Barnes & Noble

The late-to-DVD arrival of this celebrated 1991 black comedy seems all the more surprising when one considers that it’s the film that put Amelie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet on the map. But it is welcome nonetheless. Working in tandem with fellow Frenchman Marc Caro, Jeunet gave Delicatessen all the ingredients it needed to become an instant cult classic: a post-apocalyptic setting, laughs and thrills, star-crossed lovers, and, most important -- cannibalism. Taking a janitorial job in a crumbling apartment building, Louison (Dominique Pinion), a grieving former clown, soon finds himself in deep trouble. With meat incredibly scarce and desirable, previous janitors have ended up on the residents’ dinner tables by way of the local butcher shop. Louison falls for the butcher’s nearsighted daughter and thus earns a reprieve -- but perhaps not for long. Directors Caro and Jeunet turn the outrageousness of the central gambit into the film’s greatest asset, gleefully playing with the viewer’s expectations and sending the plot spiraling off on unpredictable tangents. A masterpiece of fantastic cinema that won awards from France to Tokyo, this Delicatessen is a meaty treat for those who enjoy films with a bizarre taste. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

A post-apocalyptic future becomes the setting for pitch black humor in this visually intricate French comedy. The action takes place within a single apartment complex, which is owned by the same man that operates the downstairs butcher shop. It's a particularly popular place to live, thanks to the butcher's uncanny ability to find excellent cuts of meat despite the horrible living conditions outside. The newest building superintendent, a former circus clown, thinks he has found an ideal living situation. All that changes, however, when he discovers the true source of the butcher's meat, and that he may be the next main course. This dark tale is played out in a brilliantly designed, glorious surreal alternate world reminiscent of the works of director Terry Gilliam, who co-presented the film's American release. Like Gilliam, co-directors Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro hail from an animation background, and have a fondness for extravagant visuals, absurdist plot twists, and a sense of humor that combines sharp satire with broad slapstick and gross-out imagery. This mixture may displease the weak of stomach, but those attuned to the film's sensibility will be delighted by the obvious technical virtuosity and wicked sense of humor. Judd Blaise

Product Details

• UPC: 012236100126
• Source: LIONS GATE
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Alternate Wide Screen (1.78:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Language: Français
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 1:39:00
• Sales Rank: 10,168

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