Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (2009)
Certified: 16
Duration: 118 minutes
Directed by: Jan Kounen
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Anna Mouglalis, Elena Morozova, Natacha Lindinger, Grigori Manokev, Rasha Bukvic
KRS release
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky is a strong film that showcases two personalities that have left an indelible mark in history.
The plot follows the rumoured love affair between fashionista Chanel and music prodigy Stravinsky. From the precise and incredibly directed opening sequence of the 1913 Paris performance of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rites of Spring Jan to the tinge of lost love, director Jan Kounen’s film is visually dazzling. It superseded all my expectations as it leapt over the hurdles the story placed in its way.
The two main protagonists are portrayed as having very different characters: On one side Stravinsky seems to have a repressed air about him, while Chanel is used to getting whatever she wants. Besides their love affair, the film is also about the making of two masterpieces: Stravinsky’s ballet the Rite of Spring and the iconic perfume Chanel No. 5.
Mr Kounen’s effort also shows how the worlds of music and fashion were intertwined together. Set in Paris of the 1920s the wealthy Coco Chanel is one of the patrons of the arts and she brings in Igor Stravinsky under her wing. He is married with children but the two start an affair – one that cannot endure. The relationship that ensues is a selfish, sexual and passionate one that could put in a spiral the people around them.
Stravinsky’s beautiful music could well replace the dialogue in this picture. The opening sequence set in 1913 is especially well choreographed. Mr Kounen’s eye for detail is impressive and the audience is effectively transported to a different era. The film continues the plot in the 1920s.
The main actors, Anna Mouglalis and Mads Mikkelsen, are well synchronised. The passion between the two is palpable. Mr Mikkelsen, known as Le Chiffre from the James Bond picture Casino Royale, is excellent as Stravinsky while Anna Mouglalis dominates the camera with her beauty. Elena Morozova as Katarina, Stravinsky’s wife, is also very intense.
Emotionally the film is cold and the audience is pulled into the same void that the characters seem to inhabit. This provides quite a deep contrast to the visual feast that this picture presents.