Movie of the Week: ‘Babette’s Feast’

This week, AHFW hopped on a plane with a propulsion of 1.21 gigawatts to 19th century Denmark for “Babette’s Feast”, which also won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar…during the 20^th century. 1988 to be exact.

“Babette’s Feast” (1987) – Director Gabriel Axel’s picture plays like a tranquil, but otherworldly, fable. In a tiny, Danish seaside village during the 19^th century, overcast skies always loom over this community of gray homes, and the residents match their houses (and the weather) by sporting gray, green and black textiles. The locals hardly ever experience surprises. That includes two elderly sisters, Filippa (Bodil Kjer) and Martine (Birgitte Federspiel), with one exception. Despite their meager income, they employ a French maid named Babette (Stephane Audran) who also lives under their roof. Babette is a welcome outsider, but the sisters suddenly feel very uneasy, when she wishes to cook an elaborate French dinner. In turn, this subtle and quiet tale offers plenty of food for thought.

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐