Deborah Ross

Wikipedia does more justice to this fascinating story than this film: Chevalier reviewed

A strangely bland biopic of the 18th century French-African virtuoso and composer Joseph Bologne

Violin-off: Kevin Harrison Jr as Joseph Bologne and Joseph Prowen as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Credit: Larry Horricks. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved 
issue 10 June 2023

Chevalier is a biopic of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, whom you’ve probably never heard of, as I hadn’t. He was an 18th-century French-African virtuoso violinist and composer who wowed everyone in his day – in 1779, John Adams, then the American ambassador to France, called him ‘the most accomplished Man in Europe’ – but was erased from history and is only lately being rediscovered. Fascinating, you would think, and he was fascinating. Even a cursory look at his Wikipedia entry is thrilling. But this is not a fascinating or thrilling film. It is handsomely mounted yet strangely bland and strikes too many false notes. I was going to say it’s as if Disney had made it but then remembered: this is Disney.

I was going to say it’s as if Disney had made it but then remembered: this is Disney

Directed by Stephen Williams and written by Stefani Robinson, the film opens with a musical duel between Bologne (Kevin Harrison Jr) and a certain Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Joseph Prowen).

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in