DELICATESSEN
A film review by Thomas E. Billings
Copyright 1991 Thomas E. Billings
Synopsis: At a time when food is scarce and cannibalism rampant, a butcher obtains meat to sell by hiring handymen and then, when the time is right, chopping them up. His daughter falls in love with the latest handyman, an unemployed circus clown and vegetarian, and tries to save him. Sick, demented, warped, and, of course, outrageously funny! More a black comedy than a horror film; will appeal to fans of EATING RAOUL.
France (English subtitles), color, 1991, 97 minutes. Directors: Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro.
Let me begin by saying that although the subject of the film is cannibalism, there is very little blood or gore in the film. Some, but certainly not all, of the violence in the film is implied. The (human) "meat" that the butcher sells is packaged in opaque, paper packages; it is all very sanitized. However, if the film's visuals don't gross you out, the film's very sick humor may!
The film takes place at some undetermined time in the future, when food is scarce. Although it is not explicitly stated, it appears there was a war that stopped food production. Grain is so scarce it is used as money, and cannibalism is rampant. A butcher owns a small apartment block; he routinely runs an ad in a newspaper for a maintenance worker. The butcher's practice is to hire a new maintenance worker, then kill him and sell the meat to the residents of the apartment building, who are all cannibals.
The butcher hires a new maintenance worker, an unemployed circus clown (and vegetarian) named Stanley. Soon Stanley meets the butcher's daughter, and love blossoms. The butcher's daughter tries to convince her father to spare Stanley from the chopping block, but her father refuses. Distraught and desperate to save her beloved, the butcher's daughter seeks help from the Troglodytes, an underground (literally) vegetarian group that tries to rescue people from cannibals....
Although this is one of the sickest films I have seen in some time, it is also very, very funny. The emphasis of the film is on black humor rather than gore or blood. Perhaps the best comparison film is EATING RAOUL, another warped comedy about cannibalism. Although many viewers will appreciate and enjoy the film's warped humor, others may find it to be in very poor taste!
The film is well-made and conforms to high production standards. The art design is excellent and contributes substantially to the strange atmosphere of the film. The writing is truly excellent, with plenty of dry, sarcastic, very sick humor to delight (or offend) the viewer.
One of the film's weak points is the Troglodytes, a weird gang that live in the city's sewer system. The film never makes it clear exactly what they are; it is suggested that they are vegetarians rescuing people from cannibals. However, they are portrayed as a bizarre and totally incompetent cult (one could claim that the cannibals are shown in a better light in the film). Certainly their weirdness is funny at times, though I felt they added little to the film.
I would recommend the film to fans of EATING RAOUL, and to those that enjoy black humor that is truly warped. Sensitive, easily offended people should avoid the film as you probably won't enjoy its humor.
Distribution/Print Source: Currently on the festival circuit, i.e., showing only at film festivals. The U.S. distributor is Miramax Films, so it will be released in the U.S. in the future (no info. on timing).
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