Babettes gæstebud (1987)

Director:

Gabriel Axel

Writers:

Karen Blixen (novel)
Gabriel Axel (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 March 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Plot:

In 19th century Denmark, two adult sisters live in an isolated village with their father, who is the...

Plot Keywords:

Feast | Denmark | Refugee | Cavalry Officer | Rejected Lover

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Stéphane Audran	...	Babette Hersant (as Stephane Audran)
Bodil Kjer	...	Filippa
Birgitte Federspiel	...	Martine
Jarl Kulle	...	General Lorens Löwenhielm
Jean-Philippe Lafont	...	Achille Papin (as Jean Philippe Lafont)
Bibi Andersson	...	Svensk hofdame
Ghita Nørby	...	Narrator
Asta Esper Hagen Andersen	...	Anna (as Asta Esper Andersen)
Thomas Antoni	...	Svensk Lieutenant
Gert Bastian	...	Poor Man
Viggo Bentzon	...	Fisherman in Rowboat
Vibeke Hastrup	...	Young Martine
Therese Hojgaard Christensen	...	Martha
Pouel Kern	...	The Minister
Cay Kristiansen	...	Poul

Also Known As:

Babette's Feast (USA)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish | Swedish | French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Iceland:L | Peru:PT | Sweden:7 | USA:G | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Company:

Panorama Film A/S

Quotes:

Old Lorenz Lowenhielm: [Taps his glass and stands, saying] Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another.
Old Lorenz Lowenhielm: Man, in his weakness and shortsightedness believes he must make choices in this life.
Old Lorenz Lowenhielm: He trembles at the risks he takes. We do know fear. But no. Our choice is of no importance.
Old Lorenz Lowenhielm: There comes a time when our eyes are opened and we come to realize that mercy is infinite.
Old Lorenz Lowenhielm: We need only await it with confidence and receive it with gratitude.
Old Lorenz Lowenhielm: Mercy imposes no conditions.
Old Lorenz Lowenhielm: And lo! Everything we have chosen has been granted to us.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Nurse Jackie: Pill-O-Matix (#1.11)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Don Giovanni

A Movie to enchant the Angels

Sublime--perfect--profound--a true lesson on the idealized meaning of life. We get completely caught up in the life journeys of Martina and Phillipa and

Babette. Their yearnings, desires, sacrifices resonant long after the movie has ended. Seeing it years ago--as it was gaining a great deal of notoriety at the audaciousness of its subject matter--half the movie being a single dinner--the audience was "oohing and aahing" as some of the courses took their final

glorious shape, laughing at the reaction of the diners, as they became totally seduced by the gustatorial pleasures being introduced to them by Babette, and being totally surprised at the turn of events at the end of the film. Subsequently seeing the film years later after my own twists and turns of life, I realized just how profound the film is. On this viewing tears flowed freely. The film's

meditation on the passage of time and the way it uses a seemingly simple story to comment on life and love and art and generosity is truly something to

cherish.