Delicatessen

Even though the French director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is credited with directing the fourth movie in the popular “Alien” series, “Alien Resurrection” (1997), he became a known name in the U.S. with the charming tale of “Amelie” (2001). But his debut film, “Delicatessen” (1991), and a subsequent film, “The City of Lost Children” (1995), continue to remain utterly bizarre and weird after all these years. Jeunet’s films have always been about characters and their quirky situations, and “Delicatessen” does not deviate from Jeunet’s formula and characterizations.

On the surface, “Delicatessen” is about conducting a business in a ravaged world, but at a deeper level it is a fiercely rebellious movie. First, you have a daughter, Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac), who is not on talking terms with her father, Clapet (Jean-Claude Dreyfus); Clapet is a sinister butcher running his own shop in a building. Julie is a quiet person, but she is not afraid to speak her mind against Clapet’s barbaric ways. She slowly begins to radiate with the hope of permanently going against Clapet after the arrival of a circus clown, Louison (Dominique Pinon). Louison goes against his employer, Clapet, by striking a loving relationship with Julie. Following this, we have a household wife who has tried umpteen ways to kill herself without any success; it’s as though she were trying to rebel against her domesticated, imprisoned life. Then, we have an underground army of vegetarians called the Troglodistes who are planning their next move against the butcher. It is the polar opposite of butcher’s meat business. Jeunet in a subtle way embeds a political commentary on the state of France in the 1950’s. The Troglodistes fictionally represent a French rebel group that existed in the turbulent political era of the 50’s and 60’s.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s “Delicatessen” is a very ambitious project that is all about production values. Employing edgy production techniques with a limited budget, the film, nonetheless, appears grand in its layout of aesthetic elements. The furniture, the dark painted walls, dimly lit corridors, and dark outdoors compositionally represent the vision of Jeunet’s postapocalyptic world. Indeed, Darius Khondji’s stunning cinematography is a key ingredient in this dark, gloomy, and yet funny tale set in the apocalyptic world. Khondji juxtaposes clever photographic techniques that result in a skewed perspective throughout; it blends in appropriately with the overall mood of the film. The movie features a number of sequences with the weirdest camera angles I have ever seen. In several shots, for the first few seconds, the close-ups are done straight on; but as the scene progresses, the oblique camera injects the drama, anxiety, imbalance, and uncertainly looming in the character’s minds.

Certainly, there a lot to like about “Delicatessen.” Comprised of striking images and sets, the film is surreal and intoxicating at times. Apart from the predictable third act, “Delicatessen” remains wildly entertaining.

Ranjan’s film rating:  8/10

Video:

Right off the bat, I have to say this is the best-looking Studio Canal title on Blu-ray I’ve seen. The nineteen-year-old movie is presented in an aspect ratio of 1:85.1 with a stunning-looking 1080p transfer. There are no abnormalities or blemishes on the print; the picture is very pleasing to the eye and is smooth for the entire duration. Considering the dark tone of the movie, the transfer is sharp and the detail is remarkably improved from the previous DVD version. Here, colors are bright--the film’s palette is mainly composed of yellow and light green hues, and dark reds. During close-ups, the skin tones are lifelike and never too reddish. The transfer holds up well during the nighttime sequences with solid blacks. The grain is present more in outdoor sequences that provide the film with a gritty look, although it is an aesthetic choice.

Audio:

The earlier DVD release only had a 2.0 French mono track. Here, we are offered the lossless rendition of the earlier track in the form of a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio French track. Perhaps due to a limited budget, the sound elements are not mastered for 5.1, which would have definitely improved upon the prior experience. Other than this minor quibble, I did not see any issue with the dialogue--it is clear and sharp. As expected, the front channels remain active throughout. Also provided is the option to view the movie in English and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

This release carries extras from the previous DVD release.

First, we have an audio commentary track with the director of the film, Jean-Pierre Jeunet. He talks about the set design, various techniques used, the screenplay, and the acting team.

Following this is a featurette on the film, “Fine Cooked Meats,” that shows the crew on location. We see several shots from the film but no insight on filming details.

Up next, we have an extensive retrospective documentary that runs over an hour. The director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and actors talk about the limited budget they had at their disposal. Jeunet discusses the screenplay and his thoughts on the roles. Other interviewees provide insight on marketing techniques employed for screening the film in the U.S.

Next, the featurette “The Archives of Jean-Pierre Jeunet” shows sequences and outtakes from the film.

Finally, we have a theatrical trailer and a teaser included on the disc.

Parting thoughts:

“Delicatessen” is a wild ride that is funny and entertaining. It has dark and brooding elements normally seen in David Lynch’s films. More so, the film has an epic feel to it even with a limited budget. Featuring stunning photography, quirky characters, and fine performances, “Delicatessen” comes highly recommended. The new Studio Canal release through Lionsgate is a competent one. What’s more, with a splendid transfer and a satisfying set of extras, fans looking to upgrade from the previous release should not hesitate.