delicatessen

Movie Critique -Delicatessen.

For those who finds joy watching to Sweeney todd might as well finds this 20 years old film, Delicatessen appealing to watch on a friday night.Delicatessen(1991) is a collaboration of two french film makers namely Jean -Pierre and Marc Caro. Apparently,this was Jean -Pierre first film and second for Marc Caro after his short film released in 1987 titled 'The Bunker of the last Gunshots'.This french black comedy film was set in the period of post -apocalyptic .Delicatessen is a surrealist black comedy film about the landlord of an apartment building who occasionally prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants.

For the movie 'Sweeney Todd' director Tim Burton showed how Johnny Depp actually kill his main ingredient for his pie.Unfortunately, for Delicatessen the movie does not show how does Clapet slaughter and butcher his 'potential prey' .Maybe because the movie was released in the early 90's and audience was most probably still new with this genre.But I genuienly think they should show some true violence and blood involving in the apartment rather than just watching how a woman trying to commit to suicide and how an old man trying to survive living with snails and frogs in the basement .I think for the plot ,Caro and Pierre should have include the scenes of Clapet's slaughtering his prey with full of excitement and evilness and dash it up with mysterious creepy intriguing music like the formula 3 by Thomas Van Oosting .The film was set in the post-apocalyptic period but they din't really show how the tenants enjoy the meat as the people during that period was supposed to be starving.I can say that the plot does not actually went into depth .I was expecting for more flesh and blood and that allow me to wait until when Louison performed his art of murdering with Australian style (flying knife like a boomerang) to destroy the head of cannibal Clapet.

In term of cinematography ,Delicatessen lacks of personal point of view angle .Personal point of view angle could have add more adrenaline rush and the intensity amongst fellow audience. They should have shown how Clapet's approaching his prey like how slow or fast he could have walk and also prioritize the sound of his heart beat and to top that off a scary instrumental music for background like the Axe Man Cometh by Thomas Van Oosting also.Personal point of view develops the surreal feel of fear in audience and they might as well feel that they're experiencing it in reality.

I never liked the colour tone of the movie .The best way of how I could describe the colour tone of the movie is like the colour of a spoilt mustard and a very mild pale of peach colour instantly the movie creates the dirty ,dusty and disgusting looks of post-apocalyptic period .(Imagined us living in that period of time breathing in the breath of dirt and wandering in a dust-full city)Pathetic and sickening it surely be.The light of movie was very dull in the outside and in the inside(in the apartment )was very much accepted .Eventhough I don't quite like the light and the colour of this movie but I think it suited the setting and the story line and whatnot.Director Pierre and Caro most probably picky when it comes to lighting and in creating the desired colour of what they has had in their minds.

Finally lets investigate the strongest element that made the movie outstanding and awarded several European awards.Delicatessen is a character-based film.The characters in the movie enable audience to have a better understanding and to feel the flow of the movie.If and only if the actors and the actresses did not play their character wisely the director main idea of the film may not have been decoded well by fellow audiences.So in term of characterization I believe the movie Delicatessen have done some justice.Louison(Dominique Pinon)has this naive looks and often takes his clownish caricatures to the extreme.With Louison physical appearance it upscale audiences curiosity whether or not he would survive living through in that part delicatessen and part apartment with the existence of the alpha male ,Clapet (Jean -Claude Dreyfus )who murders and butchers after posting job opportunities on the Hard Times newspaper.Louison a unemployed clown who have come all the way to the apartment to vacant the position after the 'disappearance'of the last worker.Louison somehow creates the calm element onto the film and as well as the soul of the movie.Louison slowly falls for Clapet's daughter Julie(Marie -Laure Dougnac) and when love blossoms it somehow helps Julie character to shine in the movie instead of her being just a shadow in the movie.Well,I think what the director can do to create a better well understanding for their audience is by showing How and why Louison's left his job as a circus clown and how he used to be before he actually arrived in the apartment instead of just showing how he pays the taxi fare using his pair of shoes. Other than that ,I think they're just perfect.

Putting aside the criticism,the movie was heavenly to watch when the residents of the rotting hotel fall in sync with the rhythmic sex of two lovers ,the spring squeak ,an old lady beats her rug ,the butcher chops a steak and all that creates the music harmony.Plus ,it was funny to watch the blind Julie and Louison having tea and end up playing the saw and chello symphony .The saw partly disturbing but it harmonize as well with the sound of the chello.

Fairly said,Delicatessen is funny, gross and unabashedly idiosyncratic film.It may looks deceiving but Delicatessen have numerous message in between the scenes and after watching to Delicatessen you might share the same opinion that Delicatessen deserved to win the best film editing at the Caesar Awards.If Delicatessen was not a movie but a french version of sheperd's pie it is nothing else more but heavenly 'délicieux'.For those who have not got the chance to watch this Delicatessen ,hurry up folks and 'bon appetite'.

p/s my 1st formal written  film critique for media appreciation assignment .(wrote this in one night before due date *classic university student .