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Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Reproduced with permission of copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.For Coco Chanel, the way to the little black dress led through an orphanage and an affair with a wealthy playboy. The new film "Coco Before Chanel" spans the early years of the couture mogul's life in France. It's the film's narrow focus -- unlike a traditional biopic -- that made Audrey Tautou say yes to the role of Chanel, a part she says she's been approached to play several times. "I think that by understanding Chanel's character and different sources of inspiration, you understand the rest of her life," says Ms. Tautou, best-known for her roles in "The Da Vinci Code" and "Amelie." Shirley MacLaine, Marie-France Pisier and Katharine Hepburn (on Broadway) have portrayed Chanel at various stages of her career. Shot in France, the French-speaking film opens in New York and Los Angeles Friday and later nationwide. Below, Ms. Tautou talks about a few key scenes.
Singing in the Cabaret
In this scene, the young Gabrielle Chanel and her sister, who are orphans, earn a living by singing in a smoky cabaret. "She's not very talented, so I didn't have a lot of pressure," says Ms. Tautou. A book she read to prepare for the film quoted a cabaret patron who described Chanel's performance as shy and ambitious. "I thought that was really interesting for my interpretation," says Ms. Tautou.
Learning to Ride
When Chanel moves onto the estate of wealthy playboy Etienne Balsan, she decides to learn to ride a horse. Ms. Tautou had to brush up on her riding skills. Her horse was nervous and had a tendency to canter at an uncomfortably fast speed, she says. "I was petrified, but they gave me another horse who was more quiet."
Beach Scene
The scene felt especially realistic because of director Anne Fontaine's attention to detail. Male extras had to grow out beards and moustaches, fashionable in Chanel's era, for two to three months before the shoot, says Ms. Tautou. "It's so much more powerful than when you see wigs."
Credit: By Candace Jackson
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