Danish Cinema - Movie Review Example

Babette’s Feast: A review Babette’s Feast, a Danish film, depicts the story of two elderly Danish spinsters. These sisters are from an isolated jute land, a small village and from the very outset of the movie one understands that their father, a pastor, brought them up in good discipline under his patriarchal control. When one gets the first glimpse of the two sisters in the movie, their very attire and slow paced movement prompts the onlooker to think that they are the aspirants of a nunnery. Similarly, the Pastor’s appearance in the movie invites such respect with the luminous felicity on his face. The sisters and the members of the pastorate were leading humble lives and any lover of simple architecture will like the simple rustic style of the construction of the pastorate focused in the movie. Deep prayers and Scripture-based life dominate the lives of the sisters. Even though both of them are blessed with heavenly beauty, supplemented by meekness and humility which make them appealing to any bachelor, the Pastor’s dislike towards worldly pleasures prevent them from getting married. The elder sister, Martina gets acquainted with Lorans, a soldier from a noble family; Philippa, the younger one and gifted singer with an enchanting voice, builds up a relationship with Achille Pappin, the Director of Paris Opera. Unfortunately, both these proposals get cancelled and the sisters, after the death of their father, decide not to get married. The whole movie is based on the pious life of the two sisters in a path of Biblical guidance, paying homage to their father whose portrait on the wall of their house, falls within the camera angle many times. The two sisters, even in their fifties, live a pious life. The hymns and Psalms beautifully sang by Philppa and others echo in our heart for a long time. It is at this juncture that there comes a letter from Achille Pappin, Philippa’s friend and former lover informing them that a woman from Paris will be sent to the village for the help of these elderly sisters. The letter praised her to have great culinary skills. Babatte Hersant, the new cook for Martina and Philippa, is widowed and she is fleeing from Paris of some political unrest and bloodshed. Thus she becomes a refugee in the house and she has nothing in her hands as savings for the rest of her life. She has only a lottery ticket from France in her hand which is renewed every year by one of her friends in Paris. Babette has to give up her stylish city life of Paris. But throughout the film one can see her agile and pleasant with a non complaining countenance. This modest but benign woman gradually copes up with the family’s requirement, spending the minimum for their food items. She knows the art of cooking and anyone who tastes her preparations feel that she has a charismatic power of mixing love with the delicious dishes she prepares. Not only the family members even the villagers admires her charming personality. A major turning point in the movie occurs when the two sisters plan to celebrate the birthday of their late father, avoiding all kinds of extravaganza that would hurt their father’s mind. They opt only tea and coffee for the party. This time Babette gets a message from Paris that she has won a lottery ticket. She, as seen in the movie, pleasantly opines that she would arrange a grand feast for the celebration, meeting all the expenses. Even though the suggestion is not so pleasing to the sisters, they later surrender to Babette’s whims. She takes control over the family inviting the frowning faces of the sisters. The big bundles that Babette brings and the procession of the group of villagers carrying all the ‘strange’ items are so farcically depicted in the movie. Similarly, the silent protest made by the sisters by deciding not to utter even a single word during the feast adds to the satirizing effect of the movie. In the same way, the picture of a poor woman who enjoys Champagne with her husband mistaking it to be lemonade pinpoint the innocence of the entire community. The movie is so well knit that even minor characters assume greater importance in it. For instance, the party is blessed with the presence of a General from the French Army. He is none other than Laurence, Martina’s ex-lover. The general, in the French army costumes in the village feast, seems unnatural but adds greatly to the satirical element of the film. He praises the art of preparation; compares it with the dishes of Cafe Anglai’s of Paris. Other innocent villagers are also really surprised even though they do not appreciate the cook. The general tells the sisters that barbette was the chef of the Café Angles and she is a star in the field. At the end the General praises the cook for her love and sacrifice and one also finds Philippa accepting the goodness of Babette. When one makes a character analysis of this film, Babette Hersant is the nucleus of the story. Even though Martinet and philippa are highly religious and spiritual to an extend, Babette’s each act is in the background of the calm and piety lives of these elderly spinsters. She is making a Eucharistic sacrifice; a complete kenosis, which resembles the sacrifices made by Jesus Christ. Her act of sacrificing everything for the loving ones tells us that mere Scripture based life without proper action is futile. Actually she is the one who makes a necessary blend of spiritualism and worldliness and one can clearly see that Babette, in the movie, acts as a foil to the two sisters. Any spectator can see some elements of Christian allegory in Babette’Feast. The theme resembles the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Babette Hersant, through her great sacrifice of losing everything, recreates the proper sermon of Christianity through her deeds. The real expression of the Pastor’s preaching can be seen through her life. She enjoys her works in the kitchen and she is fully dedicated to it. The theme of the film leads anyone to a conclusion that spiritual culmination is in doing good than in simply leading a restricted and sin fearing life. Even though Babette has nothing in saving for her future, she has got the bliss that she has an art in her hand and that an artist never fails in his or her life. So the theme is one of sacrifice and of hope of brighter future. Spectators may sometimes make a comparison of this theme with Christ’s crucifixion and the resurrection. The Babette’s Feast was filmed before many decades. But the film is greatly influential these days. The current relevance lies in the fact that many people in this modern world are over nourished and they are overweight and unhealthy. The director of the film has made a vivid comparison of the food habits of the city dwellers with that of the eating style of the village folk. They knowingly look forward in to the bare minimum necessary for their survival whereas the city people are over concerned with dishes and delicacies. Any lack in taste or variety ends in a curse on their fate. In this respect, it is worthwhile to go through a comment by Stephane audran who states that “despite the austerity of the characters and local, this quiet gentle Danish film, the surprise winner of the 1987 Best Foreign Oscar, won over audiences with its subject of food, and the preparation of a feast to end all feasts”1 One can also find comparisons of the film with Mark Brittman’s Food Matters and Michael Pollens ‘Omnivore’s Dilemma. These two writers suggest us that a family’s selection of dishes on their table indirectly affects the economy of their country. The consumption of meat and oil in large scale adds to global warming. One can keep the two sisters and the village people in one side and the general, Pappin and Babette on the other side. The first group has been enjoying every bit of food with great reverence to it. But the latter group enjoys meat, champagne and other dishes by comparing taste and flavor. When the general, in the movie, exclaims: “The finest wine I have ever tasted!’’, “Turtle soup-incredible!’’, the spectator may feel that these books have got a deep relationship with the film. In brief, any spectator will love this movie in the natural surroundings suitable for the story. Even though the movie is slow moving and lack extra flavors, it soothes one’s mind. With this simple plot and theme the film is triggering up various issues and thoughts of current relevance. The feast acts as the main character of the movie and its absence will lead to the death of the film. To sum up this is a magical blend showing the relationship between spirituality and Worldliness. Works Cited Babettes Feast (1987). Flixster, Inc, 2010. 24 May 2010 . Read More