Chocolat (1988)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Claire Denis

Writers:

Claire Denis (writer)
Jean-Pol Fargeau (writer)

Release Date:

May 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young French woman returns to the vast silence of West Africa to contemplate her childhood days in a colonial outpost in Cameroon...

Plot Keywords:

Interracial Relationship

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Isaach De Bankolé	...	Protée
Giulia Boschi	...	Aimée Dalens
François Cluzet	...	Marc Dalens
Jean-Claude Adelin	...	Luc
Laurent Arnal	...	Machinard
Jean Bediebe	...	Prosper
Jean-Quentin Châtelain	...	Courbassol
Emmanuelle Chaulet	...	Mireille Machinard
Kenneth Cranham	...	Boothby
Jacques Denis	...	Joseph Delpich
Cécile Ducasse	...	France enfant / France, as a girl
Clementine Essono	...	Marie-Jeanne
Didier Flamand	...	Capt. Védrine
Essindi Mindja	...	Blaise
Donatus Ngala

Also Known As:

Chocolat - Verbotene Sehnsucht (West Germany)
Chocolate (International: English title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

France | West Germany | Cameroon

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:L | West Germany:0 (f) | Singapore:M18 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Cameroon

Company:

Caroline Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cinemania (2002)

Beautiful but frustrating...

Claire Denis's Chocolat is a beautiful but frustrating film. The film presents a very interesting look at the household of a European colonial family living in Cameroon, giving the viewer an informative perspective on the lives of many characters and their interaction. However, the development of these characters is often maddeningly insufficient. For example, a central theme in the story is young France's inability to form strong relationships with others. Although this portrayal is executed flawlessly, notably in the way that Denis frames the story with scenes from France's return to her childhood home, the girl's lack of intimacy with the film's other characters makes it difficult for a viewer to invest much interest in her development (or lack thereof) as a protagonist. The general stagnation of the film's character development makes it difficult to become engaged in the loosely organized plot. The film raises a great deal of tension between characters, particularly between Aimee and the men in her life, but never fully addresses this social friction, leaving the viewer unsatisfied. The final few scenes are powerful but depressing. Denis's work is certainly interesting from an intellectual and historical standpoint, but if you are looking for a film with adventure or drama, Chocolat is definitely not the best choice.