By: Kimberly Grant
Every now and then, a movie comes along that isn’t just about entertainment. Some movies are meant to inspire. Meant to make you think. Meant to highlight important, yet forgotten figures in history. One recent such historically biographical film is simply titled Chevalier.
Chevalier will be in theaters nationwide on April 21. It was an official selection at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.
Written History
Written by Stefani Robinson and directed by Stephen Williams, Chevalier gives viewers a glimpse into the life of a black man who was a master of multiple crafts, including being a champion fencer, a virtuoso violinist, and prolific composer. (He was a triple threat.) As you can imagine with any gifted black man, Joseph’s talents made the people of 18th Century France’s aristocracy love and hate him with the same energy.
Born Joseph Bologne (played by Kelvin Harrison, Jr.), he was the illegitimate son of a French nobleman and a slave woman of a plantation in Guadeloupe, which was a French colony in the 17th and 18th Centuries. At a young age, Joseph was taken from his mother and sent to a school for gifted European children of the aristocracy. As a mulatto, Joseph’s classmates hated him and showed their violent displeasure every chance they got. This only served to spur Joseph to be better and bolder in his pursuits.
These pursuits led to him being beloved by Queen Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton). She bestowed the title of Chevalier de Saint-Georges on Joseph because he was so prolific. To give you a hint at his talents, the film starts with Joseph boldly getting into a battle of expertise with Wolfgang Mozart.
Acting History
Harrison as the titular character brings graceful vulnerability to the role. His character is forced to remain strong despite the blatant adversity, yet he manages to show emotional depth in the face of insurmountable odds. We need more of him on the big screen. In the directing category, Williams (my Yardie brethren) directs a film that sparks a dialogue about race and the place of Africans in history. Despite slavery and systemic racism, they have proven to be a resilient people.
In Chevalier, Africans are people who have maintained their humanity and still managed to be masterful in their talents. Not only do we need more of Harrison, but we need more films like Chevalier.
The Revolution Will Be Televised
Without ruining the movie, let’s just say this film leads to a violent end. While Lord Chevalier is rising in the ranks of high French society despite the color of his skin, the French Revolution that began in 1789 is in its infancy. This Revolution is perpetrated by the French people against their queen. Remember, she famously said about her starving people, “Let them eat cake” instead of doing something about it.
Like the Blacks in the American Civil War, the Africans of Paris couldn’t help but get involved in the war sparked by the French Revolution. They were suffering along with their white counterparts. In fact, Lord Chevalier is part of the spark that lit the fuse to start the Revolution, which history states was the catalyst to Marie Antoinette losing her head.
Social Commentary
Living in a state where books about race and women’s rights are being banned in schools, it’s refreshing to watch a film that doesn’t flinch from putting a face to pure racism. In this film, the Africans roam Paris in the 18th century when their counterparts in other regions were in chains. That’s not to say that they were wrong for getting and enjoying their freedom. Quite the opposite. The taste of freedom was enough to empower them to dare to dream, like Lord Chevalier did.
Granted, Lord Chevalier could never marry. He wasn’t allowed to date a white woman of his same status. He would lose his title if he ever married a black woman. And, he wasn’t allowed to inherit his father’s wealth. So much of his life was charmed yet ruined by the racist laws that kept him from excelling too far ahead. Sound familiar? No wonder the French people decided to change their entire political system.
Yet, taking baby steps toward change includes starting a meaningful dialogue. In honor of Ron DeSantis’ politics, here are some prompts to start a conversation about the history of racism against Africans and the Diaspora:
- How did slavery start?
- Why were the Africans enslaved for 400 years?
- What laws were put in place to keep people of African descent from excelling in any industry, which also kept them from improving their social status? (Note: This is a major component of systemic racism.)
- Were there Africans who managed to have aristocratic titles during the time period of slavery?
Historical Take Away
Since we can’t learn about racism in school, then we can definitely learn about real history in the movie theaters. If you’re wondering, the film is rated PG-13, so you can feel free to take your teenagers to see this historical film. No matter what Governor DeSantis tries to block, the revolution will indeed be televised.
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