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Delicatessen
1991 99 min France R 16+
★7.6
Comedy, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Director: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Trailers
Description
In a post-apocalyptic world, the residents of an apartment above the butcher shop receive an occasional delicacy of meat, something that is in low supply. A young man new in town falls in love with the butcher's daughter, which causes conflicts in her family, who need the young man for other business-related purposes.
Budget:
$4M
US Gross:
$1.8M
Worldwide:
$1.79M
Starring
Marie-Laure Dougnac
Actor
Dominique Pinon
Actor
Pascal Benezech
Actor
Awards
César Awards 1992
— Best Production Design
César Awards 1992
— Best Debut
César Awards 1992
— Best Film Editing
César Awards 1992
— Best Cinematography
César Awards 1992
— Most Promising Actress
European Film Awards 1991
— Best Film by a Young Director
César Awards 1992
— Best Original Score
BAFTA 1993
— Best International Feature Film
César Awards 1992
— Best Film Editing
César Awards 1992
— Best Screenplay
César Awards 1992
— Best Sound
European Film Awards 1991
— Best Production Design
César Awards 1992
— Best Costume Design
Key opinion
Delicatessen is a visually distinctive and surreal black comedy that balances themes of cannibalism and social decay with whimsical, fairy-tale elements. While many viewers praise its unique aesthetic and imaginative world-building, others find the narrative thin, the humor polarizing, and the tone inconsistently dark.
| Acting | Dominique Pinon provides a standout, grounding performance that anchors the film's eccentric tone. | |
| Production | The directors craft a highly imaginative, painterly visual world that effectively evokes a sense of surrealist isolation. | |
| Score | The inventive sound design—utilizing domestic noises like bed springs and household tasks to create a musical, rhythmic atmosphere—is a technical highlight. | |
| Humor | The film's humor creates a sharp divide: some appreciate the whimsical, domestic absurdity, while others find it unfunny, boring, or too sparse to justify the genre label. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative balance is debated; supporters admire the unique blend of dark satire and fairy-tale romance, while critics argue the plot is incoherent and lacks sufficient emotional substance. |