In a week that saw the passing of ‘The Quiet Artist’ Marcel Marceau, one of the last bastions of real Theatre tradition, it’s tempting to think on the inner life of performers.In Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s astonishing 1991 movie Delicatessen, the day to day trials of unemployed circus clown, Louison, are revealed; his memories and affections. and his ability to bring the musical circus world into the real world.
Er…that is to say; the real world of post-apocalyptic 1950’s France, of course. Louison lives in a big old boarding house over a sinister delicatessen, it’s owned by Clapet the butcher who collects his weekly rent for board and lodging.
This world echoes the rationing and food shortages of the war years in Europe; it thrusts the sinister butcher into a position of power, which he abuses. Where, for example, does his meat come from and why do workmen keep disappearing?
Louison lives in ignorance of this for the longest time, attached, as he is, to his memories, his chores and his love for the butcher’s daughter Julie.
As a film, Delicatessen is quite unique in its entirety; the story is unusual, to say the least, the wonderful cast reach all the corners of their characters with panache and the vision of this little corner of bizarro France is delicately painted.
There is a haunting atmosphere that prevails throughout the movie and like the best suspense movies it knows how to use silence. The empty spaces between the dialogue and the action, where there is time just to watch, beautifully mimic the fresh air of live theatre which isn’t so dependent on packing time as Hollywood and the short-attention-span-generation.
As befits a movie whose anti-hero hails from the circus, the score is dreamlike in the extreme. Like the circus too, the music asks questions about itself through parody.
There are many delicious strands to be savoured in Delicatessen, even if the food itself is perhaps best left on the plate.
To me, I love the way that the music is organic in this movie, it feels like the noises of the house (it is, in part) and gently plays the soundtrack to Louison’s strangely talented life, more than that, it shows me how life might be musical by nature
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Er…that is to say; the real world of post-apocalyptic 1950’s France, of course. Louison lives in a big old boarding house over a sinister delicatessen, it’s owned by Clapet the butcher who collects his weekly rent for board and lodging.
This world echoes the rationing and food shortages of the war years in Europe; it thrusts the sinister butcher into a position of power, which he abuses. Where, for example, does his meat come from and why do workmen keep disappearing?
Louison lives in ignorance of this for the longest time, attached, as he is, to his memories, his chores and his love for the butcher’s daughter Julie.
As a film, Delicatessen is quite unique in its entirety; the story is unusual, to say the least, the wonderful cast reach all the corners of their characters with panache and the vision of this little corner of bizarro France is delicately painted.
There is a haunting atmosphere that prevails throughout the movie and like the best suspense movies it knows how to use silence. The empty spaces between the dialogue and the action, where there is time just to watch, beautifully mimic the fresh air of live theatre which isn’t so dependent on packing time as Hollywood and the short-attention-span-generation.
As befits a movie whose anti-hero hails from the circus, the score is dreamlike in the extreme. Like the circus too, the music asks questions about itself through parody.
There are many delicious strands to be savoured in Delicatessen, even if the food itself is perhaps best left on the plate.
To me, I love the way that the music is organic in this movie, it feels like the noises of the house (it is, in part) and gently plays the soundtrack to Louison’s strangely talented life, more than that, it shows me how life might be musical by nature
5 comments:
File,
only watch the butcher part. you're sick man!
but we both knew that already, I'll watch the other clips later tonight and will post more seriously :)
Delictassen is one of my favourite films and the cello music - almost as good as nyman.
mine too Mimi, I've been trying to find some Nyman/Greenaway (espec. Drowning by Numbers) but I can only find a tiny swimming pool clip, let me know if you do better...
Guitou,(Pappa), ne quitte pas, there's no blood or gore here, it's a music thread, anyway the movie was Made in France, so it's partly your fault!! (I thought I remembered that Caro is Belgian tho, maybe you are free to go!)
Will go looking File. I have several Nyman soundtracks, but all on vinyl so impossible to transmit to you. Drowning by numbers was absolutely fab, musically and filmlicly (is that a word?)
filou,
delicatessen , Caro co directed with J.Pierre Jeunet who did Amelie Poulain and "un long dimanche de fianciailles" which was a long and suffering movie to endure....They also co directed the "city of the lost children": your kinda movie.
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