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The title credit for Delicatessen reads "Presented by Terry Gilliam," and it's easy to understand why the director of Brazil was so supportive of this outrageously black French comedy from 1991. Like Gilliam, French codirectors Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro have wildly inventive imaginations that gravitate to the darker absurdities of human behavior, and their visual extravagance is matched by impressive technical skill. Here, making their feature debut, Jeunet and Caro present a postapocalyptic scenario set entirely in a dank and gloomy building where the landlord operates a delicatessen on the ground floor. But this is an altogether meatless world, so the butcher-landlord keeps his customers happy by chopping unsuspecting victims into cutlets, and he's sharpening his knife for a new tenant (French comic actor Dominque Pinon) who's got the hots for the butcher's nearsighted daughter! Delicatessen is a feast (if you will) of hilarious vignettes, slapstick gags, and sweetly eccentric characters, including a man in a swampy room full of frogs, a woman doggedly determined to commit suicide (she never gets its right), and a pair of brothers who make toy sound boxes that "moo" like cows. It doesn't amount to much as a story, but that hardly matters; this is the kind of comedy that springs from a unique wellspring of imagination and inspiration, and it's handled with such visual virtuosity that you can't help but be mesmerized. There's some priceless comedy happening here, some of which is so inventive that you may feel the urge to stand up and cheer. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 1991 movie about a world in which meat becomes so rare that people use it as currency is re-released. Bonuses: featurette, commentary, photo gallery, Jean-Pierre Jeunet archives.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
71 of 74 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Delicatessan" is simply one of the funniest films I've ever seen. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who also gave us the equally quirky and delightful "City of Lost Children," the film begins in a post-apocalyptic and dying world in which nothing grows and ends in a reborn one where blue skies and fruitful earth has returned. The action takes place in a half-ruined apartment building whose residents are kept from starving by the Sweeney Todd-like practices of their landlord, a butcher. But the butcher's daughter, wonderfully played by Marie-Laure Dougnac, and the ex-clown who comes to work for her father, put an end to the nefarious practice.
The visuals of the film are incredible. To underscore the theme of butchery and meat-eating, the very walls of the apartment building, in both color and texture, look vaguely like meat. Long drainage pipes, which the camera frequently follows from the inside, look like esophagus and stomach passageways and intestines.
The visual surreality is matched by the surreal characters: a rich resident named Aurore whose Rube Goldberg-complicated attempts at suicide all end in failure; a resident who lives in the basement, regularly floods his dwelling to cultivate mold, slime, and snails, which he then devours with gusto; two roommates who make those little cans which, when turned upside down, emit a lugubrious "moo"; a family with demon kids and an aged grandmom who eventually gets turned into pate; the butcher himself who loves his work; the clown who cames to dinner; and a bunch of revolutionaries who call themselves the Troglydites and are as inept as a bunch of Keystone Cops.
An incredibly rich, hilarious, satisfying film. Easily 5+ stars.
The visuals of the film are incredible. To underscore the theme of butchery and meat-eating, the very walls of the apartment building, in both color and texture, look vaguely like meat. Long drainage pipes, which the camera frequently follows from the inside, look like esophagus and stomach passageways and intestines.
The visual surreality is matched by the surreal characters: a rich resident named Aurore whose Rube Goldberg-complicated attempts at suicide all end in failure; a resident who lives in the basement, regularly floods his dwelling to cultivate mold, slime, and snails, which he then devours with gusto; two roommates who make those little cans which, when turned upside down, emit a lugubrious "moo"; a family with demon kids and an aged grandmom who eventually gets turned into pate; the butcher himself who loves his work; the clown who cames to dinner; and a bunch of revolutionaries who call themselves the Troglydites and are as inept as a bunch of Keystone Cops.
An incredibly rich, hilarious, satisfying film. Easily 5+ stars.
45 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
You probably know him best for "Amelie" and "A Very Long Engagement," one an adorably surreal little love story, and the other a sepia-toned story of a girl looking for her lover.
But Jean-Pierre Jeunet did an entirely different kind of comedy in "Delicatessen," a wicked black comedy that deals with... um... er.... cannibalism. As in, people eating people. The resulting movie is a truly twisted, dark story populated by the strangest, oddest characters that the writer could possibly have imagined -- cannibal butchers, rebel vegetarians, and ex clowns. And hoo, is it funny!
It's the postapocalyptic future, where food is so scarce that grain is used as money, and meat is completely gone. The setting is an apartment building run by a local butcher Clapet (Jean-Claude Dreyfus), who feeds his tenants in an unusual way: he hires assistants, then turns them into tomorrow's din-din. His newest assistant is the gentle vegetarian ex-clown Louison (Dominic Pinon).
But the butcher's plans get thrown for a loop when his cello-playing daughter Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac) falls for Stanley and (unsurprisingly) wants to save her love from a fate worse than entrees. So she contacts the vegetarian resistance -- the sewer-dwelling Troglodytes -- and tricks them into invading her father's house, on the night when he plans to slaughter Louison. Then things get really weird.
Okay, let's get this straight: cannibalism is not funny. It's sick and evil and grotesque.
But comedies about cannibalism CAN be very funny, if done well -- and "Delicatessen" is done very, very well. It manages to be a funny comedy in the tradition of Terry Gilliam, with the warped direction, surreal direction and strange settings, as well as some deeply, horribly funny characters. What was later precious in "Amelie" is weirdly ominous here... not that that's a bad thing. It's quite suitable, actually.
It's also a challenge to create such a dark, bleak setting and somehow inject lots of dark, offbeat comedy into it. For example, one sex scene is juxtaposed against various activities (carpet beating, cello playing) -- all in the same rhythm. It's a moment of pure comic skill. But at the same time, Jeunet slips a bittersweet love story into the middle of the strangeness, relying on Pinon and Dougnac's strong chemistry and relatively innocent characters.
The oddities of the characters in this little hotel are what take this dark comedy to the next level: a tough postman, a pair of brothers who make "moo" boxes, and an aristocratic old lady who goes to great -- and unsuccessful -- lengths to kill herself, Rube Goldberg-style. Julie and the innocent Louison are the bright spot of normalcy and love, but the Troglodytes are a bit over-the-top. Really, must they be THAT dumb?
"Delicatessen" is an acquired taste. Okay, now that I've got that out of my system, here's the real end of the review: Jean-Pierre Jeunet's dark comedy is a bit hard to swallow at first, but the wickedly funny characters and offbeat script will win you over.
But Jean-Pierre Jeunet did an entirely different kind of comedy in "Delicatessen," a wicked black comedy that deals with... um... er.... cannibalism. As in, people eating people. The resulting movie is a truly twisted, dark story populated by the strangest, oddest characters that the writer could possibly have imagined -- cannibal butchers, rebel vegetarians, and ex clowns. And hoo, is it funny!
It's the postapocalyptic future, where food is so scarce that grain is used as money, and meat is completely gone. The setting is an apartment building run by a local butcher Clapet (Jean-Claude Dreyfus), who feeds his tenants in an unusual way: he hires assistants, then turns them into tomorrow's din-din. His newest assistant is the gentle vegetarian ex-clown Louison (Dominic Pinon).
But the butcher's plans get thrown for a loop when his cello-playing daughter Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac) falls for Stanley and (unsurprisingly) wants to save her love from a fate worse than entrees. So she contacts the vegetarian resistance -- the sewer-dwelling Troglodytes -- and tricks them into invading her father's house, on the night when he plans to slaughter Louison. Then things get really weird.
Okay, let's get this straight: cannibalism is not funny. It's sick and evil and grotesque.
But comedies about cannibalism CAN be very funny, if done well -- and "Delicatessen" is done very, very well. It manages to be a funny comedy in the tradition of Terry Gilliam, with the warped direction, surreal direction and strange settings, as well as some deeply, horribly funny characters. What was later precious in "Amelie" is weirdly ominous here... not that that's a bad thing. It's quite suitable, actually.
It's also a challenge to create such a dark, bleak setting and somehow inject lots of dark, offbeat comedy into it. For example, one sex scene is juxtaposed against various activities (carpet beating, cello playing) -- all in the same rhythm. It's a moment of pure comic skill. But at the same time, Jeunet slips a bittersweet love story into the middle of the strangeness, relying on Pinon and Dougnac's strong chemistry and relatively innocent characters.
The oddities of the characters in this little hotel are what take this dark comedy to the next level: a tough postman, a pair of brothers who make "moo" boxes, and an aristocratic old lady who goes to great -- and unsuccessful -- lengths to kill herself, Rube Goldberg-style. Julie and the innocent Louison are the bright spot of normalcy and love, but the Troglodytes are a bit over-the-top. Really, must they be THAT dumb?
"Delicatessen" is an acquired taste. Okay, now that I've got that out of my system, here's the real end of the review: Jean-Pierre Jeunet's dark comedy is a bit hard to swallow at first, but the wickedly funny characters and offbeat script will win you over.
41 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
You probably know him best for "Amelie" and "A Very Long Engagement," but Jean-Pierre Jeunet did an entirely different kind of comedy in "Delicatessen," a wicked black comedy that deals with... um, cannibalism. It's a twisted, dark story populated by the oddest characters that the writer could possibly have imagined -- and man, is it funny.
It's the postapocalyptic future, where food is so scarce that grain is used as money, and meat is completely gone. The setting is an apartment building run by a local butcher (Jean-Claude Dreyfus), who feeds his tenants in an unusual way: he hires assistants, then turns them into tomorrow's din-din. His newest assistant is the gentle vegetarian ex-clown Louison (Dominic Pinon).
But the butcher's plans get thrown for a loop when his cello-playing daughter Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac) falls for Stanley and (unsurprisingly) wants to save her love from a fate worse than entrees. So she contacts the vegetarian resistance, the Troglodytes, and tricks them into invading her father's house, on the night when he plans to slaughter Louison.
Okay, let's get this straight: cannibalism is not funny. But comedies about cannibalism CAN be very funny, if done well. And "Delicatessen" manages to be a funny comedy in the tradition of Terry Gilliam, with the warped direction, surreal direction and strange settings. What was later precious in "Amelie" is weirdly ominous here... not that that's a bad thing.
It's also a challenge to create such a dark, bleak setting and somehow inject offbeat comedy into it. For example, one sex scene is juxtaposed against various activities (carpet beating, cello playing) -- all in the same rhythm. It's a moment of pure comic skill. But at the same time, Jeunet slips a bittersweet love story into the middle of the strangeness, relying on Pinon and Dougnac's strong chemistry.
The oddities of the characters are what take this dark comedy to the next level: a tough postman; a pair of brothers who make "moo" boxes, and an aristocratic old lady who goes to great -- and unsuccessful -- lengths to kill herself, Rube Goldberg-style. Julie and the innocent Louison are a bright spot, but the Troglodytes are a bit over-the-top. Really, must they be THAT dumb?
"Delicatessen" is an acquired taste. Okay, now that I've got that out of my system, here's the real end of the review: Jean-Pierre Jeunet's dark comedy is a bit hard to swallow at first, but the wickedly funny characters and offbeat script will win you over.
It's the postapocalyptic future, where food is so scarce that grain is used as money, and meat is completely gone. The setting is an apartment building run by a local butcher (Jean-Claude Dreyfus), who feeds his tenants in an unusual way: he hires assistants, then turns them into tomorrow's din-din. His newest assistant is the gentle vegetarian ex-clown Louison (Dominic Pinon).
But the butcher's plans get thrown for a loop when his cello-playing daughter Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac) falls for Stanley and (unsurprisingly) wants to save her love from a fate worse than entrees. So she contacts the vegetarian resistance, the Troglodytes, and tricks them into invading her father's house, on the night when he plans to slaughter Louison.
Okay, let's get this straight: cannibalism is not funny. But comedies about cannibalism CAN be very funny, if done well. And "Delicatessen" manages to be a funny comedy in the tradition of Terry Gilliam, with the warped direction, surreal direction and strange settings. What was later precious in "Amelie" is weirdly ominous here... not that that's a bad thing.
It's also a challenge to create such a dark, bleak setting and somehow inject offbeat comedy into it. For example, one sex scene is juxtaposed against various activities (carpet beating, cello playing) -- all in the same rhythm. It's a moment of pure comic skill. But at the same time, Jeunet slips a bittersweet love story into the middle of the strangeness, relying on Pinon and Dougnac's strong chemistry.
The oddities of the characters are what take this dark comedy to the next level: a tough postman; a pair of brothers who make "moo" boxes, and an aristocratic old lady who goes to great -- and unsuccessful -- lengths to kill herself, Rube Goldberg-style. Julie and the innocent Louison are a bright spot, but the Troglodytes are a bit over-the-top. Really, must they be THAT dumb?
"Delicatessen" is an acquired taste. Okay, now that I've got that out of my system, here's the real end of the review: Jean-Pierre Jeunet's dark comedy is a bit hard to swallow at first, but the wickedly funny characters and offbeat script will win you over.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yumm
Perfect date movie to watch with a burger. Just as delicious as I remember. Dominique Pinon and his enthusiasm make the film.
Published 1 month ago by noel marco
2.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant film in a seriously flawed package
Delicatessen has been one of my favorite films since I first saw it in a small art cinema in the 1990s. Read more
Published 1 month ago by spurious joe
5.0 out of 5 stars
lovelovelove
love this movie soooooo much. but i didnt get a case for the movie, but w.e it was in good condition
Published 2 months ago by Elizabeth M. Veale
4.0 out of 5 stars
French film , black comedy ( noir)
This is a very interesting movie and one that I had to purchase. It has romance, comedy, music and quirkyness galore. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Talo
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very original cannibal movie
I found it an incredibly original and artistic cannibal movie. It has humor, art, fantasy, thrills. It is not in English but subtitles are available.
Published 3 months ago by Genevieve Talavera
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quirky Movie
A bit strange, but well done. It is a good movie and most people should watch it. Go see it.
Published 4 months ago by Floyd R. Turbo
3.0 out of 5 stars
It okay
It was entertaining, but it show negative furture where they can only see apperant solution to their lot in life
Published 4 months ago by John M. Norris Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars
great addition to my Blu ray collection
Dispite having to read subtitles I found this movie to be very worth while. I own several of this directors films. Read more
Published 4 months ago by EZWOLF
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outlandish, often funny, French drama
This is just another strange French movie like City of Lost Children and Micmacs. It's pure entertainment and outlandishly funny in spots.
Published 5 months ago by Gregory Egan
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't waste your time!
Faut-il ętre un critique de cinéma pour apprécier ce film ? A croire que oui !
Un film on ne peut plus glauque, lugubre, sinistre, malsain, une "histoire"... Read more
Un film on ne peut plus glauque, lugubre, sinistre, malsain, une "histoire"... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Hans L. Van Costenoble
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