Parents' Guide to Chevalier

Harrison gives an outstanding performance in this tribute to the first major Black composer in classical music history. In Chevalier, director Stephen Williams, working from a script by writer and producer Stefani Robinson, has made a movie that is at once historical and incredibly current, exploring themes of imperialism, paternalism, racism, and Black excellence. Harrison, who's been remarkable in other dramas such as Cyrano, Luce, Waves, and Monster, continues to impress in a role that was seemingly tailor-made for him. He infuses the attractive, arrogant Chevalier with swagger that simmers with intensity. Joseph can't handle being anything but the best, because it's what he believes he must be -- even as his freed mother, Nanon (Ronke Adekoluejo), tries to explain that no matter how much he cozies up to the French elite (even the queen herself), he will still be Black first.

The story's adulterous romance is excused by Marie-Josephine's lack of agency in her marriage to a stern, bloodthirsty marquis. She's smart, beautiful, and kind, and she quickly becomes the Chevalier's muse. But the most interesting part of the story is its somewhat rushed third act, when, after a dramatic setback, Joseph starts to listen to his mother, explore the small Black community of Paris, and get in touch with his true self, not just his performative self. There are a few missteps in the movie -- a particularly preachy monologue by Marie-Josephine seems out of character and place -- but Harrison is such an electrifying actor that audiences will undoubtedly want to know more about the real Chevalier. The mostly Black principal crew, it should be noted, includes Juilliard-trained Black violinist Clayton Penrose-Whitmore, who performs the solo in the final big music scene. That commitment to authenticity deserves applause. The drama, and the composer's music on the score, will hopefully raise awareness about an artist and man whose name should be much more than a footnote in music history.