Delicatessen (StudioCanal Collection) [Blu-ray]

If you liked Island of Lost Children, then this one is for you. Same director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Same basic color pallete, same dystopian present, this one set in a post-apocalyptic France. Where in France, never stated. What the apocalypse was, never mentioned. It's just bad now, with food in short supply, but it appears water and electricity are chugging along just fine.This is a cannibalism black comedy, and it works. The characters are distinct and a few decidedly over the top; this is French cinema, after all.And you get a European clown, if you know what I mean. Not just European, but A French clown, so if you are creeped out by clowns this one will peg you red. And a French clown who does an act with a chimpanzee. Yeesh.You basically know where all of this is going to go, and eventually it gets there, with a number of interesting and unexpected twists along the way. Most things haven't really changed, and it's unclear what the future holds, but love has won out and things are looking up, at least spiritually.This is a 1991 film, so was made 1989-90. Terry Gilliam's Brazil was 1985, so if some of the characters and their garb evokes Brazil and presages Twelve Monkeys, I think you're probably on to something there.Bottom line: this movie is about as un-Hollywood as you can get, in language (English subtitles), color palette, characters, and above all, storyline. The setting and the narrative are disturbing, but I found this a joy to watch, interesting, different, imaginative, original, and above all, not predictable.

So, "Delicatessen", the first film by the guy who went on to make "City Of Lost Children", "Amélie", "Alien: Resurrection", "Mic-Macs", and other quirky masterpieces.Instead of critiquing the film, which is, by the way, very good, I'd like to address the setting.I see from most of the reviews here that people think the film is set in some vague post-apocalyptic limbo. And if one knew nothing about France, I could see how one would get that impression. The movie is actually set in a WWII-in-progress limbo, and it deals with a subject that no one talks about: cannibalism during the German occupation of France. At one point during the film, a motorcycle courier shows up out of nowhere, and the building residents ask him about "The War". That's just one of the many hints pointing to occupied France.There were shortages of everything, especially meat, during the Occupation. And it was much worse in the country than in the big cities. People did whatever they could to survive.My great-aunt was in the Résistance in Northern France, and although she didn't talk about it much, I did overhear her talking to my parents about it once. She told them what was done to certain Nazis that were captured or killed. Some of them turned up as meat. Soldier meat was called "porc" ("pork"), officer meat was "boeuf" ("beef").The film puts a darkly humorous face on this, but it is part of the ghosts that haunt France's past.This happened not just during the Occupation, but also for several years afterwards.Not many people realize just how much of a beating France took and how long the healing process was.The most incredible thing is that a film as breathtakingly beautiful as Jean Cocteau's "La Belle Et La Bête" ("Beauty And The Beast") came out in 1946, despite the abject and deep misery of France at that time. It is truly a tribute to the creative spirit of humanity.Anyway, I'm gonna buy "Delicatessen" on Blu-ray now because it's damned funny. :D

A man move in at apartment with the store "Delicatessen." The butcher is the owner of the apartment. It's a little bizarre story.

I do not even know how to describe this movie. In a world where meat is banned an ex circus clown moves into an apt building and the owner plans to carve him up for the residents. He falls in love with the owners daughter and ultimately does not end up on the menu. Very entertaining flick.

Really nice movie, those kind of movies that are not very common but are really good

A truly dark, beautiful, and one of the most artistic films ever made from Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro. A movie set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where there's nothing more but a deli, a murderous butcher, cannibalistic tenants, and the butcher's beautiful young daughter who starts to have a budding romance with the new tenant who happens to be a former famous clown and circus performer. A beautiful, vibrant, visualized film that is way ahead of it's time and truly inspiring for many filmmakers. It's too bad you will rarely see movies like this that can stick with you in an enlightening fashion. 11/10.

If you have a strong stomach and enjoy dark humor, this film is for you.

What can I say, it's weird as hell, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire film but most particularly the strange little sequence where everyone in the building are doing some task but rhythmically in sync with everyone else. Also the scene where Dominique Pinon's character is trying to fix a squeaky spring on his neighbors bed. They both sit on the bed slightly bouncing to some music, I found the choreography hilarious. Jean-Claude Dreyfus totally made the butcher role into a canvas on which he painted a madman.

From gorgeous colours and camera movements to hypnotic melodies played on a saw!!This is a beautiful film, so very french, sophisticated and confident, the story wonderfully inventive and riveting. Equally amusing, poignant and artistic.The two directors are from the Advertising Industry and it's shows.A beautiful movie.

A dark comedy worth taking the time to savour. Along with the main tale there are the little side-stories of the characters living in the various apartments which all intertwine in some way as the film unfolds. One can try and search for hidden meanings - the cannibal carnivores and those subversive vegetarians - or just enjoy it for the curious tale that it is. Despite its dark nature there is little violence or blood which is a good change from the gore that would likely appear if this was a Hollywood spectacular. The English subtitles capture the nuances as well as the original soundtrack does.

Charmingly quirky, outstanding moments when two of the main characters locate a skweeky bed spring by sitting on the bed and swaying to Hawaiian music and character Aurora, who believes she hears ghostly voices, attempts suicide using a bath and an electric fire.

Although the picture quality is good blu-ray quality, there are none of the background features that are on the dvd release.Disappointing.

A dark comedic view of a future world, with an endearing love story within a society on the edge of extinction, but with heroes valiantly fighting to maintain some semblance of order.