Film: Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
Release date: 22nd November 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 120 mins
Director: Jan Kounen
Starring: Anna Mouglalis, Mads Mikkelsen, Yelena Morozova, Natacha Lindinger, Grigori Manukov
Genre: Drama/Romance
Studio: Soda
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: France
French director Jan Kounen’s Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky explores a period in the lives of the controversial Russian composer and the celebrated French fashion designer, when they briefly lived together in Chanel’s country villa, and were rumoured to have had an affair. This was the second film released in 2009 to feature the character of Chanel, alongside Anne Fontaine’s Coco Avant Chanel. Kounen’s film was released to mixed critical reviews, but was chosen as the closing film of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
1931, and Russian composer Igor Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen) unveils his new ballet ‘The Rite Of Spring’ to the Paris glitterati. The music is greeted with a virtual riot by an audience outraged at his bold and controversial new use of rhythm and choreography. Among those present are über-chic fashion design Coco Chanel (Anna Mouglalis) who is impressed by the shocking performance.
Some years later, the two meet again as Chanel is mourning the death of her lover, and Stravinsky and his family have been forced to flee Paris following the Russian revolution. Chanel invites them all to come and stay with her in her country Villa, where the composer can concentrate on his work.
They accept, and for a while all goes well. Away from the city, Stravinsky enjoys extraordinary musical productivity, while his wife Catherine (Yelena Morozova), who is suffering from tuberculosis, benefits from relaxation and bed rest. It’s not long before passions begin to run high between the composer and designer, however, and, under the noses of his wife and their young children, they embark on a passionate affair…
It is worth bearing in mind that the film is not necessarily a true statement of fact. The events that take place are largely the product of conjecture and hearsay, and although it is true that Stravinsky and Chanel did spend time together in her country retreat, rumours of their affair remain just that – rumours. That isn’t to say that there is nothing of historic interest on show here; despite the dramatic licence taken in sexing up the facts, the real truths being examined are the personalities of these two giants of the creative world, and Kounen has captured something very special in transferring their personalities to screen.
The piece is definitely a two hander, with both lead characters given equally intricate dissection, but despite Mikkelsen’s precise, powerful performance, the film really belongs to Mouglalis. Her Coco Chanel is a revelation; dynamic, multi-layered, powerful and fragile. A beautifully toned, exquisitely written study of this complex character, capturing in the heroine a mix of fierce independence and simmering fragility. Credit must also go to Morozova as Catherine, Stravinsky’s wife, suffering critical illness and the critical failure of her marriage in front of their young children. It is heartbreaking to watch Catherine try to retain her composure and dignity whilst turning a blind eye to the undeniable passion building between her husband and Chanel.
The music itself is treated reverently, and with a careful hand by Kounen, who obviously knows his stuff. It is not as much its own character as, say, in Milos Forman’s ‘Amadeus’, but still Stravinsky’s music is a powerful, malleable presence in the film. At the time of its composition, his music was controversial and mould-breaking, and today it is no less affecting. With its strange, complex rhythms and unusual, absorbing melodies, the soundtrack will get under the skin and linger in the head long after the final credits role.
The film looks beautiful, with Kounen’s immaculate framing and careful camerawork mirroring both Chanel’s elegance and Stravinsky’s precision. The staging of Stravinsky’s ballets, in particular, come across with all the proper power and dark intensity, and it is obvious from the way they are treated that Kounen is a man with the greatest respect for the work. Similarly, full credit must go to the costume design by Chattoune and Fab, who have decked out the cast exquisitely - there is plenty here for budding fashionistas to drool over in Chanel’s incredible couture.
A careful, elegant, and thoroughly grown-up study of two fascinating characters, Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky offers a powerful insight into what made these geniuses tick. Possibly a little slow paced for some, and slightly let down by a clichéd and unconfident ending, but for those with even a passing interest, it’s a definite must-see. LOZ
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