Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel
A man who can no longer love his wife. A woman who refuses to be owned. Last night I saw the deliberate, quiet, loud, and somewhat predictable film Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (2009).
The opening sequence with kaleidoscopes, art deco motifs and classic mid-century modern style was enthralling: pure visual poetry. The typeface reminded me a lot of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Come to think of it, the handsome boyfriend of Coco Chanel looked a lot like him, too. Hmmm.
I caught the last show at Carolina Theater, which has been a fun replacement for me for the ol’ Harvard Exit in our old ‘hood of Seattle’s Capitol Hill. Living in walking distance to an art theater is a huge luxury for DK. It helps to get inspiration by consuming art, and getting lost in a story whose ending is a guess. I’d been talking the other day about the Situationists, and how they lived by the philosophy of letting yourself drift to find inspiration. I guess falling into a movie house does that for me. The good news: this film did not disappoint.
Here’s the trailer on YouTube for Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky.
Coco is quoted as saying: “There are many Dukes. There is only one Chanel.”
There’s just so much of the dynamic between tension and release. It manifests at every level: from the back-and-forth of the creative process, to the internal struggles between a man and his wife, and then there’s his affair.
The fictionalized story
A composer from Russia and the fashion designer Coco Chanel somehow find their lives intersect. Out of their union is born his work of art as well as hers: a new line of perfume.
It’s the creative achievement that’s born out of two artists’ physical union that gives this movie it’s juice. Otherwise it would just be another boring ol’ romance story. This one is based on a novel by Chris Greenhalgh.
There’s this continuous push and pull that makes you wonder which way it’s going to go—his, or hers?
Ultimately, both win.
Or lose, depending on how you look at it.
More about the Coco & Igor film and made-up story on Wikipedia.
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