Anna Mouglalis as liberated Coco Channel and Mads Mikkelsen as the introverted Igor Stravinsky bring the romance to life under the brilliant direction of Jan Kounen. A kaleidoscope of feelings parade throughout the story as the symphonic music dramatizes each event. The movie begins as the Russian composer's "Rite of Spring" debuts its opening night in 1913 Paris at the Theatre des Champs-Elysses. A full-house audience anxiously awaits the refreshing music of the time; however, they become enraged at Stravinsky's innovative, modern, intense music and choreography of the Ballets Russes that plays out before them, creating a scandalous riot in the audience. Police are called, crowds are quelled, and the production ends with blasphemies on the tongues of the assaulted audience and rejection in the heart of the exiled penniless composer.
In 1920, Coco Chanel is introduced to the composer by Diaghilev and secretly suggests a meeting. She empathizes with his disgrace, and suggests that she provide refuge and a peaceful working environment at her country estate in Garches for him and his family. The Stravinsky's comply, opening the door to a love triangle that eventually ends in disaster and sacrifice. Coco is a woman of independence, style and means, who manipulates the players and gains control of the family's lives. She seduces Stravinsky with her elegance and creative poise; and he willingly abandons his life companion and music partner to fall madly in love with the controlling designer.
Elena Morozova magnificently portrays the victimized wife in this torrid love triangle, Katarina, who unfortunately diminishes in health as the affair unabashedly continues, despite her pleas. She is the guardian behind the artist as she allows his egotistical creative genius to soar, while she plays critic to his compositions and manages his life and family. Stravinsky, however brilliant, is swept away by the allure of Chanel, and allows his obsession to consume his thoughts and actions. His "Rite of Spring" is passionately rejuvenated by their love affair and gains acclaim at its upcoming performance.
The movie is about sacrifice, as evidenced by the opening scene of the ballet. In Igor's reconstruction of the symphony, Chanel is asked to design the costume for the sacrificial victim, unaware that she will sacrifice her love for the composer, just as his wife gave him the freedom to fulfill his love for the Parisian designer. Symbolism is provided by music and color as the central characters dramatically evolve throughout the affair. The "Rite of Spring" denotes the tensions and passions of their turbulent love; and, color once again radiates in Chanel's life, designs and decor as love is restored to her colorless, rigid life after the death of her one true love, Boy Capel.
Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky is an excellent movie, but the mood is oppressive and brutally insensitive to the fragmenting traditions of the time. The love affair is almost speechless and overflowing with passion and compulsive obsessive thoughts. Creatively, Stravinsky re-composes "The Rite," and Chanel introduces her No. 5 perfume. They have mutual respect and admiration for each other, but the foundation begins to crack when Igor refers to her not as an artist, but as a "shopkeep."
Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky Special Features include Previews, the Theatrical Trailer, BD-Live, and the "Making of Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky," that includes actor commentaries, filming highlights and scene tricks. Elena Morozova suggests that the movie "is about love with music. Music is love. Love is music." Director Kounen agrees saying, "That's the real subject of the film -- that profound anger or distress can be sublimated and transformed through creation." He also brings out the importance of the parallel between music and story.
The Blu-Ray picture was crisp and clean, the music powerful and uplifting, especially enveloping in Surround Sound, the acting undeniably perfection, the mood strong and sober; however, the shocking impact of the selfishness of the central characters is a great distraction to a true love story.
This movie is rated R with some strong sexuality and nudity, and definitely inappropriate for children. The impact of this movie was so intense that I, as a viewer, would not enjoy a second viewing, even though it was a great biopic. However, the film would make an excellent rental.
