Directorial duo Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro’s 1991 breakthrough cult hit ‘Delicatessen’ has made its UHD debut following a sumptuous 4K restoration from StudioCanal. Set in a surreal, post-apocalyptic future where the lines between survival and savagery are as fine as a razor’s edge, this unique film carves out a niche all its own.
In a dystopian world where food is scarce, ‘Delicatessen’ is centred around the bizarre and darkly humorous events that occur in a decaying apartment building. The film follows the residents of this building, which is controlled by the brutish landlord Clapet (Jean-Claude Dreyfus), who also runs a butcher shop on the ground floor.
But he doesn’t sell traditional meat, which is incredibly hard to come by. Instead, he lures people to the building with the promise of jobs, murders them, butchers them, and then sells the meat to his tenants. The latest person to fall for one of these job ads is Louison (Dominique Pinon) a former circus clown. Before the cleaver falls however, a defiant romance blossoms between Louison and the butcher’s daughter Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac).
Drawing inspiration from a wild variety of cinematic and artistic sources, ‘Delicatessen’ is a culinary carnival of dark delights. Surrealism, science fiction, film noir, and social commentary all combine deliciously in this one-of-a-kind exploration into the extremes of human nature. It won’t be to everyone’s tastes. Jeunet and Caro have a very specific and offbeat artistic sensibility, balancing grotesquerie with absurd levels of twee. If quirkiness ain’t your thing, this might not be for you.
However, for those who appreciate innovative, offbeat cinema, with an unconventional visual style, ‘Delicatessen’ is a rare and inventive treat. With superb cinematography by Darius Khondji, and a brilliantly physical performance by Dominique Pinon, this is a captivating blend of horror, dark humour, and social commentary. Bon appétit.
This new release comes with an audio commentary with co-director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. There’s also a short behind the scenes documentary from the 2001 special edition DVD. From the 2010 blu-ray is an hour-long retrospective documentary ‘Main Course Pieces’ which goes into great detail on the making of the film, with interviews with all the main cast and crew.
Also from the 2001 disc is the Jean-Pierre Jeunet archives, which is a mix of rehearsal clips, auditions, original footage, and alternate takes. Finally, there is a new interview with Jeunet and Caro, recorded at the same time they were promoting the 4K re-release of ‘The City of Lost Children.’
Cast: Dominique Pinon, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Marie-Laure Dougnac Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro Writer: Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro and Gilles Adrien Released By: StudioCanal UK Certificate: 15 Duration: 99 mins Release Date: 16th October 2023
