Another chapter in the life of history's most influential woman in fashion continues with the screen adaptation of Chris Greenhalgh's 2002 novel Coco & Igor as Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (French title: Chanel Coco & Igor Stravinsky). This dramatization of Chanel's alleged affair with a man as influential and diverse as herself picks up not long after where last year's critically acclaimed by Anne Fontaine, Coco Before Chanel, ends. Although the two films have much in common, there's less appeal and passion to this adaptation.
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky begins with a scandal, but not quite the one immediately expected -- the 1913 Paris premiere of Stravinsky’s modernist ballet, "Le Sacre du Printemps (Rite of Spring)." Igor Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen) is nervously awaiting for the curtain to rise as Ballet Russes impresario/founder Sergei Diaghilev (Grigori Manoukov) and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky (Marek Kossakowski) are frantically directing the dancers and orchestra. Within the first act,...
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky begins with a scandal, but not quite the one immediately expected -- the 1913 Paris premiere of Stravinsky’s modernist ballet, "Le Sacre du Printemps (Rite of Spring)." Igor Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen) is nervously awaiting for the curtain to rise as Ballet Russes impresario/founder Sergei Diaghilev (Grigori Manoukov) and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky (Marek Kossakowski) are frantically directing the dancers and orchestra. Within the first act,...
- 7/15/2010
- by Debbie Cerda
- Slackerwood
Picking up where Anne Fontaine’s Coco Before Chanel left off, Jan Kounen’s Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky provides a dual portrait of two icons of the 1920s, who had a brief, passionate romance that coincided with highpoints of their respective careers.
The film opens with a scene depicting the scandalous 1913 Paris premiere of Stravinsky’s legendary ballet “The Rites of Spring”, with its commissioner Sergei Diaghilev (Grigori Manukov) seen pacing nervously. Fearful of rejection, Igor Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen) remains backstage, being comforted by his wife and musical adviser, Catherine (Elena Morozova). The scene uses rhythmic editing to create excitement and drama, cutting between the orchestra, dancers and the audience. As the music becomes increasingly confronting, the audience becomes increasingly aggravated by the crashing, percussive score. Dismissed by many at the time as barbarous trash, it was later recognized as a defining moment in the split between romantic and modern music,...
The film opens with a scene depicting the scandalous 1913 Paris premiere of Stravinsky’s legendary ballet “The Rites of Spring”, with its commissioner Sergei Diaghilev (Grigori Manukov) seen pacing nervously. Fearful of rejection, Igor Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen) remains backstage, being comforted by his wife and musical adviser, Catherine (Elena Morozova). The scene uses rhythmic editing to create excitement and drama, cutting between the orchestra, dancers and the audience. As the music becomes increasingly confronting, the audience becomes increasingly aggravated by the crashing, percussive score. Dismissed by many at the time as barbarous trash, it was later recognized as a defining moment in the split between romantic and modern music,...
- 6/14/2010
- by Kristen Coates
- The Film Stage
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