Reviews (81)

5-Star Meal, 5-Star Cinema
The feast of the title doesn't take place until well into the film. In fact, the majority of the film is spent telling the story of 2 godly sisters and the choices they made in life. Both sisters passed up true love and the promise of success in order to remain faithful to their religious beliefs. Instead they pass their lives assisting their minister father and carry on his work after his death. They continue their quiet lives past mid-life until one of the sisters' former suitors sends them a Parisian refugee, Babette. Babette spends 14 years with the sisters as cook, her only link to her former life being a lottery ticket that a friend in Paris renews for her every year. One day she wins the lottery and decides to use the money to prepare a sumptous dinner for the sisters and their small congregation. More than just an epicurean delight the feast is an outpouring of Babette's gratitude.

If the plot sounds thin, be assured it's anything but. The story is as rich and satisfying as the feast Babette prepares. We see the delicate romances that develop for each sister and understand their reasons for turning their suitors away. We see the lives the sisters, and their men, have led after making their decision. The feast comes at a time when the sisters are asking themselves questions that they never voice: Did they make the right decision all those years ago? Was it worth it? Reassurance comes in an unexpected and exquisitely romanitc way.

This film is such a wonderful example of what happens when filmmakers are interested in telling a good story and telling it well. It doesn't follow a 'formula' or cater to a demographic and is a perfect example of why independent and foreign films are so much more satisfying than Hollywood movies.

Splendid Film Can Leave You Ravenous!
My friend Susan and I wanted to see this film when it premiered at the Cleveland International Film Festival. However, we both kept reading that everyone left the film absolutely ravenous for food after visually feasting upon sublime course after course for 2 hours. Thus, when we saw that an excellent French restaurant would serve us the entire meal just prior to our seeing the film, we decided to go for it. The food was absolutely out of this world and we showed up for the film well stuffed. We were thus able to really enjoy the quiet pleasures of the film where Babette, taken in by two elderly sisters in a small village when in dire need, shows her gratitude and love for them by preparing this feast when she wins the lottery. We, of course, learn everything we need to know about the lives of the sisters and Babette as the feast progresses. This film deservedly won the foreign film Oscar. For those who complain that foreign films are too depressing with bleak endings, you will find this a powerful life-affirming film and contrary to any bleak expectations regarding foreign filmmaking.

A beautiful story of spiritual love
This is truly a spiritually uplifting film. The woman, Babette, becomes maid and cook for two older women in a Danish village. By the time she comes into the tale, you know the story of the two women. She becomes one of the family, and then a miracle happens and she wins the lottery. Her thought then is to cook a feast in honor of their deceased minister father, a feast which these people have never dreamed of, something completely different from the plain simple cooking they're used to.

There is much more than that in the film. The two women are such that it seems sinful to have a lavish gourmet dinner. The feast sequence is a long, lovingly developed treat for the eyes. And of course, we realize that Babette is up to a bit more than just providing a sumptious feast.

Underneath, the film is telling of a joyous spirit who responds to good fortune by using it to show her love, to do something that will actually endure long after the food is gone.

Much has been said by others about this film, so I content myself with pointing out the deep spiritual feel here, the contrast of the love that Babette shows with the piety of the village, and the example she is of the love for others and for life.

This is a film not just to see, but to experience. And you will find it a glorious experience.

An eternal celebration to the friendship!
Babette is a film which inspires you to to be a better person. It's a splendid story about the last possibilities of a lonely human being as Stephane Audran is capable to do in a community.
The multiple readings you can make are countless ; the camera is a silent witeness to show us the unforgettable dinner in what Audran makes a tour de force acting. We had to expect thirteen years for finding out a similar film in its meaning: Amelie in 2001.
The question is not if you must to acquire this movie ; but how can you live without this one?
One of the ten movies from the eighties : A timeless gift from Dennmark to the whole world.

Do yourself a favor and watch this movie - then share it.
I don't know about you, but I LOVE to have experiences that just fill me with joy. Even better, if it's an experience that is easily shared, I like sharing it with my friends and loved ones. This film is one of those experiences. This DVD is an excellent transfer and you can just SMELL the feast that Babette is cooking up in the centerpiece of the story. But the story isn't about the feast any more than "Casablanca" is about a city in Morocco. The story is about sacrifice and friendship and honor. Many characters in this film make difficult choices during their lives, and although you don't necessarily see regret over and over, you can plainly see silent reflective thoughts about "what might have been".

If movies are shown in heaven, I would guess that the group of angels gathered in front of the current showing of "Babette's Feast" is a large one. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

5-Star Meal, 5-Star Cinema
The feast of the title doesn't take place until well into the film. In fact, the majority of the film is spent telling the story of 2 godly sisters and the choices they made in life. Both sisters passed up true love and the promise of success in order to remain faithful to their religious beliefs. Instead they pass their lives assisting their minister father and carry on his work after his death. They continue their quiet lives past mid-life until one of the sisters' former suitors sends them a Parisian refugee, Babette. Babette spends 14 years with the sisters as cook, her only link to her former life being a lottery ticket that a friend in Paris renews for her every year. One day she wins the lottery and decides to use the money to prepare a sumptous dinner for the sisters and their small congregation. More than just an epicurean delight the feast is an outpouring of Babette's gratitude.

If the plot sounds thin, be assured it's anything but. The story is as rich and satisfying as the feast Babette prepares. We see the delicate romances that develop for each sister and understand their reasons for turning their suitors away. We see the lives the sisters, and their men, have led after making their decision. The feast comes at a time when the sisters are asking themselves questions that they never voice: Did they make the right decision all those years ago? Was it worth it? Reassurance comes in an unexpected and exquisitely romanitc way.

This film is such a wonderful example of what happens when filmmakers are interested in telling a good story and telling it well. It doesn't follow a 'formula' or cater to a demographic and is a perfect example of why independent and foreign films are so much more satisfying than Hollywood movies.

Splendid Film Can Leave You Ravenous!
My friend Susan and I wanted to see this film when it premiered at the Cleveland International Film Festival. However, we both kept reading that everyone left the film absolutely ravenous for food after visually feasting upon sublime course after course for 2 hours. Thus, when we saw that an excellent French restaurant would serve us the entire meal just prior to our seeing the film, we decided to go for it. The food was absolutely out of this world and we showed up for the film well stuffed. We were thus able to really enjoy the quiet pleasures of the film where Babette, taken in by two elderly sisters in a small village when in dire need, shows her gratitude and love for them by preparing this feast when she wins the lottery. We, of course, learn everything we need to know about the lives of the sisters and Babette as the feast progresses. This film deservedly won the foreign film Oscar. For those who complain that foreign films are too depressing with bleak endings, you will find this a powerful life-affirming film and contrary to any bleak expectations regarding foreign filmmaking.

A beautiful story of spiritual love
This is truly a spiritually uplifting film. The woman, Babette, becomes maid and cook for two older women in a Danish village. By the time she comes into the tale, you know the story of the two women. She becomes one of the family, and then a miracle happens and she wins the lottery. Her thought then is to cook a feast in honor of their deceased minister father, a feast which these people have never dreamed of, something completely different from the plain simple cooking they're used to.

There is much more than that in the film. The two women are such that it seems sinful to have a lavish gourmet dinner. The feast sequence is a long, lovingly developed treat for the eyes. And of course, we realize that Babette is up to a bit more than just providing a sumptious feast.

Underneath, the film is telling of a joyous spirit who responds to good fortune by using it to show her love, to do something that will actually endure long after the food is gone.

Much has been said by others about this film, so I content myself with pointing out the deep spiritual feel here, the contrast of the love that Babette shows with the piety of the village, and the example she is of the love for others and for life.

This is a film not just to see, but to experience. And you will find it a glorious experience.

An eternal celebration to the friendship!
Babette is a film which inspires you to to be a better person. It's a splendid story about the last possibilities of a lonely human being as Stephane Audran is capable to do in a community.
The multiple readings you can make are countless ; the camera is a silent witeness to show us the unforgettable dinner in what Audran makes a tour de force acting. We had to expect thirteen years for finding out a similar film in its meaning: Amelie in 2001.
The question is not if you must to acquire this movie ; but how can you live without this one?
One of the ten movies from the eighties : A timeless gift from Dennmark to the whole world.

Do yourself a favor and watch this movie - then share it.
I don't know about you, but I LOVE to have experiences that just fill me with joy. Even better, if it's an experience that is easily shared, I like sharing it with my friends and loved ones. This film is one of those experiences. This DVD is an excellent transfer and you can just SMELL the feast that Babette is cooking up in the centerpiece of the story. But the story isn't about the feast any more than "Casablanca" is about a city in Morocco. The story is about sacrifice and friendship and honor. Many characters in this film make difficult choices during their lives, and although you don't necessarily see regret over and over, you can plainly see silent reflective thoughts about "what might have been".

If movies are shown in heaven, I would guess that the group of angels gathered in front of the current showing of "Babette's Feast" is a large one. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Definitely NOT Hollywood - I liked it.
This is NOT Shakespeare's Hamlet prince of Denmark, but an attempt to get closer to the tale on which Hamlet was based (as written by Saxo Grammaticus). It suffers (if that's the word) from being quiet, thoughtful, introspective and shot on a human scale, in a pallette of muted colours. For those who want knights in armour and Schwarzenegger lookalikes takin' out da bad guyz wit da sword uv justiss, don't bother. The costumes are pretty accurate for the period, and despite the comments of one reviewer, armies at that time often actually were only a few score men. It's the SIXTH century, not the sixteenth!

For those who would enjoy a serious attempt to present a slice of historical life, it will be a welcome change from the usual formulaic dross that normally fills your screens.

Hamlet - NOT
This isn't Shakespeare's Hamlet, but a film based on the tale that became Hamlet. Many things are good - a young Hamlet (18-ish Christian Bale), young, vibrant, powerful warrior king (30-ish Byrne), extensive scenes in England showing Hamlet becoming a hero (all off-stage in the play). And it ends happily - yeah!
On the downside, it's set in rough-and-ready 6th century Denmark, which isn't that pretty to look at. The staging seems static and lifeless and it takes forever to get going. Once Hamlet wakes up, things start moving along to a satisfying end.
The premise - great actors doing an early Hamlet with age-appropriate casting - sounds great, but somehow it just doesn't deliver.
I'll rent this video, rather than buy it.

Royal Defeat
I agree with the reviewer who thought of this as a comedy. It really is kinda humorous. Certainly not what you would expect from "Hamlet". If you have low expectations and enjoy watching the usually talented cast- go ahead. The sauna scene is no big deal. Don't get your hopes up. The women are well padded; dimpling and all. The best scene is when Gabriel Byrne grins from ear to ear and looks real mental. He rarely grins in other films! Darnit.

How could a movie with this fine cast be so horrendous?!?
I was expecting a fine film, given the excellent cast and the sponsorship of so many European film groups. As it turned out, I finally found that the only way I could endure watching this film to its conclusion was by treating it as a comedy -- laughing at the unbelievably stilted dialog, the tacky costumes and sets, the population of Jutland and the English "armies" that consisted of no more than 30-40 people each, and just about every other aspect of this abysmal film. I am sure that there are more convincing productions by amateur theater groups, and there may even be better high school productions.

Helen Mirren
She's a great actress. And she has a real-woman beauty rare by Hollywood standards.

But the most important thing, unmentioned by other reviewers, is that she takes a sauna. Worth the price of admission. If you're in to that sort of thing, that is. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

5-Star Meal, 5-Star Cinema
The feast of the title doesn't take place until well into the film. In fact, the majority of the film is spent telling the story of 2 godly sisters and the choices they made in life. Both sisters passed up true love and the promise of success in order to remain faithful to their religious beliefs. Instead they pass their lives assisting their minister father and carry on his work after his death. They continue their quiet lives past mid-life until one of the sisters' former suitors sends them a Parisian refugee, Babette. Babette spends 14 years with the sisters as cook, her only link to her former life being a lottery ticket that a friend in Paris renews for her every year. One day she wins the lottery and decides to use the money to prepare a sumptous dinner for the sisters and their small congregation. More than just an epicurean delight the feast is an outpouring of Babette's gratitude.

If the plot sounds thin, be assured it's anything but. The story is as rich and satisfying as the feast Babette prepares. We see the delicate romances that develop for each sister and understand their reasons for turning their suitors away. We see the lives the sisters, and their men, have led after making their decision. The feast comes at a time when the sisters are asking themselves questions that they never voice: Did they make the right decision all those years ago? Was it worth it? Reassurance comes in an unexpected and exquisitely romanitc way.

This film is such a wonderful example of what happens when filmmakers are interested in telling a good story and telling it well. It doesn't follow a 'formula' or cater to a demographic and is a perfect example of why independent and foreign films are so much more satisfying than Hollywood movies.

Splendid Film Can Leave You Ravenous!
My friend Susan and I wanted to see this film when it premiered at the Cleveland International Film Festival. However, we both kept reading that everyone left the film absolutely ravenous for food after visually feasting upon sublime course after course for 2 hours. Thus, when we saw that an excellent French restaurant would serve us the entire meal just prior to our seeing the film, we decided to go for it. The food was absolutely out of this world and we showed up for the film well stuffed. We were thus able to really enjoy the quiet pleasures of the film where Babette, taken in by two elderly sisters in a small village when in dire need, shows her gratitude and love for them by preparing this feast when she wins the lottery. We, of course, learn everything we need to know about the lives of the sisters and Babette as the feast progresses. This film deservedly won the foreign film Oscar. For those who complain that foreign films are too depressing with bleak endings, you will find this a powerful life-affirming film and contrary to any bleak expectations regarding foreign filmmaking.

A beautiful story of spiritual love
This is truly a spiritually uplifting film. The woman, Babette, becomes maid and cook for two older women in a Danish village. By the time she comes into the tale, you know the story of the two women. She becomes one of the family, and then a miracle happens and she wins the lottery. Her thought then is to cook a feast in honor of their deceased minister father, a feast which these people have never dreamed of, something completely different from the plain simple cooking they're used to.

There is much more than that in the film. The two women are such that it seems sinful to have a lavish gourmet dinner. The feast sequence is a long, lovingly developed treat for the eyes. And of course, we realize that Babette is up to a bit more than just providing a sumptious feast.

Underneath, the film is telling of a joyous spirit who responds to good fortune by using it to show her love, to do something that will actually endure long after the food is gone.

Much has been said by others about this film, so I content myself with pointing out the deep spiritual feel here, the contrast of the love that Babette shows with the piety of the village, and the example she is of the love for others and for life.

This is a film not just to see, but to experience. And you will find it a glorious experience.

An eternal celebration to the friendship!
Babette is a film which inspires you to to be a better person. It's a splendid story about the last possibilities of a lonely human being as Stephane Audran is capable to do in a community.
The multiple readings you can make are countless ; the camera is a silent witeness to show us the unforgettable dinner in what Audran makes a tour de force acting. We had to expect thirteen years for finding out a similar film in its meaning: Amelie in 2001.
The question is not if you must to acquire this movie ; but how can you live without this one?
One of the ten movies from the eighties : A timeless gift from Dennmark to the whole world.

Do yourself a favor and watch this movie - then share it.
I don't know about you, but I LOVE to have experiences that just fill me with joy. Even better, if it's an experience that is easily shared, I like sharing it with my friends and loved ones. This film is one of those experiences. This DVD is an excellent transfer and you can just SMELL the feast that Babette is cooking up in the centerpiece of the story. But the story isn't about the feast any more than "Casablanca" is about a city in Morocco. The story is about sacrifice and friendship and honor. Many characters in this film make difficult choices during their lives, and although you don't necessarily see regret over and over, you can plainly see silent reflective thoughts about "what might have been".

If movies are shown in heaven, I would guess that the group of angels gathered in front of the current showing of "Babette's Feast" is a large one. ... Read more