The riveting story of a musician and fencer whose remarkable life is full of important career achievements, controversies, and an unpleasant love affair that would eventually result in heartache and loss is told in the historical drama Chevalier, which was inspired by the true story of Joseph Bologne. Chevalier follows the story of a man whose life was filled with great career advancements, controversy, and an affair that would eventually result in heartbreak and loss. The film production firm, Searchlight Pictures, will bring one of its critically acclaimed films to the convenience of everyone’s home on June 16 through digital distribution. The picture will be released on various streaming platforms like Prime Video, Vudu, and Apple TV+. Searchlight Pictures will distribute the film.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. stars as Joseph Bologne, the first well-known Black classical pianist, in the biopic Chevalier. Bologne was the illegitimate son of a wealthy French plantation owner and an African slave. The film is based on a factual story that is not very widely known. He spent the initial years of his life developing his fencing abilities, which led to him becoming a knight, also known as a chevalier, and giving him a better standing in French society. He spent the later years of his life teaching fencing to others.
The musician of mixed race, better known by the name Chevalier de Saint-Georges, amassed a fortune for himself purely due to his talents in playing instruments and fencing. Even though he was able to lead many different orchestras, his musical career was plagued by ups and downs due to the prejudice that permeated the time. Some people even petitioned the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton), to have him removed from her court.
Marie-Joséphine de Comarieu, played by Samara Weaving, was married to a military commander, but the musician couldn’t help but fall in love with her. However, their love story is cut short when the husband discovers everything, leading to the murder of Marie-Josephine’s child, who turns out to be Bologne’s child the whole time. This ended their love tale. During the French Revolution, he joined the Army of the Revolution, and although his romantic life was a disaster, he was ultimately successful. However, this ended when his relationship with the French royal family came into doubt, preventing him from performing his music. After his death, a significant portion of his work was obliterated, as if preventing him from performing his music wasn’t already terrible enough.
Film reviewers have praised the film since it was presented at the 2022 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. This is due, in large part, to the fact that it concentrates on the life of Chevalier as well as a less well-known era in the history of classical music. The cast of Chevalier also includes Minnie Driver, Ronke Adekoluejo as Nanon, Marton Csokas as the Marquis de Montalembert, Alex Fitzalan as Philippe, and Joseph Prowen as Mozart, in addition to Harrison Jr., Boynton, and Weaving.
When the historical drama is released on digital platforms on June 6, you can relive an unheralded chapter of the past. You can read the official synopsis of Chevalier, as well as see the trailer, down below.
Motivated by the unbelievable events that transpired in the life of musician Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr. in a Tour de Force performance) is the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner. He rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer, complete with a doomed love affair and a falling out with Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) and her court.
