WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Chevalier!Chevalier tells the true story of Joseph Bologne, whose life events continue to be remarkable after the movie’s ending. Set in Marie Antoinette’s France, Chevalier follows the life of the first-known Black classical composer and influential violinist Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Born to Senegalese woman Nanon and her white enslaver George Bologne, Joseph rises to become an integral member of Marie Antoinette’s court and one of France’s most accomplished musicians. However, Joseph continues to face racist policies and mindsets, leading him to join the French Revolution and incite change in the oppressive society that exploited him.
The real-life cast and characters of Chevalier are featured in one of the greatest untold stories in history, which continues far beyond the point that the credits roll. Chevalier concludes after Joseph puts on a fundraising concert for the revolution, with the film cutting to black as he triumphantly walks out off the stage and outside in the midst of protest. While the closing title cards give a small glimpse at what happened to Joseph after Chevalier’s ending, there’s far more to his story throughout the French Revolution that isn’t included.
Joseph Bologne Led The First All-Black Regiment In The French Revolution
Once the people officially rose up against Marie Antoinette in 1789, Joseph Bologne joined the fight in the French Revolution. After Chevalier’s inspirational ending, he led the first all-Black regiment in the Revolution known as the American Legion, but the cavalry would also be referred to as the “Légion Saint-Georges” (via WBUR). However, Joseph would be accused of being a traitor in 1793, leading to his dismissal and subsequent arrest, despite no specific charges.
He was sent to a prison reserved for political opponents, seemingly under suspicion of his friendships with Chevalier’s real-life characters Marie Antoinette and Louis Philippe II, later known as Philippe Égalité. Marie Antoinette and Philippe were executed as traitors shortly after the Chevalier’s arrest, though the latter’s death was primarily based on suspicions about the loyalty of his son. Joseph was later released from prison, but his petitions to be reinstated in the military were rejected, thus leading to his renewed dedication to music and his violin.
Joseph Bologne Became More Devoted To His Violin After Leaving The Military
After being dismissed from the military, Joseph is said to have gone to Saint-Domingue, which was in full revolt as the enslaved people rose up against the slavers. However, the details of his trip to Saint-Domingue are contested among historians and biographers, as some believe he never left Europe during this time. Meanwhile, other accounts and biographies state that Joseph Bologne’s 1796 journey to Saint-Domingue and back was his final voyage. Regardless, it’s suggested that the Chevalier de Saint-Georges supported the efforts of troops being commissioned to Saint-Domingue to help abolish slavery.
According to the 2006 biography The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow, Chevalier’s title character then returned to Europe and began constructing a symphony orchestra. He built and led the Le Cercle De l’Harmonie orchestra, which performed at the Palais Royal. The former fighter in the French Revolution continued to put on concerts, with the Chevalier being suggested to have never played his violin so well as he did at the end of his life.
Joseph Bologne Died In 1799 At Age 53 (& His Music Was Later Banned)
In 1799, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George, passed away after months of battling illnesses. Oddly, Joseph’s death certificate was lost in a fire, so the only sources of information about his death are the men who removed his body. At the time of his death, Joseph Bologne was estimated to be approximately 53 years old, though he had still survived many of the other real-life historical figures depicted in Chevalier’s true story. However, as Chevalier’s ending title cards assert, Joseph’s music was dismissed, largely lost, and banned after his death.
Once Napoleon Bonaparte reinstated slavery in France in 1802, one order was to dismiss and in some cases destroy the Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ music. The reason for this is likely due to Napoleon’s racist policies and his efforts to suppress future revolts. Since Joseph’s music would have been significant in banding together Black communities through musical empowerment, Napoleon would have worked to ban his music to keep Joseph’s accomplishments and talent as a Black man hidden from the world. As such, much of Joseph Bologne’s music was lost and forgotten in the centuries since his death, with the biopic Chevalier finally bringing the historical man’s important true story back to the spotlight.
Sources: The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow (2006), WBUR
