In April 1991, France discovered true cinematic emo: delicatessen! Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, this work has been released in a restored 4K version thanks to Splendor Films. A true gem, this film is definitely worth (re)discovering!
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The story of Delicatessen takes us to the desert, where a building inhabited by strange characters stands. All are customers of the butcher on the ground floor, whose stock rises as certain tenants disappear.
One fine day, Louison, an unemployed clown, arrives. A musical virtuoso, he delights in Julie, a cellist, butcher’s daughter.
The first impressive film!
Delicatessen is the first feature film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro. However, this is not their first collaboration. Individually, Caro worked in comics, and Jeune worked in advertising.
They have already made five short films together, including The Bunker of the Last Burst (1981). This film created a sensation as it created riots in certain cinemas. The duo also co-wrote Foutaises (1989), which won the 1991 César for Best Short Film.
“I lived above Khasabi and every morning I was woken up by the sound of a chopper, my girlfriend at the time told me: people are being killed there and they come down from one floor every day.
It will come to us too, we must act quickly! And so the film was born. A closed place because we were looking for something not too expensive and a fun idea”entrusts the columns of Jean-Pierre Jeunet Პirveli.
Dominique Pinon and Karin Viard
weight support
The director and his collaborator Marc Caro received great support from producer Claude Ossard, who struggled to finance the film.
“I really thought I would find money. I tried to reassure them, but they didn’t believe me anymore! They were desperate. I had meetings and was always in action, but all they could do was “wait. It was horrible. every time. I saw people, I said: it will be fine, it will be fine. But it never was.The producer recalls.
Eventually, Claude Ossard was able to convince the UGC, who signed him to a five-film contract. “He said the delicatessen would come first. It depended on Claude’s stamina. He admitted that if we didn’t call him every two days to ask how things were going, we might have to—let him go.”Jean-Pierre Jeunet points out.
The delicatessen was to be filmed in a building in the western suburbs of Paris, which was about to be demolished. Unfortunately, at the last moment, the mayor requested A “100,000 francs in gratuity” before production. The team refused and decided to go to Pantini’s old Seita warehouses, where Luc Besson filmed Nikita.
“We had the whole factory at 5,000 pads a month, it was great, there was no one but pigeons. The budget was 18 million francs, it was tight. There were sixteen weeks of filming, but we weren’t allowed. One hour of overtime. Some weeks I saw my caro making patinas himself on the set.”Jean-Pierre Jeunet emphasizes.
Jean-Claude Dreyfus
Movie faces!
The delicacy is carried by two weighty actors, “faces of cinema”: Jean-Claude Dreyfus and Dominique Pinon. According to Jeunet, the casting should have been completely different!
“The main character of Louison should have been played not by Dominique Pinon, but by Christoph SalengroPresident of Groland. So we did tests and then I realized the limits of these visual actors, a little less good in dialogue and composition. That’s where I got the idea of pinon.”The director explains.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro looked to Jean Boise for their interpretation of The Butcher. Unfortunately, the actor died before filming, in July 1989, at the age of 60. So the two authors turned to Jean-Claude Dreyfus.
“One day they came to me and put the Delicatessen script on the table, and I said, ‘Hey, this is fun, turn around,’ and they found themselves facing 250 pigs, because I’ve been collecting pigs for years.
This made them laugh. They came to offer me another role and suddenly I became a butcher in their eyes. I fell in love with this story.”– says the actor.
From Jeunet to Fincher
Finally, it should be noted that the cinematographer of the film was none other than Darius Khong, a great artist who has worked with David Fincher (Seven), Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris) and Bong Joon-ho (Okja).
According to the cinematographer, both Jeunes and Caro have always had a point of view on the matter. however, Caro controlled everything, especially the visuals: color, lighting, atmosphere, costumes, sets…
“Jean-Pierre was really involved in the acting direction and the shots. But sometimes Caro and I had a tendency to go too far with the stylization and Jean-Pierre pushed us back to more realism and comedy.
Because they told everything, it was very accurate. Rarely do I work on a film that is so well thought out, pre-processed. It’s just them, David Fincher and Bong Joon-ho.
Ultimately, Delicatessen was very well received by critics and audiences. It is worth noting that it attracted 1.5 million viewers to the cinema. It also won 4 Césars in 1992: Best First Feature, Best Scenery, Best Editing, and Best Original Screenplay.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
