Chevalier is a 2022 American biographical drama film directed by Stephen Williams and written by Stefani Robinson starring Kelvin Harrison, Samara Weaving, Lucy Bonyton, Marton Csokas, Alex Fuzalan and Minnie Driver as the main leads.
This movie is a robust tale about a young and beautiful Black musician named Joseph Bologne born on the island of Guadeloupe to a white plantation- owner and an enslaved Senegalese woman. He rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer, fencer, complete with an ill-fated love affair and in a falling out with the French Queen Marie Antoinette and her court where she knighted him Chevalier de Saint Georges. His accomplishments won him acclaim, romantic popularity and the chance of being maestro of the Paris Opera.
Released on 11 September 2022 at the Toronto International Film Festival and on 21 April 2023 in the United States of America and Canada. The film arrives in the UK and Ireland on 9 June 2023. Chevalier was a big hit on the big screens. With an IMDb rating of 6.8/10, Chevalier's OTT release date is 16 June 2023 on Disney+Hotstar.
Is Chevalier a true story?
But the question that the audience put forward after watching the film was - "Is this a true story?" Well the answer is Yes. Chevalier is a true story about the life of Joseph Bologne, popularly known as Chevalier de Saint-George. He was born on 25 December 1745 and died on 9 June 1799.
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Early Life and Career-
He was a French champion fencer, violinist and composer. A Creole free man of colour, he is the earliest European musician/composer of African descent to receive widespread critical acclaim. He published numerous string quartets, sonatas, symphonies, and stage works. In 1776, Saint-Georges was proposed as the next conductor of the Paris Opera but was subsequently denied this role because he was a person of colour. Around this time, his work as a composer began to focus primarily on the creation of operas.
Death-
Following the 1789 outbreak of the French Revolution, and approaching 45 years of age, Saint-Georges left for England. Back in France he served as a colonel of the Légion St.-Georges, established in 1792 which comprised "citizens of colour". After the defection of Charles François Dumouriez and execution of Jacques Pierre Brissot and the Duke of Orléans he became a victim of the Reign of Terror and was imprisoned for at least 11 months. With the dissolution of the Légion, and the loss of his military position, he enjoyed the cafes, shops and theatres around the Palais-Royal. He died in the Marais at a friend's house on 9 June1799.