Chevalier2023

Chevalier is ultimately a devastating reminder of a greatness that was nearly entirely expunged from history, and how equal talents lived and died without even being given a chance to put a little more beauty into the world.

What sacrifices does a person need to make to become the greatest in their field? How does life in a plantation colony differ from an expensive boarding school far from home? What truly makes a person set aside their philandering ways and wholly commit to a single individual? How does a black man lead an entirely black regiment during the French revolution? Unfortunately, none of these fascinating questions are answered in this movie, which instead chooses to infuse every scene with racist undertones, to the detriment of the man they believe they are honoring.

While Harrison’s performance may never fully reveal the nature of the man beneath these sumptuous layers of organza, silk and self-confidence, it’s enchanté Chevalier, all the same.