Delicatessen (1991)

Directors:

Marc Caro
Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Writers:

Gilles Adrien (dialogue)
Gilles Adrien (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 April 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

A futuristic comic feast

Plot:

Post-apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who creates cannibalistic meals for his odd tenants.

Plot Keywords:

Butcher | Food | Apartment Building | Clown | Underground

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 12 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Pascal Benezech	...	Tried to Escape
Dominique Pinon	...	Louison
Marie-Laure Dougnac	...	Julie Clapet
Jean-Claude Dreyfus	...	Clapet
Karin Viard	...	Mademoiselle Plusse
Ticky Holgado	...	Marcel Tapioca
Anne-Marie Pisani	...	Madame Tapioca
Boban Janevski	...	Young Rascal
Mikael Todde	...	Young Rascal (as Mikaël Todde)
Edith Ker	...	Grandmother
Rufus	...	Robert Kube
Jacques Mathou	...	Roger
Howard Vernon	...	Frog Man
Chick Ortega	...	Postman
Silvie Laguna	...	Aurore Interligator

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

99 min | Spain:95 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

France

Company:

Constellation

Trivia:

Rumored to be a surrealistic interpretation of The Delicate Delinquent (1957).

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Julie first invites Louison to her house, she accidentally throws a vase to the floor. There is no "crash" sound when the vase is destroyed.

Quotes:

Clapet: You think this is a safari, bitch?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Roseanne: Hit the Road Jack (#9.14)" (1997)

Original movie from the director of 'Amelie'

'Delicatessen' is a very original comedy from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who also directed the great 'Amélie'. It tells the story of Louison (Dominique Pinon) who is the new helper of a landlord named Clapet (Jean-Claude Dreyfus). Clapet is a butcher and in a world where food is rare he prepares cannibalistic meals for the people in his building. Louison is the new meal and the people in the building wait for Clapet to kill him so they can eat. Clapet's daughter Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac) falls in love with Louison and to save him she seeks help from an underground group.

You have read the above and you must understand 'Delicatessen' is not a normal movie. Although its subject is close to very scary the movie is a comedy and to be honest it is very funny at times. Listen to the way people talk here. Especially the conversation between the butcher and a mailman is very funny. The underground group gets a lot of laughs as well. The movie hints at real horror images but never gives us that. Most of the time the tension is broken with something funny.

'Delicatessen' is not only pretty funny, it looks terrific as well. From the great opening sequence to the last shot it is visually perfect. The production design and especially the cinematography add a lot to the movie's whole atmosphere. May be it is not for everyone, some will find it ridiculous or the idea too lugubrious, may be it is, but the way the subject is handled is the right way. At least it is interesting and therefore already worth seeing.