The opening scene of Chevalier sums up the whole approach of the new biopic. A young and arrogant Mozart was playing to an enthusiastic audience when the voice of an up-and-coming composer named Joseph Bologne came up from the audience. He asks if he can take the stage, prompting a captivating violin showdown (think rap battle, but you need a wig and strings) in which he emerges as the clear winner. What was Mozart’s reaction? “Who the hell are you?” The film cuts to Chevalier’s title card.
It’s a killer opening, one that boldly warns viewers that this isn’t your typical period piece. Another motive is hidden in Chevalier. It is to introduce one of the greatest and forgotten composers of all time.
When lead actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. asked GamesRadar+ about the shocking opening scene, he explained, “This guy was with Mozart.” “Everyone knows Mozart, everyone loves Mozart, and thinks he is a legend. I’m afraid of . I think it’s a great way to introduce a character and objectively rethink what he represented at the time. ”
It’s also full of rockstar energy, which is no surprise, given that it was inspired by a real-life moment between Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Bringing this element into the Bologne character was key for Harrison Jr. A drama about a man who fell in love with a girl. “It’s not funny, but this is firecrackers. This guy is wild, he’s sleeping with everyone, he’s talking to everyone, he’s disturbing everyone’s peace. He’s just chaotic and messy. Ultimate is a character of
In fact, the true story of Bologne and how he got to the Order of Saint-Georges, a title similar to a knightly title, is interesting. Born the illegitimate child of an African slave and a French planter, he was taken from his mother at an early age and sent to a prestigious and intolerant French academy, where he learned the arts of violin, composition and fencing. polished to perfection. After catching the eye of none other than Marie Antoinette, he plunges into French society, a society that seeks to rob him of what it can take from him at all costs.
practice makes perfect
Harrison Jr. has an indie career with “Ruth” and “Waves,” followed by roles like Christian in “Cyrano” and BB King in “Elvis.” . And once again, with a little help from his father, a classical music teacher, music became his entry point into Chevalier. “At first I was just going to do some research, so I called my dad and he said, ‘Okay, Kel, you’ve done so much research, and you don’t even know his music, and this guy is really great.’ “There’s an intimate moment there because of his music,” he explains. “So as soon as I got back I listened to the music and listened non-stop. I just kept playing and talking about it with his dad and stuff like that.”
From there he had to acquire the physical skills to become a musician to rival Mozart and a highly regarded fencer. Explaining the process, Harrison Jr. said he spent five months learning these six hours a day, seven days a week. That was before filming began, and he had a ten-hour shoot day, followed by two more hours of fencing and playing the violin.
“People used to tell me I wasn’t relaxing enough,” he recalls. “But that’s not the case when you’re dealing with Joseph. I really want to show you respect and do it right. If you can’t play the violin and you can’t believe he’s actually a virtuoso, you is not a virtuoso.” So I wanted to get as close as possible to a great man like him. ”
He credits the beautiful composition of Michael Abels, who worked with Bridgerton’s Chris Bowers, on it. “Look, can we play something other than these songs? No,” Harrison Jr. laughed.
However, don’t expect to see him pick up his instrument again any time soon: “Since leaving Prague [where the movie was shot], I gave up the violin. I was like, ‘I’m done’. It’s time to go to the next job. ’ Joseph is a stressful character to spend time with. So, especially when you’re my age, I’ve been trying to practice as an actor. [to let go]. It starts to get a little traumatic. I thought, ‘I have to stop doing that, I have a real life’. ”
let them eat cake
Even for Harrison Jr.’s co-star Lucy Boynton, who plays Marie Antoinette in the film, the process of becoming a real person has become very familiar. The Bohemian Rhapsody actor told GamesRadar+ that he was actually hesitant to take the role because he knew a lot about the oft-depicted monarch.
“Before I read the script, I wondered if I needed to hear a voice like hers now,” she explains. “But then I was really surprised by the script and a whole different side of her that I haven’t explored much before, especially in the context of this relationship.”
In the film, Antoinette is Bologne’s leader and draws Bologne into the struggles of French high society. “It was a lot of fun doing that scene because it starts in a really beautiful place,” Boynton says of the dynamic. “I think there’s definitely an element of an alliance of convenience there. She wants to be by his side because he’s so talented and so attractive that she wants to add to her reputation.” because she wants to be seen with him next to her.”
As Chevalier’s career grows, their relationship sours, which leads to some of the most painful moments in the film. ”[Joseph] “He’s our hero in this movie, he’s so good, he’s so worthy of the audience’s respect,” Boynton explained, adding, “That’s why I think this very hero deserves to fight the ultimate hero.” I wanted to create a dark villain who is both equal and opposite.”
“I wanted to push the film into a really bad, poisonous, dark place,” the actor continues. “And a lot of her rhetoric at the end of the movie is really modern, very familiar, and we hear it a lot.”
Boynton also believes that’s not the only modern relevance he’s gotten from participating in the project. For her, the film is a “strong reminder that history has had such an idiosyncratic author.”
“When I started researching for this, I realized that I had heard of Joseph Bologne. I had never heard his name. I’ve heard of it. It is a very effective way to erase “it is to celebrate someone’s identity by attributing it to a male or white counterpart. This truly challenges the history presented.” And I think it’s a reminder to challenge those who have been hailed as the only greats.” Indeed, hopefully Chevalier will take some steps to correct those mistakes.
Chevalier opens in UK cinemas from 9 June. For upcoming movies, see our 2023 movie release date breakdown.
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