CHOCOLAT/ MONSIEUR CHOCOLAT
France, 2016, 119 minutes, Colour.
Omar Sy, James Thierree, Clotilde Hesme, Olivier Gourmet, Frederic Pierrot, Noemie Lvovsky.
Directed by Roschdy Zem.
In 2011, worldwide audiences enjoyed the French film The Untouchable is, the story of an aide to a wealthy disabled man, a crotchety patient who became more humane through his interactions with the nursing aide. The aide was played by French actor, Omar Sy. Since then he has appeared in Samba as well is supporting roles in an X-Men? action film and the Dan Brown story, Inferno.
His reputation will be more than enhanced by his presence and performance as Monsieur Chocolat.
The film opens in provincial France in 1897, a travelling circus, the acts not particularly good but enjoyable for the small crowds that come from the surrounding towns. One of the stars is Kananga, the Cannibal, played by Sy, whose act is to terrify the audience, especially the children, with ferocious looks and roars from darkest Africa.
Some flashbacks indicate that his family were servants, if not slaves, for the colonial French, the young boy, Rafael, seeing his father serving at meals and having to perform like a dog begging for food to the family’s laughter. Rafael escaped to Spain, got jobs, eventually finishing in the circus – and seems to be satisfied.
However, an acrobatic clown, Footit, down on his luck sees Kananga and decides to create a double act which is so successful that an entrepreneur from Paris makes them an offer they cannot refuse. This clown is a sad clown, later revealed to be a lonely gay man, played by James Thierree – who has a very serious demeanour but an exceedingly malleable body for his acrobatics probably part of his heritage as a grandson of Charles Chaplin.
While things go swimmingly in Paris at the turn-of-the-century, society audiences feting the clown duo, Gootot and Monsieur Chocolat, and their gaining celebrity status, caricatures even drawn of Rafael by Toulouse- Lautrec, there are elements for destruction. Rafael is a gambler, compulsive, risking all his earnings and possessions, something which ultimately destroys him. While he had an affectionate relationship with the horse-writing acrobat in the provincial circus, he is also a womaniser and betrays her.
The other element of destruction is the fact that all the laughs in the circus are at the expense of the black man. While there are many variations on the act and the performance, it is ultimately the white man kicking the black man that raises all the laughs. When Rafael is arrested for lack of papers (the vengeful action of the wife of the provincial circus owner), he is humiliated by the prison officials literally scrubbing him to get rid of the black. But he does meet a political prisoner from Haiti who eventually makes him more conscious of the even greater humiliation of the circus performance.
While performing for children at a hospital, he encounters one of the nurses and eventually has a relationship with her. But the grateful parent of another sick child is a theatre owner who offers Rafael the possibility, suggested by the Haitian prisoner, that he move beyond his love for Romeo and Juliet to perform Othello.
The film uses the realism of Rafael’s history to move towards the ending, rather downbeat at the time of World War I in the provinces, but the film finally includes some clips from the actual duo to remind audiences of the talent to amuse. Some commentators on the film point out that, while it is a true story, the facts are rather loosely used and that, in fact, Rafael’s success came some years earlier than that shown in the film. It is one of those cases where a film is valid even if some of the facts are inaccurate.
1. The true story? French story? The playing with facts? The final images of the actual characters? And the caricatures throughout based on the art of Toulouse- Lautrec?
2. Action from 1897 to 1917? The French provinces, the world of the Circus, caravans, the big top? The contrast with Paris, the theatre? French society? Gambling? Society? The theatre and the performance Othello? The scenes in Bordeaux? The musical score?
3. Performance, in the Circus, the role of the clown, the slapstick comedy, the pratfalls? Georges and his performances? Beginning to fail? The cannibal, the audience being scared, the caricature of the African? The two men together, acrobatics, as a complimentary duo, the variety of characters, laughs, the white man kicking the black man, audience applause? In the provinces, going to Paris, the good reviews, success? But the effect on Rafael, the dominance of the white over the black, despite the black man’s celebrity?
4. The back story, the flashbacks, Rafael, the colonial era, the mansion, his father as a servant, having to act as a dog for food? Rafael watching? Telling his story, going to Spain, coming to France, the variety of jobs, the work in the Circus and his being satisfied?
5. Duluth, the owner of the Circus, testing the acts, his severe wife and the box office? The success of Rafael as the cannibal? The audience, the small crowds? The other acts? Camille and the horseriding? The bond with Rafael?
6. Georges, James Theirree (and grandson of Chaplin and the heritage)? His age, success, down on his luck, seeing Rafael, his own content, acrobatics, Duluth not employing him? The discussions with Rafael, the offers, the money, the talk and persuasion, the performances, the lack of laughter – and Rafael and his improvisation, and success? His loneliness? The quiet significance of the gay man’s approach?
7. Rafael in himself, at first satisfied, given his background, his freedom, performances, with Georges? The encounter with Oller, going to Paris and the proposition? The deal? The issue of his papers, Madame Duluth and her vengeance? The buildup in Paris, the jealousy of the other clowns, success and reputation, respectability, respectable society coming to the Circus?
8. Madame Duluth, Rafael’s arrest, in prison, the encounter with Louis and his background from Haiti, the humiliations, Rafael being scrubbed by the prison officers? Louis and the truth about his performance? Georges and Oller and their coming to release Rafael?
9. The relationship with Camille, her love? Rafael and his dalliances with women? Their attraction? Going to clubs, his habit of gambling, losing?
10. The exhibition, his statue, Marie with the children, the invitation for him to come to the hospital, his meeting the children? Firman and his child, enjoying the clown? The offer to Rafael? Rafael and the discussions with Louis, Shakespeare, his book of Romeo and Juliet, the explanation about Othello?
11. His act, the laughs, his greater consciousness, Louis present, the idea of performing Othello in the theatre?
12. The advertisement, the caricature, his reaction, the advertising, Toulouse-Lautrec? and the sketch? Georges taking second place? Then in the act, his hitting Georges?
13. Marie, the bond, children, relatives and neighbours and criticism? The rehearsals for Othello?
14. The rehearsal in the theatre, the other members of the cast, Rafael’s poor performance, the papers and the criticism? His reaction, his gambling, his defiance, the break with Georges?
15. Marie and her challenge, his performance, the applause, the blues? This being considered a scandal? Georges present? His personal success but social failure?
16. In the streets as Othello, the tough gangsters, the owner wanting his money back, bashing Rafael, the violence to his hand?
17. The transition to 1917, Bordeaux, the atmosphere of World War I, Marie and her son going to the war? Rafael with TB, living in squalor? Georges’ visit – and Rafael’s death?
