Chevalier, a historical drama inspired by the true story of Joseph Bologne, follows the gripping tale of a musician and fencer whose incredible life is complete with significant career advancements, controversies, and an ill-fated love affair that would eventually result in heartbreak and loss. Distributed by Searchlight Pictures, the film production company will be bringing one of its highly acclaimed films to the comfort of everyone's home through digital on June 16, releasing on various streaming platforms, including Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV+, and more.
Bringing a little-known true story to life, Chevalier stars Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Joseph Bologne, the first well-known Black classical musician and the illegitimate son of a wealthy French plantation owner and an African slave. He spent the earlier years of his life honing his fencing skills, which shortly after turned him into a knight, also called a chevalier, earning him a higher station in French society.
Known to many as Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the mixed-race musician made a fortune of his own solely through his skills at instruments and fencing. Though he was able to lead various orchestras, his musical career went through highs and lows due to the racism of the period, with some filing a petition against him to the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton).
The Untold Story of Chevalier de Saint-Georges
The musician fell head over heels for Marie-Joséphine de Comarieu (Samara Weaving), the wife of a military officer. However, their love story was cut short when the husband found out everything, which led to the murder of Marie-Josephine's child, who turned out to be Bologne's child all along. Though unfortunate in love, he eventually found success when he joined the Revolutionary Army during the French Revolution. But that was also halted when his connection with French royalty was questioned, which also condemned him from playing his music. As if stopping him from playing his music wasn't cruel enough, much of his work was also destroyed after his death.
Since its debut at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, the movie has received high marks from critics, largely because it focuses on both the life of the Chevalier and a little-known period in classical music history. Alongside Harrison Jr., Boynton, and Weaving, Chevalier also stars Ronke Adekoluejo as Nanon, Marton Csokas as Marquis de Montalembert, Alex Fitzalan as Philippe, Joseph Prowen as Mozart, Minnie Driver, and more.
Revisit the unsung part of the history when the biographical drama hits Digital on June 16. You can watch the trailer and read Chevalier's official synopsis down below.
Inspired 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.