You are here:

Chevalier

Name: Chevalier
Director: Stephen Williams
Released: 2023
Duration: 104 min

Representation Score

7.0/10

Good

2023

PG-13

Director

Stephen Williams

Runtime

104 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Chevalier succeeds as a sophisticated deconstruction of Enlightenment-era social hierarchies. By centering Joseph Bologne, the film disrupts conventional historical frameworks that typically prioritize Eurocentric and straight-centered lineages. The film's strength lies in its multi-layered approach. It gives real power to a character of color, positioning him as a central driver of cultural change rather than a peripheral figure. While the film effectively challenges binary notions of identity and power, it focuses more on the performative nature of these concepts than on specific religious or disability-related narratives.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Chevalier have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film explores non-traditional gender identities within a historical setting. It avoids including someone from a minority group without giving them real depth by focusing on the protagonist's journey, highlighting the performative nature of gender.

How does Chevalier portray gender?

Excellent

Gender is portrayed as a performance influenced by power and social status. The protagonist challenges traditional masculinity through his skills in music and fencing.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Chevalier?

Excellent

The film centers a protagonist of African and French descent, disrupting traditional Eurocentric depictions of the French aristocracy. It critiques systemic racial structures.

How does Chevalier represent religion and culture?

Good

The film critiques traditional Western power structures by depicting the French monarchy as performative and hollow. It highlights the aristocracy as a site of artifice rather than stable morality.

Does Chevalier include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities that serve as central narrative drivers.

Present on Screen

Exceptional portrayal of a central protagonist of African and French descent.
Effective challenge of traditional gender hierarchies and restrictive definitions of masculinity.
Nuanced exploration of identity that moves beyond mere including someone from a minority group without giving them real depth to drive the plot.

Limited or Absent

Lack of prominent depictions or narrative drivers regarding physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
The critique of cultural institutions focuses heavily on artifice, potentially overlooking other facets of historical religious life.

Official Synopsis

The illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, Joseph Bologne 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 and her court.

How are these scores produced? →