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Babette's Feast

Comedy, Drama

RatingRatingRatingRatingRating4.8

DirectorGabriel Axel

ProducerJust Betzer, Bo Christensen, Benni Korzen

ScreenwriterGabriel Axel, Karen Blixen

DistributorOrion Pictures

Release Date DateMar 4, 1987, Original

LanguageDanish

Runtime1h 42m

Introduction

Beautiful but pious sisters Martine (Birgitte Federspiel) and Philippa (Bodil Kjer) grow to spinsterhood under the wrathful eye of their strict pastor father on the forbidding and desolate coast of Jutland, until one day, Philippa's former suitor sends a Parisian refugee named Babette (Stéphane Audran) to serve as the family cook. Babette's lavish celebratory banquet tempts the family's dwindling congregation, who abjure such fleshly pleasures as fine foods and wines.

Critics Reviews

Gene Siskel3.8

357

Dec 6, 2018
"Babette's Feast" is a poignantly moving film that delves into the lives of two devout sisters, Martine and Philippa, overshadowed by their stern pastor father on the harsh Jutland coast. The arrival of Babette, a Parisian refugee turned family cook, brings a transformative experience through a lavish banquet that challenges the local congregation's rigid denial of earthly pleasures like exquisite food and wine. This beautifully crafted narrative explores the dichotomy of talents and passions being both expressed and stifled, making it a profound story of human restraint and indulgence. It's a cinematic gem that resonates deeply with its audience.

Tasha Robinson3.5

468

Jul 23, 2013
"Babette's Feast" may initially feel bleak and ponderous, capturing the austere lives of sisters Martine and Philippa under their strict pastor father on Jutland's desolate coast. However, the film gracefully transforms as it introduces Babette, a Parisian refugee, whose sumptuous banquet challenges the ascetic beliefs of the family's dwindling congregation. Through Babette's artful culinary delights, the movie evolves into a profoundly moving hymn to the power of art and indulgence. Despite its somber tone, "Babette's Feast" ultimately uplifts the soul, celebrating the joy and transcendence found in embracing life's sensory pleasures.
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