Babette's Feast -

Six reasons to watch Babette's Feast (differently). | by Wies Sanders

22 Jul 2013 — Gabriel Axel's exquisite adaptation of Isak Dinesen's short tale of grace through art provides spiritual and sensual sustenance. The Criterion Collection Babette's Feast

The story is set in Berlevåg, Norway , a remote coastal village dominated by a strict, pietistic Lutheran sect. The community, led by the daughters of a deceased Dean, views the world through a dualistic lens: the "earthly" is a mere illusion or temptation, while the "spiritual" is the only true reality. This austerity has created a sterile environment where even simple pleasures are viewed with suspicion, bordering on "godless witchcraft". Babette: The Artist as Priest Six reasons to watch Babette's Feast (differently)

Babette, a French refugee and former chef de cuisine at the Café Anglais, arrives as an "other" who represents the sensuous and the Catholic. For 14 years, she lives as an unpaid servant, "emptying" herself into the mundane tasks of the village, much like a Christ-figure taking on the form of a servant. Her ultimate act is the creation of a "real French dinner," funded by a lottery win of 10,000 francs—her entire fortune. The Feast as a Sacrament of Grace The community, led by the daughters of a

The meal is not merely a culinary event but a Eucharistic liturgy that facilitates a "general amnesty".