Delicatessen
Although some may know Jean-Pierre Jeunet best for directing the Oscar-nominated foreign film classic Amelie, he also co-directed a great film titled Delicatessen.
The dark comedy is set in a post-apocalyptic world where everyone is starving and fighting for scraps, presumably because they’re unable to grow or buy much food. It’s never clear what has happened to Earth (or even if this strange event affects it entirely), and focuses mainly on the consequences it causes for a small set of people living in the building of a deli.
It begins with a sinister scene, in which a man attempts to escape from the butcher by covering himself in paper and trash, and hiding in the trash can itself. Of course, he fails and is killed by the butcher’s giant knife, piquing our interest and setting the tone for the rest of story.
Later, when a new tenant, Louison, (played by Dominique Pinon, who also acted in Amelie) comes to answer an ad in the paper about a maintenance job at the apartment building, it becomes clearer that this job has a more grim purpose— the other tenants comment on his arrival with “He’s skinny” and “Hope this one doesn’t try to escape in the garbage.”
Suddenly, Louison’s sunny demeanor becomes almost like torture for the audience, as he seems to have no idea that the residents of the delicatessen apartments are watching his every move like starved dogs, even when the butcher’s daughter, Julie, uses all of her efforts to deter her father and her neighbors.
After that, the rest of the movie devolves into a race to save Louison, helped by an underground group with a bad reputation among those still living above ground.
Personally, my favorite aspects of the movie were the distinctive characters, sets, and the cinematography. Every character that came on screen—whether it was the charming main characters Louison and Julie (fumbling, kind, nerdy, perfect for each other) or ridiculous side characters, like the man in the basement who lives in a virtual swamp to attracts animals to eat—was memorable and interesting, and none seemed out of place or disposable.
I also loved how dull, brown, and dank everything looked, which is to be expected in a post-apocalyptic world. The use of 1940s and 50s style in sets and clothing was a great choice, as it contributed to the ambiguity of the time period. Is this an alternate universe in which the world has been ruined in the 20th century? Or is it merely a style choice with no particular significance? Again, it doesn’t really matter within the context of the film because the focus is the actions of this small group of people, and how they’re coping with this undisclosed disaster.
All in all, if you’re a fan of Amelie, or simply like a dark comedy, you’ll definitely enjoy this movie.
