Babette's Feast

Rating:
Summary: 5-Star Meal, 5-Star Cinema
Review: The feast of the title doesn't take place until well into the film. In fact, the majority of the film is spent telling the story of 2 godly sisters and the choices they made in life. Both sisters passed up true love and the promise of success in order to remain faithful to their religious beliefs. Instead they pass their lives assisting their minister father and carry on his work after his death. They continue their quiet lives past mid-life until one of the sisters' former suitors sends them a Parisian refugee, Babette. Babette spends 14 years with the sisters as cook, her only link to her former life being a lottery ticket that a friend in Paris renews for her every year. One day she wins the lottery and decides to use the money to prepare a sumptous dinner for the sisters and their small congregation. More than just an epicurean delight the feast is an outpouring of Babette's gratitude.

If the plot sounds thin, be assured it's anything but. The story is as rich and satisfying as the feast Babette prepares. We see the delicate romances that develop for each sister and understand their reasons for turning their suitors away. We see the lives the sisters, and their men, have led after making their decision. The feast comes at a time when the sisters are asking themselves questions that they never voice: Did they make the right decision all those years ago? Was it worth it? Reassurance comes in an unexpected and exquisitely romanitc way.

This film is such a wonderful example of what happens when filmmakers are interested in telling a good story and telling it well. It doesn't follow a 'formula' or cater to a demographic and is a perfect example of why independent and foreign films are so much more satisfying than Hollywood movies.

Rating:
Summary: Religion NOT required
Review: Many of the other reviews here of BABETTE'S FEAST comment on its Christian content and powerful spiritual message. To potential viewers who might be put off for that very reason: DON'T BE! RENT OR BUY IT NOW! I am a confirmed, lifelong atheist who normally avoids anything even vaguely religious other than the great art it has inspired. And I've seen BABETTE'S FEAST at least a dozen times! I plan to watch it several times a year until the day I die.

I won't say too much, as other reviewers have spoken in detail about this unforgettable masterpiece. BABETTE'S FEAST is simply the most touching, moving and delicately nuanced film I know of, and the one Scandinavian film which I unhesitatingly urge upon all my acquaintances. With none of Bergman's icy pessimism, this movie is a triumph of the human spirit and of the spirit of selfless love. It is utterly beautiful from beginning to end. It is one of the very greatest of all movies.

If you haven't seen BABETTE'S FEAST yet, you are not a fully realized human being.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Original
Review: The story unfolds in a small, seaside Danish village. We watch patiently as the minister and his two lovely daughters lead their church and community through enlightenment and devout prayer. Rather than seeking marriage or fame, the sisters' faith and devotion to God keep them in this picturesque little hamlet well into late age, long after the minister's passing. At the request of a dear friend, the sisters are urged to take in a Parisian refuge in an effort to save her life during her government's turmoil. Babette becomes cook and housekeeper for the ladies.

Many years later, Babette learns she's won the Paris lottery and decides to host a feast for the kindly sisters and the community that took her in. Though slow moving at first, the story gradually picks up momentum, interest and laughs along the way. The highlight is in the preparation and presentation of the feast itself; to the simple people of the village who have never before experienced such an exotic fare. Unbeknownst to everyone, Babette was the head chef at one of Paris' foremost restaurants and a personal favorite of Parisian royalty and dignitaries.

A delightful film and a treasure for any international collector. The characters are realistically wonderful and cast beautifully. While filled with many charming moments and excellent performances, the entire film is an absolute delight and highly suitable for family viewing. Although some parents may be hesitant to introduce a foreign language film (with subtitles) to their children, it has been my personal experience that children can embrace the important elements, plot and humor of this film, irrespective of individual reading proficiencies. This film was purchased at the urging of our children and says a lot for the uniqueness and originality of Babette's Feast. A true delight for all.

Rating:
Summary: Splendid Film Can Leave You Ravenous!
Review: My friend Susan and I wanted to see this film when it premiered at the Cleveland International Film Festival. However, we both kept reading that everyone left the film absolutely ravenous for food after visually feasting upon sublime course after course for 2 hours. Thus, when we saw that an excellent French restaurant would serve us the entire meal just prior to our seeing the film, we decided to go for it. The food was absolutely out of this world and we showed up for the film well stuffed. We were thus able to really enjoy the quiet pleasures of the film where Babette, taken in by two elderly sisters in a small village when in dire need, shows her gratitude and love for them by preparing this feast when she wins the lottery. We, of course, learn everything we need to know about the lives of the sisters and Babette as the feast progresses. This film deservedly won the foreign film Oscar. For those who complain that foreign films are too depressing with bleak endings, you will find this a powerful life-affirming film and contrary to any bleak expectations regarding foreign filmmaking.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite movie
Review: This movie is my favorite ever. The scenery is beautiful, the acting is extraordinary, the narration is poetic. Babette's feast is not some "movie with a message" otherwise it wouldn't be any good. But it's so real and poignant that much truth can be seen in it, spiritual truth and insights which shed light onto human nature. The relationships are very natural and believable, but the style of narration keeps the story from any kind of overly-subjective viewpoint which infects many movies which delve into human relationships. The actions and conversations arise very naturally and advance the plot superbly.

Another thing which I love about the movie is that it reveals something about the nature of good, evil, grace and redemption. None of the acting characters in the movie are "evil"; however many are infected with smaller sins of pettiness, lack of generosity, glorying in the defeat of others, scrupulosity, jealousy, etc. This movie shows how these defects - small but many - have taken all the joy and pleasure out of life for those suffering under them and that to forgive and be forgiven is necessary to restore the joy of life. Grace, in this case the gift of Babette, is necessary to occasion the redemptive action.

Rating:
Summary: A singular GEM of a movie. The best.
Review: "Babette's Feast" is one of those rare, delicate films that appeals across a broad spectrum of beliefs and expectations. It matters not whether you are liberal or conservative, spiritual or secular: There is nothing not to like about this movie. If you (1) believe that good, well-prepared food can be spiritually-uplifting, and (2) you enjoyed the recent Lasse Halstrom film "Chocolat," then you should purchase "Babette's Feast" ASAP.

Stephane Audran plays Babette Hersant, a refugee from civil war-torn France who finds sanctuary in the home of two elderly sisters living in a small village on the barren Jutland coast in Denmark. The religious community the sisters belong to is one in which denial of Earthly pleasure is key to one's spiritual redemption; yet unbeknownst to them, Babette was a gourmet chef of considerable renown back in France. Later, in gratitude to the villagers for their kindness, Babette offers to prepare them a French gourmet dinner; and although the villagers reluctantly agree to this extravagance, the soon realize that they may be opening themselves up to temptations of an almost diabolical nature. So before dinner is served, they agree amongst themselves to eat the meal without necessarily ENJOYING it. The ensuing scene at the dinner table, in which the guests are so obviously enjoying the meal yet unable to say so, is delightful.

I'm especially pleased with this DVD transfer. The last time I saw this film was by way of an old VHS copy, and while the story was imminently enjoyable, the picture was scratchy and washed-out compared this new release; this new transfer is fresh and rich-looking. For people who don't care for subtitles, there is the option of watching this film dubbed in English, but I wouldn't recommend it, because the actress used for Babette's voice speaks in a higher pitch and makes the woman sound like something of a French sex kitten.

Rating:
Summary: Do yourself a favor and watch this movie - then share it.
Review: I don't know about you, but I LOVE to have experiences that just fill me with joy. Even better, if it's an experience that is easily shared, I like sharing it with my friends and loved ones. This film is one of those experiences. This DVD is an excellent transfer and you can just SMELL the feast that Babette is cooking up in the centerpiece of the story. But the story isn't about the feast any more than "Casablanca" is about a city in Morocco. The story is about sacrifice and friendship and honor. Many characters in this film make difficult choices during their lives, and although you don't necessarily see regret over and over, you can plainly see silent reflective thoughts about "what might have been".

If movies are shown in heaven, I would guess that the group of angels gathered in front of the current showing of "Babette's Feast" is a large one.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite movie
Review: This movie is my favorite ever. The scenery is beautiful, the acting is extraordinary, the narration is poetic. Babette's feast is not some "movie with a message" otherwise it wouldn't be any good. But it's so real and poignant that much truth can be seen in it, spiritual truth and insights which shed light onto human nature. The relationships are very natural and believable, but the style of narration keeps the story from any kind of overly-subjective viewpoint which infects many movies which delve into human relationships. The actions and conversations arise very naturally and advance the plot superbly.

Another thing which I love about the movie is that it reveals something about the nature of good, evil, grace and redemption. None of the acting characters in the movie are "evil"; however many are infected with smaller sins of pettiness, lack of generosity, glorying in the defeat of others, scrupulosity, jealousy, etc. This movie shows how these defects - small but many - have taken all the joy and pleasure out of life for those suffering under them and that to forgive and be forgiven is necessary to restore the joy of life. Grace, in this case the gift of Babette, is necessary to occasion the redemptive action.

Rating:
Summary: More Than Just a "Food Movie"
Review: I'm a sucker for food films like "eat, drink, man, woman" and "Like Water for Chocalate", etc. There is something so inwardley satisfying about seeing a grand feast on the screen, and seeing the reactions. But this one touched me like no other. It is brilliantly simple on the surface, though most of the movie is symbolic and drives home a powerful lesson concerning gratefulness, loyalty and community among other things (thanks to the reviewers who pointed out that the feast represents the Lord's supper, though I'm not "Christian" I still appreciated the parallels.)
Read about the plot from other reviews, I just felt that I needed to throw in my 2 cents.

Rating:
Summary: " I HAVE NO MORE MONEY"
Review: When you hear those words your heart immediately begins to melt. what is Grace? An unmerited favor. Babette gave ALL she had to bring joy and happiness in the lives of others. Who does that remind you of? Christ? The human mind responds when it is being touched by geniune love. May God help us to love unconditionally in this day and age.