Review of Babette's Feast (1987) by Nikolas G — 06 Oct 2009

Babette's Feast (Danish: Babettes gæstebud) is a 1987 Danish film directed by Gabriel Axel . The film's screenplay was written by Gabriel 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.

This movie is one of my "little diamonds" a realy great film of european cimena. The ingredients are marvellous locations, crisp photography, and an excellent cast. It's a tale of self-sacrifice, thwarted ambitions, and lost love, but sheer sensuous joy suffuses the screen when Babette performs her own special miracle for one last supper. Axel, too, is surely an alchemist; compared to most literary adaptations, this is the word made flesh.

Babette's feast talking about human needs. Needs of the flesh and the needs of the spirit and also talknig about choices, talent, gratitude, friendship, grace, and hope. It?s sensitive, funny, hopeful, and ultimately joyous. This film speaks lovingly to all six of your senses.