Coco Chanel Trilogy

I saw Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky couple weeks ago. This is the third film about Coco Chanel to be released recently. I had seen Coco Before Chanel, with Audrey Tautou, when it was out last year, but I rewatched it on DVD. I also watched the DVD of Coco Chanel, the Lifetime Television film in which Shirley MacLaine played the older Chanel.

Before I go into those movies here is a pretty good short documentary about Chanel

Coco Before Chanel

Coco Before Chanel covers Chanel's life up until the death of her lover "Boy" Capel, in December 1919. From a cinematic point of view this was a very convenient time for him to die, since it was shortly after WWI ended and just days before the Roaring Twenties began. So this date is a focal point in all three films. Also by 1920 Chanel had established her dress shop, and was well on her way to becoming a dominating force in world culture.

It was interesting to see a character played by three different actresses. Of the three actresses portraying Chanel, Audrey Tautou gives the most reserved performance. Her restrained acting is part of what creates her charm, and it worked well in this film. They only part of this film that I did not like was the portrayal of her earlier lover, Étienne Balsan. His is portrayed so boorishly, that it is hard to see why she would have taken up with him.

Here is the trailer for Coco Before Chanel.

Coco Chanel

This is the film with Shirley MacLaine portraying Chanel rekindling her career in her later years. Most of the film, however, consists of flash backs that cover Chanel's life, from when she was abandoned to an orphanage by her father after the death of her mother up until the death of "Boy".

The younger Chanel is played by the Slovakian actress Barbora Bobulova. Her depiction of Chanel is a bit more fun loving and carefree than the portayal in the other two films. Of the three characterizations, I think this is the one I would most want to meet in person.

Also the portrayal on Étienne Balsan is a little more sympathetic and has a little more depth in this version.

Of the two films that cover the earlier part of Chanel's life, this one provided more historical context. World War I figures more prominently in this film than in Coco before Chanel.

The later depiction of Chanel by MacLaine is a minor part of the film, most likely added to attract and American audience, since a European cast is used for all of the characters from the earlier yesrs. It also serves to show Chanel's tenacity throughout all the years of her life. While not one of MacLaine's meatiest roles, she gives a good performance.



For good measure here is a clip of Shirley Maclaine discussing her role.

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

Of the three films Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky is my favorite, but at the same time it may be the least historically accurate.

This film begins at Boy's death, and portrays Chanel's relationship with Igor Stravinsky. So in a sense this is a sequel to the other two films. I am not sure how historically accurate the portrayal of the relationship between Chanel and Stravinsky is, but most of the other events in the film are fairly accurate. Chanel did help Stravinsky financially, and did allow him and his family the use of one of her houses. Whether the torrid romance depicted between them actually happened I am not so sure of.

Near the beginning of the film there is a long sequence that recreates the premier performance of Stavinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring. This is one of the most famous—or infamous—performances of the 20th century, notorious because the dancers could not keep time to the music, and the audience erupted into a riot. In 2006, Radio Lab did a segment on brain chemistry and what caused this riot, which you can listen to here.

Often considered one of the earliest pieces of modern classical music, The Rite of Spring survived this disasterous reception to become one of the most populat pieces of classical music, even included in the Disney film Fantasia. Just the recreation of this original concert makes the film worth seeing.

Regardless of how accurate the portrayal of the Chanel/Stravinsky relationship is, the characters seem very authentic. The Cinematography is outstanding, and of course the music is great. This is basically the story of three people Chanel, played by the French actress Anna Mouglalis, Stravinsky, played by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, and Stravinsky's wife, played by Russian Actress Yelena Morozova. So what you have is a love triangle with great acting, great sets and great music.

The other advantage this film has is that by 1920 most vestiges of the Victorian Era have been vanquished, and everything that Chanel had fought for in the previous decades had come to fruition. Thus the sets and costumes for this film are very different from the previous two, making Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky an account of the dawn of modernity, rather than a Victorian period piece.

Here is the trailer for Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky, but I must say the trailer does not do justice to the film.