Chocolat is a 2016 French drama film directed by Roschdy Zem and starring Omar Sy and James Thiérrée.
Synopsis.
The clown Chocolat becomes, in 1886, the first black artist of the French scene.
Plot.
In 1897, a black man, the son of former Cuban slave, plays a small role as the cannibal Kananga in the modest circus Delvaux. George Foottit, a white clown, is asked by the director to bring up his routine. He gets the idea to have an act with Kananga; a white authoritarian clown and a black scapegoat named Chocolat.
They are well received and the word spreads through France, reaching Joseph Oller, director of the Nouveau Cirque. He asks Foottit and Chocolat to take their show to his Parisian establishment. The success is immediate, and Chocolat becomes the first famous black clown. The success stirs envy in his previous employer's wife. She denounces him for being in France illegally.
Chocolat is arrested and tortured by the police. "A negro always remains a negro," the police commander tells Chocolat when he releases him. While the humiliation in the circus act is staged for humorous effect, the racism Chocolat encounters in France grinds him down. Chocolat is both celebrated as a star and made into a racial caricature. This becomes strikingly apparent when the poster for the show depicts Chocolat as a black stereotype. Faced with the hypocrisy of French society, he gives himself up to gambling, drugs and women.
An attempt to end his clown duo to branch into the Shakesperean tragedy "Othello" ends with part of the audience booing the premiere.
At the end of his life, Chocolat falls into obscurity and dies of consumption.
Historical accuracy.
The film is only loosely based on the real life of Rafael Padilla, son of a slave from Cuba, a Spanish colony at the time.
References to other films.
The film shows Foottit and Chocolat being filmed by Louis and Auguste Lumiére.
During the credits, the Lumiére film "The Tilting Chair" featuring the real clowns is shown.
Reception.
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports a 100% approval rating based on 23 reviews, with a weighted average of 7/10. It grossed $15.2 million at the box office.
References.
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