Movie chocolat how to#

Vianne’s otherness is apparent in many ways, almost all of which are catalyzed through her chocolate confections. For Vianne, this creates a clear animosity between herself and the other townspeople.Īt the onset of the film, Vianne’s shop and chocolates only work to divide her from the rest of the townspeople, who are attempting to recognize Catholic Lenten. One reason for this disapproval is the enormous influence the conservative Catholic Church has on the town, and in the time of Lent, there is even more pressure for the townspeople to show their piety by denying themselves physical pleasure, which includes the consumption of chocolate. Throughout the film, it becomes obvious that in many ways, Vianne and chocolate become synonymous with the “other ” something to be feared, disliked, or disproved of by the town of Lansquenet. However, a way in which Vianne attempts to further her place in the community is by helping Armande reconnect with her grandson, Luc, and estranged daughter Caroline, who works for Le Comte and disapproves of Armande much in the same way she disapproves of Vianne. In the midst of her struggle to win over the town, Vianne meets Roux (Johnny Depp), a riverboat dweller with whom she has a brief romance, further distancing her from the conservative piety of the townspeople. Another important influence on Vianne’s success is Armande (Judi Dench), who is a grumpy old woman who rents the shop to Vianne upon her arrival, and eventually helps to endear her to the townspeople. Vianne’s closest friend and ally throughout the film, Josephine (Lena Olin), is first introduced as a battered wife and resident black sheep of Lansquenet, and only happens upon Vianne’s shop in an attempt to steal some chocolate. Because his pious reputation is on the line, Le Comte works endlessly to thwart Vianne’s attempts to gather business for her chocolaterie, which she opens on Ash Wednesday. Le Comte is the acting mayor of the town, as well as being a critical player in the Catholic Church and direct influence on the town’s new priest. Upon arriving, she is immediately met with disdain from the townspeople, namely Le Comte Reynaud, played by Alfred Molina.

The heroine of the film, Vianne (Juliette Binoche), moves to Lansquenet with little intention to stay for any extended amount of time, due to her nomadic nature and Mayan heritage. He masters this feat without altering anything but the external notions surrounding the confection, and they way in which it affects the characters’ lives.Ĭhocolat is a film about a woman who moves to the conservative French village of Lansquenet in the 1950’s, disrupting the town’s otherwise quiet lifestyle by opening a Mayan chocolaterie. Hallström uses chocolate as a means for establishing otherness in Vianne’s character, as well as working as a unifier amongst the townspeople. The chocolate itself does not change within the film, only the way it is interpreted by other characters. Here, chocolate is used as both a positive and negative symbol in the town, creating both unity and conflict. Because these foods often represent a dichotomous relationship between characters or plots within a film, Lasse Hallström’s use of food in Chocolat (2000) is especially intriguing. Because different foods are conducive to different moods within a film, oftentimes the decision to use foods positively or negatively directly relates to the tone the filmmakers wish to establish throughout the entirety of the piece. Many films that directly involve food as a plot point or major theme choose to use it as either a means of utopia or dystopia, positive or negative.

Movie chocolat how to#

Roth taught her how to analyze the film in much greater depth than she had ever considered before, and she now understands Chocolat to be of truly great quality as well as truly great entertainment. She chose to write about Lasse Hallström’s Chocolat because it has been a favorite of hers since childhood.

She will graduate in May of 2016, after which she hopes to explore a few different areas of employment, or continue her education in postgraduate studies. Next year, she will be working on Honors Capstones in both of her major areas of study. Now, she is majoring in both English literature and psychology, as well as studying French and business for minor degrees. Paige Lockard is originally from Kansas City and attended Lee’s Summit North High School.

Eating Otherness: The Unifying Qualities of Chocolate in Lasse Hallström’s Chocolat