One of the big acquisitions out of TIFF last year was Stephen Williams’ Chevalier, which stars Kelvin Harrison Jr. as mixed-race composer Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges and his rise to the top in the waning days of the original kingdom of France. You know, before they brought out all the guillotines and that whole “Reign of Terror” started up. Harrison’s a hell of a talent, this story is fascinating, and we’re all about trying to recapture those Amadeus vibes for a new generation. The only thing we’re concerned about is whether or not Falco’s memory will be invoked, and based on this new teaser, we’re betting against it. But, hey, we’ll always have “Rock Me Amadeus.”
Here’s a brief new teaser:
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And here’s the new remix of one of Bologne’s classic pieces, with a fun little “visualizer” video to go along with it:
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As always, here’s a synopsis:
“[‘Chevalier is] [i]nspired by the incredible true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr. in a tour de force performance) rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer, complete with an ill-fated love affair and a falling out with Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) and her court.”
Chevalier hits theaters on April 21. If you’re interested in other, similar stories from (roughly) the same period, we highly recommend you check out Tom Reiss’s The Black Count, which is a really stirring work of historical nonfiction. It tells the tale of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a mixed-race general in Napolean’s army who would later father the Alexandre Dumas. You know, the guy who wrote The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, who lived a life as adventurous and exciting as one of his son’s novels. It’s a hell of a read, and a number of filmmakers have tried to bring the story to the screen over the last decade, but none have succeeded yet. But let’s hope Chevalier starts a new trend.