CHANEL SOLITAIRE
UK, 1981, 106 minutes, Colour.
Marie- France Pisier, Timothy Dalton, Rutger Hauer, Karen Black, Catherine Allegret.
Directed by George Kaczender.
Chanel Solitaire is an international 'women's picture'. Directed by George Kaczender (In Praise of Older Women), the film has all the ingredients of old fashioned lush soap opera. The film traces the early life of Coco Chanel, in flashback from her first successful fashion show. The film skims the surface - which is very prettily presented.
Marie- France Pisier (The Other Side of Midnight, Scruples) is attractive in the central role. The international supporting cast includes Timothy Dalton as Boy Capell and Rutger Hauer (Max Havelaar, Night Hawks) as her suitors. Karen Black has some moments as a French courtesan and Brigitte Fossey is attractive as Coco's aunt.
The film re-creates turn-of-the-century period and does not take us into the later celebrated life of Coco Chanel. There is an unintentionally humorous scene in which her Chanel No. 5 is christened. Katharine Hepburn played Coco Chanel in a Broadway musical version of her life.
1. Entertainment? Biography? Soap opera - woman's picture? The audience intended for the film? International? The emphasis on feminine interest and style, especially fashions? Coco's suffering?
2. The production values: international production, re-creation of period, locations, fashions and decor, style? Convent, shops, homes, restaurants? Paris and Deauville? The musical score? Lush production values?
3. Coco Chanel's reputation, work in fashion and perfumes? Audience interest in her life and career? The presentation of her early life? The various versions of her later celebrity?
4. The framework of the fashion show? Coco reminiscing on the staircase? The theme of Chanel Solitaire and her experience of being by herself? The sad and rueful tone of the title? The pathos of Coco's early life? The basis of her career?
5. The sketch of Coco as a child: the death of her mother, the funeral and the journey in the cart, his lying about the orphanage, her life in the convent and its harshness, the primness and prudery, the young nun and Coco seeing her cut her hair, the harsh growing up, her devotion to her sister and her response to her sister's death? Growing bitterness? Resentment when she left the convent and yet the goodbye to the young nun? Her independence of relationships? A self-made young girl? How self-sufficient?
6. Her reaction to her family and their abandoning of her? Her aunts rescuing her from the orphanage? The older aunt laying down the law for her life in the household? Her being set to work, her work with dressmaking -and her weak eyes? The development of her skills? Her desire to be a singer and entering the competition? Making a fool of herself? The flirtation with the soldiers? The consequences in the encounter with Etienne?
7. Chanel and Etienne? outings, his taking her into his home, her response to its magnificence, her looking after the horses? Her being installed in the household? Her presence, skill in millinery? Her style of hats? The encounter with Emilienne? The meals? Talk? Growing friendships and contacts? The birthday party and meeting Boy Capell? Sexual liaisons? The building up of a potential clientele? Developing an affluent style?
8. Her response to Boy Capell on his arrival? Talking? Self-assertion? The birthday meal and the insult? Falling in love with him? Etienne's absence in Argentina? Boy's support, the opening of the shop, its expansion, money deals? The restaurant sequence and Boy's being insulted? The lyrical affair? His persuading her to open the shop in Deauville? The war and its anticipation, her survival during the war?
9. Her growing in self-assurance? The self-made woman? Self-assertive, creating a style, fashions? Her love for her Aunt Adrienne? Working with her? The shows? Emilienne's patronage?
10. Adrienne and her friendship, shared experiences, style? Her marriage? Working for Coco? Bearing the bad news of Boy Capell's death?
11. The men in her life: Etienne and his self-centredness, initial help, her working with the horses, sexual relationship, his absence in Argentina, his return, disappointment, conceding defeat to Boy? Boy and his British background, mining background and ambitions? His wanting to rise in public circles? The public insults? His passion for Coco? Involvement in the war? The development of coal? His seeming fidelity to Coco and her fidelity to him?
12. The end of the war, his awkwardness in telling her about his planned marriage? Her spurning him? Paying him back?
13. Post-war Paris and Coco's fame? Her breaking free of men? The friendship with the lesbian Missia Sert? Outings? Scandal? The sequence with the naming of Chanel No.5? Boy's confrontation of her and his disgust?
14. His leaving his wife? The reconciliation? Coco's forgiveness? The accident? Her grief and disappointment? Her determination to carry on her career?
15. Popular entertainment? Insight at the popular level?
