Movie Melting Pot… ‘Delicatessen’ (France, 1991)

Delicatessen (1991)

‘Delicatessen’ is a dark tale set in a post-apocalyptic French town which is home to one crumbling building, owned by the butcher named Clapet (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) who has his shop downstairs. With rations virtually non-existent, the butcher hires unsuspecting men to help as handymen in the building, then kills and slaughters them in order to feed his tenants. The movie has a strong Grimm’s Fairy Tale feel to it and, despite the subject matter, is actually a playfully charming film.

The story is actually one of two young people who meet and fall in love, but must overcome an over-protective father in order to pursue their passion for one another. Dominic Pinon plays Louison, the handyman hired by the butcher, whom quickly falls for Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac), the butcher’s daughter, and vice-versa. The problem presents itself when the tenants are getting restless and hungry waiting for the butcher to slaughter him as their next batch of meals. Julie tries her best to warn Louison of the danger and then attempts to convince her father to let him go, but times are tough and he must feed his tenants.

The visual style of ‘Delicatessen’ clearly shows the influence of the pair’s years of working on animated projects together. The colors are rich and vivid, but maintain the antique sheen that gives the movie it’s timeless touch. While the specifics of the war that has destroyed their town and sent them into an abysmal pit of famine and despair are not revealed, the film can easily be interpreted as a fictional fantasy of post-WWII France.

Music plays a significant role in ‘Delicatessen’ as Julie and Louison connect through their love of their instruments. Julie plays the cello, while Louison, formerly a clown, prefers the eerie and alluring sound of the long flexible lumber saw, which he plays with a violin bow. Together, the two of them perform a beautiful duet. Indirectly, music also makes a few interesting cameos throughout the film. One of which is an interesting scene when Louison is called upon by the butcher’s mistress to fix a creaky bed spring. In an attempt to locate the faulty spring, Louison sits and bounces on the bed with her in perfect rhythmic timing as he carefully listens for the source of the creaking sound.

‘Delicatessen’ is a marvelous film that presents some common ideas in some creatively charming and uncommon ways. The film has various other elements that refer back to the times of WWII, including the mysterious underground movement of the Troglodistes, which possibly references the underground movements opposing the Nazis from the French and others. Whether you watch this film for it’s underlying meaning or for its fanciful beauty, you’ll quite likely find yourself wrapped up in this dark delicacy.

‘Delicatessen’ was re-released as a Special Edition DVD on 8/26/2008 with the following features:

• Fine cooked meats: The Making of Delicatessen
• The archives of Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• Audio commentary with Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• Theatrical trailer, Teaser & Photo gallery