Delicatessen (1991)

Directors:

Marc Caro
Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Writers:

Jean-Pierre Jeunet (screenplay)
Marc Caro (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

3 April 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A futuristic comic feast

Plot:

Post-apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who occasionally prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants.

Plot Keywords:

Butcher | Food | Apartment Building | Clown | Underground

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 13 wins & 9 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
Jean-François Perrier	...	Georges Interligator
Dominique Zardi	...	Taxi Driver
Patrick Paroux	...	Puk
Maurice Lamy	...	Pank
Marc Caro	...	Fox
Eric Averlant	...	Tourneur
Dominique Bettenfeld	...	Les Troglodistes (as Dominique)
Jean-Luc Caron	...	Les Troglodistes
Bernard Flavien	...	Les Troglodistes
David Defever	...	Les Troglodistes
Raymond Forestier	...	Les Troglodistes
Robert Baud	...	Les Troglodistes
Clara	...	Mr. Livingstone the Chimp

Directed by
Marc Caro
Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gilles Adrien		dialogue
Gilles Adrien		screenplay
Marc Caro		screenplay
Jean-Pierre Jeunet		screenplay

Produced by
Claudie Ossard	....	producer

Original Music by
Carlos D'Alessio

Cinematography by
Darius Khondji

Film Editing by
Hervé Schneid

Casting by
Pierre-Jacques Bénichou

Production Design by
Marc Caro

Art Direction by
Miljen Kreka Kljakovic		(chief art director)

Set Decoration by
Aline Bonetto

Costume Design by
Valérie Pozzo di Borgo

Makeup Department
Myriam Coulet	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Michèle Arnould	....	production manager
Nadine Chaussonnière	....	apprentice unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jean-Christophe Spadaccini	....	second assistant director
Jean-Marc Tostivint	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Gilles Baillot	....	constructor
Valérie Berthoux	....	model maker
Bernard Boivin	....	chief constructor
Jean-Michel Boivin	....	constructor
Marc Caro	....	artistic director
Marc Caro	....	storyboard artist
Jean-Philippe Carp	....	set dresser (as Jean Philippe Carp)
Simon Carp	....	second assistant art director
Simon Carp	....	second assistant decorator
Marie Desforge	....	model maker
Yves Domenjoud	....	props
Nicolás Díaz	....	sculptor
Gilles Faraldo	....	constructor
Eric Frion	....	constructor
Richard Gerardin	....	constructor
Noël Guillot	....	painter decorator
Jean-François Juvanon	....	constructor
Vincent Lebrinon	....	constructor
Loïc Lemoigne	....	second assistant art director
Lotte Lemorgne	....	second assistant decorator
Andréa Llinaeres	....	model maker
Fabrice Maux	....	constructor
Jacques Mery	....	constructor
Igor Mollet	....	constructor
Jean Rabasse	....	model conceptionist
Claude Sanzey	....	constructor
Valérie Sebast	....	model maker
Silvia Sella	....	constructor
Yann Sibiril	....	constructor
Jérôme Signori	....	model maker
Bertrand Terreyre	....	constructor
Denis Vassal	....	constructor
Serge Vassal	....	constructor
Tom Wiggins	....	constructor

Sound Department
Vincent Arnardi	....	sound mixer
Marc Caro	....	sound effects
Laurent Dreyer	....	assistant sound mixer
Gérard Hardy	....	sound editor
Jean-Pierre Lelong	....	foley artist
Mario Melchiorri	....	assistant foley artist
Muriel Moreau	....	dialogue editor
Jérôme Thiault	....	sound effects
Jérôme Thiault	....	sound engineer
Jérôme Thiault	....	sound supervisor
Laurent Zeilig	....	assistant sound engineer
Laurent Zeilig	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Jean-Baptiste Bonetto	....	special effects
Yves Domenjoud	....	special effects
Olivier Gleyze	....	special effects
Lionel Mathis	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Baptiste Magnien	....	optical effects: Acme
Pitof	....	digital visual effects director
Antoine Simkine	....	visual effects executive producer: Duboi
Jean-Marie Vives	....	digital matte painter
Rip Hampton O'Neil	....	director of reseach and development (uncredited)

Stunts
William Cagnard	....	stunts
Rémi Canaple	....	stunts
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunt coordinator
Arlette Spetebroot	....	stunts (as Arlette Spetelbroot)

Camera and Electrical Department
Franck Barreau	....	electrician
Eric Caro	....	set photographer
Rémy Chevrin	....	first assistant camera
Bruno Dubet	....	key grip
Bernard Gemähling	....	chief electrician
Nicolas Juge	....	additional electrician
Olivier Lancelle	....	additional electrician
Philippe Le Sourd	....	second assistant camera (as Philippe Lesourd)
Philippe Lesard	....	second assistant camera
Lionel Perrin	....	additional electrician
Ferencz Radnai	....	additional electrician
Michel Sabourdy	....	electrician
Stéphane Vidal	....	additional grip
Yorgo Voyagis	....	key grip (as Yorgo Voyatzis)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Véronique Degy	....	assistant costumer
Valérie Pozzo di Borgo	....	chief costumer
Marianne Vally	....	assistant costumer

Editorial Department
Yvan Lucas	....	color timer

Music Department
Jean-Michel Bergounboux	....	music arranger
Isabele Pinadel	....	musician: violoncello
Lev Sipolos	....	musical saw
René Taquet	....	musical consultant
Herbert Varron	....	musician: violoncello
Hubert Varron	....	musician: cello

Other crew
Marc Bruckert	....	titles: Le Village
Yves Domenjoud	....	accessories
Pierre Dufour	....	location scout
Emmanuel Jaffre	....	caterer
Marie-Christine Malbert	....	publicist
Arlette Mas	....	production administrator
Michael Mendelsohn	....	banker/production financier
Gérard Sionneau	....	groupman
Aruna Villiers	....	script supervisor

Thanks
Thérèse Chevalier	....	thanks
Olivier Chiavassa	....	thanks
Jean Villiers	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Constellation
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (as U.G.C.)
• Hachette Première
• Sofinergie Films (in association with) (as Sofienergie)
• Sofinergie 2
• Investimage 2
• Investimage 3
• Fondation GAN pour le Cinéma (with the support of)
• Victoires Productions

Distributors

• Sonet Film (1991) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1992) (USA) (subtitled)
• Universal Music Group (DVD)
• Concorde Filmverleih (1992) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Contemporary Films (1992) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cor Koppies Filmverhuur (I) (1991) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Electric Pictures Ltd. (1992) (UK) (theatrical)
• Penta Distribuzione (199?) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Sadfi Films (199?) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Concorde Video (199?) (Germany) (VHS)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2008) (United Arab Emirates) (DVD) (Middle East)
• Globo Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (North America)
• Lionsgate Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Malofilm Home Video (1992) (Canada) (video)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (video)
• Panorama Distributions (2010) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Paramount Home Video (laserdisc)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2010) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• ACME Films
• Duran
• Duboi

Other Companies

• Actions Movies  stunt equipment
• London Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for violence

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade)

Filming Locations:

France

Company:

Constellation

Trivia:

Delicatessen was the first full film made by Caro and Jeunet, but it was actually planned after The City of Lost Children (1995) was refused, because "The City" was too expensive for the, at the time, unknown directors to assume. For that reason, Delicatessen's budget was cut VERY tight, with a very restricted set, many friends and family of both directors appearing in the cast, and most props being actually old scavenged stuff - again, to cut costs.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Julie welcomes Louison in her room and we see her following him to the table she has no socks, when she brings him later into his room after he has fallen asleep she has socks.

Quotes:

Clapet:You think this is a safari, bitch?

Movie Connections:

References The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)

One most inventive and original films to grace the silver screen

Delicatessen is hard to pin down under a specific genre label; it's a surreal black comedy, a human drama, a post-apocalyptic horror movie, a twisted thriller, a futuristic fantasy; and all in all; one of the strangest and most original films I've ever seen.

In this fantasy world, the world has been ravaged and food is now in short supply. This has therefore made food invaluable and it is being used as currency. Things are traded for with grain, corn and lentils, but not everyone can afford the luxury of food, and some have had to resort to cannibalism to continue to enjoy eating. Our scene opens at a delicatessen in an unspecified location in France, and we are treated to an absolutely delicious sequence (no pun intended) in which a man is desperately trying to hide himself in the trash can. We later find that the reason for this is that this particular delicatessen hires handymen and keeps them long enough to fatten them up, and then they are eaten by the delicatessen's butcher and the inhabitants of the apartment building in which they live. The story really gets going when an ex-clown turns up at the shop, wanting the handyman's job, which has...become available. The plot thickens when the new handyman meets, and later falls in love with, the butcher's daughter; Julie. Julie knows what goes on at the delicatessen and can't allow her new found love to meet the same fate as the others, and therefore does the only thing she can do; hire a band of vegetarian freedom fighters to save her love from becoming dinner for the butcher and his customers.

Delicatessen is directed by the team of Marc Caro (whom, I'm afraid, I am unfamiliar with) and the more well known Jean-Pierre Jeunet, director of a few lesser known modern classics, but best known for the enthusiastic 'Amelie'. The film is brought to life by a brilliant ensemble cast. Dominique Pinon (who also featured in Jeunet's Amelie, Alien 4 and City of Lost Children) takes the lead role of the clown turned handyman. His performance is both understated and magical; as he simultaneously manages to entice the viewer into his performance, and yet keeps his character in the realms of reality (a place in which this film doesn't take place). Jean-Claude Dreyfus is the real star of the show, however, as the extroverted and over the top butcher. His performance certainly isn't subdued, to say the least; and every moment that he is on screen is a delight. In a stark contrast to Dreyfus, Marie-Laure Dougnac; the young lady that plays his daughter and love interest for Pinon is very down to earth, and is the most 'normal' character in the film...although there's still room for her to be a nearly blind klutz. The rest of the ensemble comes together excellently, and not a single actor in the film performs below par or looks out of place; and there's not many films that you can say that for.

This film isn't quite like anything else I've ever seen. In fact, the only film I can think of that is similar to this is Terry Gilliam's futuristic fantasy; Brazil. The film draws it's originality from it's plot mainly, which is extremely surreal and inventive in itself, but it's not just that which makes Delicatessen one of a kind; it's all the smaller plot points. How many films do you know that feature a bullshit detector? (that is set off when the butcher tells it that "life is wonderful", no less). The way that the film looks is also wonderfully different; Delicatessen has a yellow hue, which lends it a style that is very dull and dreary; and that does the film no end of favours when you consider it's core subject material. The yellow hue also makes the film almost feel like a moving comic book, which is one of the things that gives the film it's surreal and absurd edge. I'm a big fan of atmospheric films, which is one of the main reasons why I like horror so much; and this film also has an atmosphere like no other. It's the way that the yellow-ish buildings look next to the dark skyline, and the way that the film uses darkness and smoke to make it more horrifying (see roof sequence towards the end) that gives this film the finishing touch to it's already distinct style.

The love story in the film is sweet and tender, and this very much offsets the dark overtones of the rest of the film. This is nice, as during the scenes between the clown (Pinon) and Julie (Dougnac), the film allows itself to indulge in humour that isn't dark like the rest of the film, and you get the impression that it's enjoying itself a little more. This is just another thing in a long line of great things that make Delicatessen a great movie. Another of these things is the more minor characters. I have never seen a more motley crew than the one in this film. As previously mentioned, Julie, although not entirely 'normal', is the most normal character in the film; the rest of it is populated by lunatics. There's a man with a house full of frogs, a woman that continually tries to commit suicide, a man that puts cans on his deaf mother in law so they know where she is etc. The support cast's wackiness don't add anything much to the story itself (which only really requires them to be there), but the fact that they are different and imaginative is another of the film's absurd edges, and another thing that makes this film different from everything else.

Delicatessen concentrates more on being absurd and surreal than it does in posing deep and philosophical questions. Personally, I have no problem with that, but those who do want a movie to be deep and meaningful might find the film disappointing because of that. That is not to say that the film completely lacks depth or meaning; although a moral to the story doesn't seem to present itself, the film takes it's depth from the 'what if' scenario that it presents; "if the world's food supply became too short to feed the population, would you resort to cannibalism or join the vegetarian freedom fighters?". It's a very general message; but it's definitely there.

Overall, Delicatessen is a sublime piece of cinema. You wont find imagination and inventiveness to the extent that it is shown here in most films, and that alone is reason enough to warrant this classic status. Delicatessen is everything I say it is and more; and overall the film is one of the true highlights of the 1990's. A gem.