I first watched the French film “Delicatessen” on a shag rug in my family’s living room in 1992. I was 16 years old and virtually in my cultural infancy. While many peers were bored with subtitles and abstract plots, I had a hunger to understand what it was about these films that tickled the fancies of artsy-fartsy set.
Watching this film as a 16 year old confirmed to me that, indeed, foreign films were worth my time. And I’d be safe to say; this was one movie that impacted my future appreciation for unique film making.
“Delicatessen’s” Plot: Post-apocalyptic conditions are hard, meat is scarce, and people are desperate. A retired clown rents an apartment above the Butcher’s shop and meets a mélange of characters who are, to say the least, eccentric. This includes the Butcher who brutally tends to his flock of tenants by feeding them what livestock is available: HUMAN!
When the whimsical protagonist falls in love with the Butcher’s daughter (and visa versa), the plan to make a meal of new guy goes awry. She attempts to protect him through pleas to her brutish father, but to no avail. Finally she hires an underground vegetarian faction to fix things and then things REALLY get wild.
“Delicatessen” is visually engaging with striking contrasts, smoky cityscapes, and just an overall eeriness. The sets are reminiscent of Braque’s cubist paintings – monochromatic, confusing, and deliberate.
What’s most impressive to me is the multi-sensory experience that the film magically conveys with its cleverly composed percussion numbers and dust and smoke that can almost make you choke.
For those of you hungry for a little French culture post-apocalypse-style…or for those with, simply stated, an appreciation of dark humor, please join us at Foothills Performing Center on Monday November 17, 8 pm for this delicious and playful masterpiece.
Christina H.