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Marton Csokas, Alex Fitzalan, and Minnie Driver.
The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2022, and was released in the United States on April 21, 2023, by Searchlight Pictures. Critics responded positively to the movie. Joseph Bologne was born on December 25, 1745, in Guadeloupe to an enslaved Afro mother and her Caucasian owner. His father sent him to a boarding school in Paris, where he excelled in violin, composition, and fencing.
As an adult, he presented himself at the court of French Queen Marie-Antoinette, who was so impressed that she knighted him as Chevalier de Saint-Georges. He enjoyed a life of privilege amid the extravagance of French royalty. However, his race and personal choices made him enemies, leading to his downfall. His knighthood was revoked, and he faced exclusion from opportunities like becoming the maestro of the Paris Opera.
As political unrest grew in France, with poverty and royal excesses fueling discontent, Saint-Georges shifted his allegiance from the elite to the revolutionary cause. The film explores his journey from grace to rebellion during the tumultuous period leading to the storming of the Bastille.
The project began on June 30, 2020, when Searchlight Pictures acquired Stefani Robinson’s pitch for the biopic, with Stephen Williams as the director. Kelvin Harrison Jr. was cast as the lead on March 31, 2021, followed by Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Minnie Driver, and Alex Fitzalan. Filming started on September 7, 2021, in Prague, Czech Republic, and concluded in November 2021.
“Chevalier” offers a compelling portrayal of a remarkable yet overlooked historical figure, blending music, ambition, and revolution.
Cast director: Richard L. Fox
Cast actor: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Alex Fitzalan, Minnie Driver, Sian Clifford, Marton Csokas, Alec Newman, Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, Jessica Boone
Original name: Chevalier