Babette's Feast
Encyclopedia
Babette's Feast is a 1987 Danish
film
directed by Gabriel Axel
. The film's screenplay was written by Axel based on the story by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen), who also wrote the story which inspired the 1985 Academy Award winning film Out of Africa. Produced by Just Betzer
, Bo Christensen
, and Benni Korzen
with funding from the Danish Film Institute
, Babette's Feast was the first Danish cinema film of a Blixen story. It was also the first Danish film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
.
The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard
section at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival
.
) and Philippa (named for Luther's friend and biographer Philip Melanchthon), live in a small village on the remote and beautiful, but also barren and chilly, western coast of Jutland
(Denmark
) in the 19th century (1885). Philippa (Bodil Kjer
) and Martine (Birgitte Federspiel
) are the daughters of a pastor who founded his own strict Christian sect. Though the pastor himself has long since died, and the sect draws no new converts, the aging sisters preside lovingly over their dwindling congregation of white-haired, rural resident believers.
The story falls back 49 years in time to depict how each sister, in her youth, was a ravishing beauty. The father rejects all suitors, preaching that "earthly love and marriage were considered to be scant worth, and merely empty illusion." When a local boy from the congregation asks to court one daughter, the father asks him, "Would you rob me of my right and left hands?" (Or, in the dubbed translation, "They are my only silver and gold.")
Each daughter is courted by an impassioned suitor visiting Jutland – Martine by a charming young officer, Lorens Löwenhielm, of the Swedish
cavalry, sent to stay with his aunt in Jutland for the summer to consider and correct his injudicious behavior. And Philippa by a star baritone, Achille Papin, from the Paris opera, on hiatus to the silence of the coast. Each of the male suitors falls desperately in love.
The young officer Lorens, upon meeting Martine, "had a mighty vision of a higher and purer life without creditor's letters or parental lectures and with a gentle angel at his side." He attends the congregation's meetings, but feels more and more unnoticed by Martine at each. Finally, he walks away because he feels unworthy of Martine's hand in marriage, having spent his life as a dissolute gambler: "I am going away forever and I shall never, never see you again. For I have learned here that life is hard and cruel, and that in this world there are things that are … impossible."
When the French baritone attempts to take Philippa to Paris and gets carried away and kisses her during a rehearsal of a duet from Don Giovanni
, Philippa decides to discontinue the lessons and turns down his offer of stardom and wealth.
35 years later, Babette Hersant (Stéphane Audran
) appears at their door. She carries only a letter from Philippa's former suitor, the singer Achille Papin, explaining that she is a refugee from counter-revolutionary bloodshed in Paris
, and recommending her as a housekeeper. The sisters take Babette in, and she spends fourteen years as their cook, a modest but benign figure who gradually eases their lives and the lives of many in the remote village. Her only link to her former life is a lottery
ticket that a friend in Paris renews for her every year. One day, she wins the lottery of 10,000 francs which would surely allow her to return to her former home in adequate style. However, she instead decides to use the money to prepare a delicious dinner for the sisters and their small congregation on the occasion of the founding pastor's hundredth birthday. More than just an epicurean delight, the feast is an outpouring of Babette's appreciation, an act of self-sacrifice with eucharistic echoes; though she doesn't tell anyone, Babette is spending her entire winnings on her gesture of gratitude.
The sisters agree to accept Babette's meal, and her offer to pay for the creation of a "real French dinner". She leaves the village for a few days in order to return to Paris, as she must personally arrange for supplies to be sent to Jutland. The ingredients are plentiful, sumptuous and exotic, and their arrival causes much discussion amongst the village. As the various never-before-seen ingredients arrive, and preparations commence, the sisters begin to worry that the meal will be, at best, a great sin of sensual luxury, and at worst some form of devilry or witches' sabbath. In a hasty conference, the sisters and the congregation agree to eat the meal, but to forego speaking of any pleasure in it, and to make no mention of the food during the entire dinner.
The last and most relevant part of the film is the preparation and the serving of an extraordinary banquet
of royal dimensions, lavishly deployed in the unadorned austerity of the sisters' rustic home. The film, previously showing mainly winterly whites and grays, gradually picks up more and more colors, focusing on the various and delectable dishes, a feast for the spectator as well.
Martine's former suitor, Lorens, now a famous general married to a member of the Queen's court, reappears as one of the guests with his aunt, the local lady of the manor and a member of the old pastor's congregation He is unaware of the other guests' austere plans, and as a man of the world and former attache in Paris, he is the only person at the table qualified to comment on the meal. He provides the guests with abundant and explicit information about the extraordinary quality of the food and drink, pronouncing that the feast reminds him strongly of similar fare he has enjoyed many years before at the famous "Café Anglais
" in Paris. He describes how the head chef there, a woman, was renowned for her extraordinary culinary skills. His commentary culminates in a brief reflective speech based on Psalm 85, often heard from the ladies' pastor father: "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed one another."
Although the other celebrants refuse to comment on the earthly pleasures of the food and drink, Babette's extraordinary gifts as a Chef de Cuisine and a true connoisseur
, so characteristically French, breaks down their distrust and superstitions, elevating them not only physically but spiritually. Old wrongs are forgotten, ancient loves are rekindled, and a mystical redemption of the human spirit settles over the table — thanks to the general elation nurtured by the consumption of so many fine culinary delicacies and spirits. The eucharistic, albeit mundane celebration around the table shadows the "infinite grace… [that] had been allotted to them, and they did not even wonder at the fact, for it had been but the fulfillment of an ever-present hope."
The menu responsible for their pleasure begins with an amontillado
and features "Potage à la Tortue" (turtle soup
); "Blinis Demidoff au Caviar
" (buckwheat cakes with caviar and sour cream); "Caille en Sarcophage avec Sauce Perigourdine" (quail
in puff pastry shell with foie gras and truffle sauce); a salad featuring Belgian chicory and walnuts in a vinaigrette; and "Les Fromages" featuring blue cheese, papaya, figs, grapes, pineapple, and pomegranate. The grand finale dessert is "Savarin au Rhum avec des Figues et Fruits Glacées" (rum sponge cake with figs and glacéed fruits). Numerous rare wines, including a 1845 Clos de Vougeot, along with an 1860 Veuve Clicquot
champagne and spirits, complete the menu. Babette's purchase of the finest china, crystal and linen with which to set the table ensures that the luxurious food and drink is served in a style worthy of Babette, who is none other than the famous former Chef of the Café Anglais. Babette's previous occupation has been unknown to the sisters until she confides in them after the meal.
The sisters assume that Babette will now return to Paris, and when she tells them that all of her money is gone and that she is not going anywhere, the sisters are aghast. Babette then tells them that dinner for 12 at the Café Anglais
has a price of 10,000 francs. Martine tearfully says, "Now you will be poor the rest of your life", to which Babette replies, "An artist is never poor." Philippa then tells her that in paradise Babette will indeed be the great artist God intended her to be.
, a setting of multi-colored wood houses on a long fjord. However, when Axel researched locations in Norway, he found the setting was too idyllic and resembled a "beautiful tourist brochure." He shifted the location to the flat windswept coast of western Jutland
and asked his set designer, Sven Wichmann, to build a small grey village resembling a one-horse town. Mårup Church
, a plain Romanesque church built around 1250 on a remote seaside cliff near the village of Lønstrup
, was used as a backdrop.
Axel altered the setting from a ship-filled harbor to fisherman's rowboats on a beach. He said the changes would highlight Blixen's vision of Babette's life in near complete exile.
production company suggested the cast of Babette's Feast should include only Danish actors in order to reduce production costs. However, Axel wanted Danish, Swedish and French actors to play the roles for the sake of authenticity. Axel was supported by the Danish Film Institute
's consultant, Clæs Kastholm Hansen, who also agreed the cast should include international stars.
The title character of Babette was initially offered to Catherine Deneuve
. Deneuve was interested in the part but was concerned because she had been criticized in her past attempts to depart from her usual sophisticated woman roles. While Deneuve deliberated for one day, Axel met with French actress Stéphane Audran
. Axel remembered Audran from her roles in Claude Chabrol
's films Violette Nozière
and Poulet au vinaigre. When Axel asked Chabrol (who was her ex-husband) about Audran's suitability, Chabol said Audran was the archetype of Babette. Axel gave the script to Audran, told her that Deneuve was contemplating the role, and asked her if she might be able to respond before the next day. Audran called two hours later and said she wanted the role. The following day, Deneuve declined, and Audran was officially cast.
Two other major parts were the characters of the elderly maiden sisters, Phillipa and Martine. Phillipa, the once-promising singer, was portrayed by Bodil Kjer
, considered the first lady of Danish theater and namesake of the Bodil Award. Birgitte Federspiel
, best known for Carl Dreyer's 1955 classic film Ordet
, was cast as the staid, love forlorn, Martine.
The role of the Swedish General Lorens Löwenhielm, the former suitor of Martine, was accepted by Jarl Kulle and the Swedish Court Lady by Bibi Andersson
. Both had achieved international recognition as two of Ingmar Bergman
's favorite actors, appearing in many of his films.
The group of elderly villagers was composed of Danish actors, many of whom were well-known for their roles in the films of Carl Theodor Dreyer
. These included Lisbeth Movin
as the Old Widow, Preben Lerdorff Rye
as the Captain, Axel Strøbye
as the Driver, Bendt Rothe as Old Nielsen and Ebbe Rode
as Christopher.
The popular Danish actress Ghita Nørby
was cast as the film's narrator. Although production consultants complained to Axel that the use of a narrator was too old-fashioned, Axel was adamant about using one. He said it wasn't about being old-fashioned, but only about the need: "If there is need for a narrator, then one uses one."
.
awards for Best Danish Film of the Year.
Cinema of Denmark
Denmark has been producing films since 1897 and since the 1980s has maintained a steady stream of product due largely to funding by the state-supported Danish Film Institute. Historically, Danish films have been noted for their realism, religious and moral themes, sexual frankness and technical...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Gabriel Axel
Gabriel Axel
Gabriel Axel is an Oscar winning Danish film director, actor, writer and producer, best known for the Oscar-winning Babette's Feast , which he wrote and directed....
. The film's screenplay was written by Axel based on the story by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen), who also wrote the story which inspired the 1985 Academy Award winning film Out of Africa. Produced by Just Betzer
Just Betzer
Just Betzer is a Danish Oscar winning producer. Born in Åbyhøj, Denmark.Betzer began his career managing the candy concession and as an alternate projectionist at his father's theater in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1955. In 1960, Betzer founded Panorama Film production/distribution company in Denmark,...
, Bo Christensen
Bo Christensen
Bo Christensen is an Oscar winning Danish film producer.Christensen is best known for producing Babette's Feast , for which he won the Best Foreign Film Oscar and the BAFTA Best Foreign Film award in 1988....
, and Benni Korzen
Benni Korzen
Benni Korzen Oscar winning Danish producer, best known for producing Babette's Feast .Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Korzen won the Best Foreign Film Oscar for Babette's Feast in 1988. The producer also won the BAFTA Best Foreign Film award for Babette's Feast, the same year...
with funding from the Danish Film Institute
Danish Film Institute
The Danish Film Institute is the national Danish agency responsible for supporting and encouraging film and cinema culture, and for conserving these in the national interest....
, Babette's Feast was the first Danish cinema film of a Blixen story. It was also the first Danish film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
section at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival
1987 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Yves Montand*Danièle Heymann*Elem Klimov*Gérald Calderon*Jeremy Thomas*Jerzy Skolimowski*Nicola Piovani*Norman Mailer*Theo Angelopoulos-Feature film competition:...
.
Plot
Babette's Feast begins with a portrait of two elderly and pious Christian sisters. The sisters, Martine (named for Martin LutherMartin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
) and Philippa (named for Luther's friend and biographer Philip Melanchthon), live in a small village on the remote and beautiful, but also barren and chilly, western coast of Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
(Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
) in the 19th century (1885). Philippa (Bodil Kjer
Bodil Kjer
Bodil Kjer was a Danish actress whose talent and charisma earned her status as a Primadonna and the title of first lady of Danish theater...
) and Martine (Birgitte Federspiel
Birgitte Federspiel
Birgitte Federspiel was a Danish film, theater, and TV actress. As a younger woman she won two Bodil Awards for film with the first win in 1951....
) are the daughters of a pastor who founded his own strict Christian sect. Though the pastor himself has long since died, and the sect draws no new converts, the aging sisters preside lovingly over their dwindling congregation of white-haired, rural resident believers.
The story falls back 49 years in time to depict how each sister, in her youth, was a ravishing beauty. The father rejects all suitors, preaching that "earthly love and marriage were considered to be scant worth, and merely empty illusion." When a local boy from the congregation asks to court one daughter, the father asks him, "Would you rob me of my right and left hands?" (Or, in the dubbed translation, "They are my only silver and gold.")
Each daughter is courted by an impassioned suitor visiting Jutland – Martine by a charming young officer, Lorens Löwenhielm, of the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
cavalry, sent to stay with his aunt in Jutland for the summer to consider and correct his injudicious behavior. And Philippa by a star baritone, Achille Papin, from the Paris opera, on hiatus to the silence of the coast. Each of the male suitors falls desperately in love.
The young officer Lorens, upon meeting Martine, "had a mighty vision of a higher and purer life without creditor's letters or parental lectures and with a gentle angel at his side." He attends the congregation's meetings, but feels more and more unnoticed by Martine at each. Finally, he walks away because he feels unworthy of Martine's hand in marriage, having spent his life as a dissolute gambler: "I am going away forever and I shall never, never see you again. For I have learned here that life is hard and cruel, and that in this world there are things that are … impossible."
When the French baritone attempts to take Philippa to Paris and gets carried away and kisses her during a rehearsal of a duet from Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
, Philippa decides to discontinue the lessons and turns down his offer of stardom and wealth.
35 years later, Babette Hersant (Stéphane Audran
Stéphane Audran
Stéphane Audran is a French film and television actress, known for her performances in Oscar winning movies such as Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie and Babette's Feast and in critically acclaimed films like The Big Red One and Violette Nozière .She married...
) appears at their door. She carries only a letter from Philippa's former suitor, the singer Achille Papin, explaining that she is a refugee from counter-revolutionary bloodshed in Paris
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
, and recommending her as a housekeeper. The sisters take Babette in, and she spends fourteen years as their cook, a modest but benign figure who gradually eases their lives and the lives of many in the remote village. Her only link to her former life is a lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
ticket that a friend in Paris renews for her every year. One day, she wins the lottery of 10,000 francs which would surely allow her to return to her former home in adequate style. However, she instead decides to use the money to prepare a delicious dinner for the sisters and their small congregation on the occasion of the founding pastor's hundredth birthday. More than just an epicurean delight, the feast is an outpouring of Babette's appreciation, an act of self-sacrifice with eucharistic echoes; though she doesn't tell anyone, Babette is spending her entire winnings on her gesture of gratitude.
The sisters agree to accept Babette's meal, and her offer to pay for the creation of a "real French dinner". She leaves the village for a few days in order to return to Paris, as she must personally arrange for supplies to be sent to Jutland. The ingredients are plentiful, sumptuous and exotic, and their arrival causes much discussion amongst the village. As the various never-before-seen ingredients arrive, and preparations commence, the sisters begin to worry that the meal will be, at best, a great sin of sensual luxury, and at worst some form of devilry or witches' sabbath. In a hasty conference, the sisters and the congregation agree to eat the meal, but to forego speaking of any pleasure in it, and to make no mention of the food during the entire dinner.
The last and most relevant part of the film is the preparation and the serving of an extraordinary banquet
Banquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
of royal dimensions, lavishly deployed in the unadorned austerity of the sisters' rustic home. The film, previously showing mainly winterly whites and grays, gradually picks up more and more colors, focusing on the various and delectable dishes, a feast for the spectator as well.
Martine's former suitor, Lorens, now a famous general married to a member of the Queen's court, reappears as one of the guests with his aunt, the local lady of the manor and a member of the old pastor's congregation He is unaware of the other guests' austere plans, and as a man of the world and former attache in Paris, he is the only person at the table qualified to comment on the meal. He provides the guests with abundant and explicit information about the extraordinary quality of the food and drink, pronouncing that the feast reminds him strongly of similar fare he has enjoyed many years before at the famous "Café Anglais
Café Anglais (Paris)
The Café Anglais was a famous French restaurant located at the corner of the Boulevard des Italiens and the Rue de Marivaux in Paris, France.- History :...
" in Paris. He describes how the head chef there, a woman, was renowned for her extraordinary culinary skills. His commentary culminates in a brief reflective speech based on Psalm 85, often heard from the ladies' pastor father: "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed one another."
Although the other celebrants refuse to comment on the earthly pleasures of the food and drink, Babette's extraordinary gifts as a Chef de Cuisine and a true connoisseur
Connoisseur
A connoisseur is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts, cuisines, or an expert judge in matters of taste.Modern connoisseurship must be seen along with museums, art galleries and "the cult of originality"...
, so characteristically French, breaks down their distrust and superstitions, elevating them not only physically but spiritually. Old wrongs are forgotten, ancient loves are rekindled, and a mystical redemption of the human spirit settles over the table — thanks to the general elation nurtured by the consumption of so many fine culinary delicacies and spirits. The eucharistic, albeit mundane celebration around the table shadows the "infinite grace… [that] had been allotted to them, and they did not even wonder at the fact, for it had been but the fulfillment of an ever-present hope."
The menu responsible for their pleasure begins with an amontillado
Amontillado
Amontillado is a variety of sherry, characterized by being darker than fino but lighter than oloroso. It is named for the Montilla region of Spain, where the style originated in the 18th century, although the name 'amontillado' is sometimes used commercially as a simple measure of colour to label...
and features "Potage à la Tortue" (turtle soup
Turtle soup
Turtle soup is soup or stews made from the flesh of the turtle. The dish exists in many cultures and is viewed as a luxury or delicacy.The green turtle was commonly used for turtle soup in the United States and United Kingdom. Soup made from the snapping turtle was found mainly in the United States...
); "Blinis Demidoff au Caviar
Caviar
Caviar, sometimes called black caviar, is a luxury delicacy, consisting of processed, salted, non-fertilized sturgeon roe. The roe can be "fresh" or pasteurized, the latter having much less culinary and economic value....
" (buckwheat cakes with caviar and sour cream); "Caille en Sarcophage avec Sauce Perigourdine" (quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
in puff pastry shell with foie gras and truffle sauce); a salad featuring Belgian chicory and walnuts in a vinaigrette; and "Les Fromages" featuring blue cheese, papaya, figs, grapes, pineapple, and pomegranate. The grand finale dessert is "Savarin au Rhum avec des Figues et Fruits Glacées" (rum sponge cake with figs and glacéed fruits). Numerous rare wines, including a 1845 Clos de Vougeot, along with an 1860 Veuve Clicquot
Veuve Clicquot
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is both a champagne house in Reims, France, and a brand of premium champagne. Founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot-Muiron, Veuve Clicquot played an important role in establishing champagne as a favored drink of haute bourgeoisie and nobility throughout Europe...
champagne and spirits, complete the menu. Babette's purchase of the finest china, crystal and linen with which to set the table ensures that the luxurious food and drink is served in a style worthy of Babette, who is none other than the famous former Chef of the Café Anglais. Babette's previous occupation has been unknown to the sisters until she confides in them after the meal.
The sisters assume that Babette will now return to Paris, and when she tells them that all of her money is gone and that she is not going anywhere, the sisters are aghast. Babette then tells them that dinner for 12 at the Café Anglais
Café Anglais (Paris)
The Café Anglais was a famous French restaurant located at the corner of the Boulevard des Italiens and the Rue de Marivaux in Paris, France.- History :...
has a price of 10,000 francs. Martine tearfully says, "Now you will be poor the rest of your life", to which Babette replies, "An artist is never poor." Philippa then tells her that in paradise Babette will indeed be the great artist God intended her to be.
Cast
- Stephane AudranStéphane AudranStéphane Audran is a French film and television actress, known for her performances in Oscar winning movies such as Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie and Babette's Feast and in critically acclaimed films like The Big Red One and Violette Nozière .She married...
as Babette Hersant - Bodil KjerBodil KjerBodil Kjer was a Danish actress whose talent and charisma earned her status as a Primadonna and the title of first lady of Danish theater...
as Filippa - Birgitte FederspielBirgitte FederspielBirgitte Federspiel was a Danish film, theater, and TV actress. As a younger woman she won two Bodil Awards for film with the first win in 1951....
as Martine - Jarl Kulle as General Lorens Löwenhielm
- Jean-Philippe Lafont as Achille Papin
- Bibi AnderssonBibi AnderssonBibi Andersson is a Swedish actress.-Early life:Bibi Andersson was born as Berit Elisabeth Andersson in Kungsholmen, Stockholm, the daughter of Karin , a social worker, and Josef Andersson, a businessman...
as Swedish courtier - Ghita NørbyGhita NørbyGhita Nørby is a popular Danish actress with 117 film credits to her name from 1956-2005, making her one of the most active Danish actresses ever. She was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to opera singer Einar Nørby...
as Narrator - Asta Esper Hagen Andersen as Anna
- Thomas Antoni as Swedish lieutenant
- Gert BastianGert BastianGert Bastian was a German military officer and politician with the German Green Party.Born in Munich, Bastian volunteered the Wehrmacht at the age of nineteen. In World War II he served on the Eastern Front being wounded by a bullet in the right arm and in the head by a grenade fragment. He was...
as Poor Man - Viggo Bentzon as Fisherman in Rowboat
- Vibeke HastrupVibeke HastrupVibeke Hastrup is a Danish actress who has worked in theatre, television and film. She performed in the films Babette's Feast and Let the Polar Bears Dance, and has done numerous voice-overs for animated features such as Tarzan, Robots and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the...
as Young Martine - Therese Hojgaard Christensen as Martha
- Pouel Kern as The Minister
- Cay Kristiansen as Poul
Location
Blixen's original story takes place in the Norwegian port town of BerlevågBerlevåg
is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Berlevåg. Berlevåg was separated from the municipality of Tana to form a municipality of its own on 1 July 1913....
, a setting of multi-colored wood houses on a long fjord. However, when Axel researched locations in Norway, he found the setting was too idyllic and resembled a "beautiful tourist brochure." He shifted the location to the flat windswept coast of western Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
and asked his set designer, Sven Wichmann, to build a small grey village resembling a one-horse town. Mårup Church
Mårup Church
Mårup Church was a Romanesque church located in Vendsyssel in Denmark's northern Jutland. The church was built on Lønstrup Klint, a cliff on the North Sea near the town of Lønstrup in the Hjørring municipality. The area is noted for its windswept landscape, constantly shifting sands and eroding...
, a plain Romanesque church built around 1250 on a remote seaside cliff near the village of Lønstrup
Lønstrup
Lønstrup is a small town in northern Denmark, in Vendsyssel on the coast of Skagerrak. It is located in north Jutland, Hjørring Municipality and is an old fishing village, with a population of 545...
, was used as a backdrop.
Axel altered the setting from a ship-filled harbor to fisherman's rowboats on a beach. He said the changes would highlight Blixen's vision of Babette's life in near complete exile.
"There is a lot that works in writing, but when translated to pictures, it doesn't give at all the same impression or feeling. All the changes I undertook, I did to actually be faithful to Karen Blixen." – Gabriel Axel
Casting
The Nordisk FilmNordisk Film
Nordisk Film , established in Denmark in 1906 by Danish filmmaker Ole Olsen, is the oldest continuously operating film studio in the world. Olsen started his company in the Copenhagen suburb of Valby under the name "Ole Olsen's Film Factory" but soon changed it to the Nordisk Film Kompagni...
production company suggested the cast of Babette's Feast should include only Danish actors in order to reduce production costs. However, Axel wanted Danish, Swedish and French actors to play the roles for the sake of authenticity. Axel was supported by the Danish Film Institute
Danish Film Institute
The Danish Film Institute is the national Danish agency responsible for supporting and encouraging film and cinema culture, and for conserving these in the national interest....
's consultant, Clæs Kastholm Hansen, who also agreed the cast should include international stars.
The title character of Babette was initially offered to Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
. Deneuve was interested in the part but was concerned because she had been criticized in her past attempts to depart from her usual sophisticated woman roles. While Deneuve deliberated for one day, Axel met with French actress Stéphane Audran
Stéphane Audran
Stéphane Audran is a French film and television actress, known for her performances in Oscar winning movies such as Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie and Babette's Feast and in critically acclaimed films like The Big Red One and Violette Nozière .She married...
. Axel remembered Audran from her roles in Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol was a French film director, a member of the French New Wave group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s...
's films Violette Nozière
Violette Nozière
Violette Nozière is a 1978 French crime film directed by Claude Chabrol and starring Isabelle Huppert and Stéphane Audran. The film, based on a true French murder case in 1933, is about an eighteen-year-old girl named Violette and her encounters with a number of older men. The film had a total of...
and Poulet au vinaigre. When Axel asked Chabrol (who was her ex-husband) about Audran's suitability, Chabol said Audran was the archetype of Babette. Axel gave the script to Audran, told her that Deneuve was contemplating the role, and asked her if she might be able to respond before the next day. Audran called two hours later and said she wanted the role. The following day, Deneuve declined, and Audran was officially cast.
Two other major parts were the characters of the elderly maiden sisters, Phillipa and Martine. Phillipa, the once-promising singer, was portrayed by Bodil Kjer
Bodil Kjer
Bodil Kjer was a Danish actress whose talent and charisma earned her status as a Primadonna and the title of first lady of Danish theater...
, considered the first lady of Danish theater and namesake of the Bodil Award. Birgitte Federspiel
Birgitte Federspiel
Birgitte Federspiel was a Danish film, theater, and TV actress. As a younger woman she won two Bodil Awards for film with the first win in 1951....
, best known for Carl Dreyer's 1955 classic film Ordet
Ordet
Ordet is a 1955 Danish drama film, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. It is based on a play by Kaj Munk, a Danish pastor, first performed in 1932...
, was cast as the staid, love forlorn, Martine.
The role of the Swedish General Lorens Löwenhielm, the former suitor of Martine, was accepted by Jarl Kulle and the Swedish Court Lady by Bibi Andersson
Bibi Andersson
Bibi Andersson is a Swedish actress.-Early life:Bibi Andersson was born as Berit Elisabeth Andersson in Kungsholmen, Stockholm, the daughter of Karin , a social worker, and Josef Andersson, a businessman...
. Both had achieved international recognition as two of Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
's favorite actors, appearing in many of his films.
The group of elderly villagers was composed of Danish actors, many of whom were well-known for their roles in the films of Carl Theodor Dreyer
Carl Theodor Dreyer
Carl Theodor Dreyer, Jr. was a Danish film director. He is regarded by many critics and filmmakers as one of the greatest directors in cinema.-Life:Dreyer was born illegitimate in Copenhagen, Denmark...
. These included Lisbeth Movin
Lisbeth Movin
Lisbeth Movin was a Danish actress of stage and film best known for her role as Anne, the pastor's wife accused of witchcraft in the 1943 film Day of Wrath directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. She also appeared as the widow in the 1987 screen adaptation of Babette's Feast, directed by Gabriel Axel...
as the Old Widow, Preben Lerdorff Rye
Preben Lerdorff Rye
Preben Lerdorff Rye was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 92 films between 1941 and 1989.He was born and died in Denmark.-Filmography:* En ganske almindelig pige * Tante Cramers testamente...
as the Captain, Axel Strøbye
Axel Strøbye
Axel Strøbye was a Danish film actor. He appeared in over 100 films between 1951 and 2000.He was born in Frederiksberg, Denmark and died in Copenhagen, Denmark.-Selected filmography:* I kongens klæ'r...
as the Driver, Bendt Rothe as Old Nielsen and Ebbe Rode
Ebbe Rode
-Filmography:*Tango - 1933*Provinsen kalder - 1935*Millionærdrengen - 1936*Den kloge mand - 1937*Balletten danser - 1938*Frøken Vildkat - 1942*Lykken kommer - 1942*Afsporet - 1942*Søren Søndervold - 1942...
as Christopher.
The popular Danish actress Ghita Nørby
Ghita Nørby
Ghita Nørby is a popular Danish actress with 117 film credits to her name from 1956-2005, making her one of the most active Danish actresses ever. She was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to opera singer Einar Nørby...
was cast as the film's narrator. Although production consultants complained to Axel that the use of a narrator was too old-fashioned, Axel was adamant about using one. He said it wasn't about being old-fashioned, but only about the need: "If there is need for a narrator, then one uses one."
Reception
Babette's Feast received almost universally positive reviews; it currently holds a 93% 'fresh' rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Awards
Babette's Feast won the 1987 Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. It also won a BAFTA Film Award for Best Film Not in the English Language and was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Foreign Language Film. It won both the Bodil and RobertRobert Award
The Robert statue is a Danish film prize awarded each year by the Film Academy of Denmark. It is the Danish equivalent of the American Oscars. The award, voted only by academy members, is acknowledgement by Danish industry colleagues of a person's or film's outstanding contributions during the...
awards for Best Danish Film of the Year.
External links
- An extensive collection of links about Babette's Feast at KarenBlixen.com
- Babettes gæstebud at the Danish Film Institute (in Danish)
- Voted #3 on The Arts and Faith Top 100 Films (2010)