Chanel Solitaire (1981)

Directed by George Kaczender, Chanel Solitaire is a nice movie about love and success. It's the story of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883-1971).

I guess many details from Coco's life have been gone from the movie due to the shortage of time, or have they been simplified to make it more enjoyable? Coco was a illegitimate child, but it isn't mentioned clearly in the movie. There is a hint to that, though, in the scene when Arthur Capel tells her that he was born on the wrong side of the blanket, and Coco replies that he only said it to make her feel better. In real life, Coco had 5 siblings.

In the movie, after the death of her mother, Coco and her younger sister Julia are taken by his father to a monastery, while he goes to America for a better future. He never comes back for them. Julia dies there and Coco goes to live with her aunts in Moulins. She makes her living by working as a seamstress. At this point, she meets Étienne Balsan, a cavalry officer, who asks her to move to his place and helps him with his horses. His mistress, Emilienne, likes the hats designed by Coco and wears one in Paris. She tells Coco that women love it and that she should produce many more. Balsan let Coco use his flat in Paris for the matter. Balsan's friend, Arthur 'Boy' Capel, a wealthy coal merchant, has more faith in Coco than Balsan. Capel helps her financially and morally and rents a bigger place for her to work. When Balsan comes back from Argentina, he has already lost Coco to Capel. Capel helps Coco to open a new shop in Deauville, but WW1 comes and they have to part. The war gives a big influence to the fashion world because women will need a simpler, more comfortable clothes. The corset era is gone. Capel survives the war and returns to Coco, only to leave her again for he must marry the daughter of Lord Ribbesdale for the sake of his career. A year later, he turns up again in Coco's apartment, telling her that he is on his way to divorce his wife and asking her to be with him again. On his way to South France in Dec 1919 to meet his wife, Capel has a motor accident and dies. The movie starts and ends with a fashion show. It doesn't tell the audience what happens to Coco after 1919, but at this time she has already had her big success.

The three lead actors are great: Marie-France Pisier, Timothy Dalton, and Rutger Hauer. Like most of period movies, it used soft lense, so everyone looks handsome and beautiful here. The clothes are spectacular. The only scene I don't like is when Coco sings in the competition. It is ridiculous. There is an interesting moment when Coco asks her lover to try her new scent and that 'Number 5' name seems to interest her. "I always look for number five."