Delicatessen (1991)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Directors:

Marc Caro
Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Writers:

Gilles Adrien (dialogue)
Gilles Adrien (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

3 April 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Romance

Tagline:

A futuristic comic feast

Plot:

Post-apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who creates cannibalistic meals for his odd tenants.

Plot Keywords:

Butcher | Food | Apartment Building | Post Apocalyptic | Clown

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 12 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Pascal Benezech	...	Tried to Escape
Dominique Pinon	...	Louison
Marie-Laure Dougnac	...	Julie Clapet
Jean-Claude Dreyfus	...	Clapet
Karin Viard	...	Mademoiselle Plusse
Ticky Holgado	...	Marcel Tapioca
Anne-Marie Pisani	...	Madame Tapioca
Boban Janevski	...	Young Rascal
Mikael Todde	...	Young Rascal (as Mikaël Todde)
Edith Ker	...	Grandmother
Rufus	...	Robert Kube
Jacques Mathou	...	Roger
Howard Vernon	...	Frog Man
Chick Ortega	...	Postman
Silvie Laguna	...	Aurore Interligator
Jean-François Perrier	...	Georges Interligator
Dominique Zardi	...	Taxi Driver
Patrick Paroux	...	Puk
Maurice Lamy	...	Pank
Marc Caro	...	Fox
Eric Averlant	...	Tourneur
Dominique Bettenfeld	...	Les Troglodistes (as Dominique)
Jean-Luc Caron	...	Les Troglodistes
Bernard Flavien	...	Les Troglodistes
David Defever	...	Les Troglodistes
Raymond Forestier	...	Les Troglodistes
Robert Baud	...	Les Troglodistes
Clara	...	Mr. Livingstone the Chimp

Directed by
Marc Caro
Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gilles Adrien		dialogue
Gilles Adrien		screenplay
Marc Caro		screenplay
Jean-Pierre Jeunet		screenplay

Produced by
Claudie Ossard	....	producer

Original Music by
Carlos D'Alessio

Cinematography by
Darius Khondji

Film Editing by
Hervé Schneid

Casting by
Pierre-Jacques Bénichou

Production Design by
Marc Caro

Art Direction by
Miljen Kreka Kljakovic		(chief art director)

Set Decoration by
Aline Bonetto

Costume Design by
Valérie Pozzo di Borgo

Makeup Department
Myriam Coulet	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Michèle Arnould	....	production manager
Nadine Chaussonnière	....	apprentice unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jean-Christophe Spadaccini	....	second assistant director
Jean-Marc Tostivint	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Gilles Baillot	....	constructor
Valérie Berthoux	....	model maker
Bernard Boivin	....	chief constructor
Jean-Michel Boivin	....	constructor
Marc Caro	....	artistic director
Marc Caro	....	storyboard artist
Jean-Philippe Carp	....	set dresser (as Jean Philippe Carp)
Simon Carp	....	second assistant art director
Simon Carp	....	second assistant decorator
Marie Desforge	....	model maker
Nicolás Díaz	....	sculptor
Yves Domenjoud	....	props
Gilles Faraldo	....	constructor
Eric Frion	....	constructor
Richard Gerardin	....	constructor
Noël Guillot	....	painter decorator
Jean-François Juvanon	....	constructor
Vincent Lebrinon	....	constructor
Loïc Lemoigne	....	second assistant art director
Lotte Lemorgne	....	second assistant decorator
Andréa Llinaeres	....	model maker
Fabrice Maux	....	constructor
Jacques Mery	....	constructor
Igor Mollet	....	constructor
Jean Rabasse	....	model conceptionist
Claude Sanzey	....	constructor
Valérie Sebast	....	model maker
Silvia Sella	....	constructor
Yann Sibiril	....	constructor
Jérôme Signori	....	model maker
Bertrand Terreyre	....	constructor
Denis Vassal	....	constructor
Serge Vassal	....	constructor
Tom Wiggins	....	constructor

Sound Department
Vincent Arnardi	....	sound mixer
Marc Caro	....	sound effects
Laurent Dreyer	....	assistant sound mixer
Gérard Hardy	....	sound editor
Jean-Pierre Lelong	....	foley artist
Mario Melchiorri	....	assistant foley artist
Muriel Moreau	....	dialogue editor
Jérôme Thiault	....	sound effects
Jérôme Thiault	....	sound engineer
Jérôme Thiault	....	sound supervisor
Laurent Zeilig	....	assistant sound engineer
Laurent Zeilig	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Jean-Baptiste Bonetto	....	special effects
Yves Domenjoud	....	special effects
Olivier Gleyze	....	special effects
Lionel Mathis	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Baptiste Magnien	....	optical effects: Acme
Pitof	....	digital visual effects director
Antoine Simkine	....	visual effects executive producer: Duboi
Jean-Marie Vives	....	digital matte painter
Rip Hampton O'Neil	....	director of reseach and development (uncredited)

Stunts
Rémi Canaple	....	stunts
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunt coordinator
Arlette Spetelbroot	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Barreau	....	electrician (as Franck Barreau)
Eric Caro	....	set photographer
Rémy Chevrin	....	first assistant camera
Bruno Dubet	....	key grip
Bernard Gemähling	....	chief electrician
Nicolas Juge	....	additional electrician
Olivier Lancelle	....	additional electrician
Philippe Lesard	....	second assistant camera
Philippe Le Sourd	....	second assistant camera (as Philippe Lesourd)
Lionel Perrin	....	additional electrician
Ferencz Radnai	....	additional electrician
Michel Sabourdy	....	electrician
Stéphane Vidal	....	additional grip
Yorgo Voyagis	....	key grip (as Yorgo Voyatzis)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Véronique Degy	....	assistant costumer
Valérie Pozzo di Borgo	....	chief costumer
Marianne Vally	....	assistant costumer

Editorial Department
Yvan Lucas	....	color timer

Music Department
Jean-Michel Bergounboux	....	music arranger
Isabele Pinadel	....	musician: violoncello
Lev Sipolos	....	musical saw
René Taquet	....	musical consultant
Herbert Varron	....	musician: violoncello
Hubert Varron	....	musician: cello

Other crew
Marc Bruckert	....	titles: Le Village
Yves Domenjoud	....	accessories
Pierre Dufour	....	location scout
Emmanuel Jaffre	....	caterer
Marie-Christine Malbert	....	publicist
Arlette Mas	....	production administrator
Gérard Sionneau	....	groupman
Aruna Villiers	....	script supervisor

Thanks
Thérèse Chevalier	....	thanks
Olivier Chiavassa	....	thanks
Jean Villiers	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Constellation
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (as U.G.C.)
• Hachette Première
• Sofinergie Films (in association with) (as Sofienergie)
• Sofinergie 2
• Investimage 2
• Investimage 3
• Fondation GAN pour le Cinéma (with the support of)
• Victoires Productions

Distributors

• Sonet Film (1991) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1992) (USA) (subtitled)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1991) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Universal Music Group (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Concorde Filmverleih (1992) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Concorde Video (199?) (Germany) (VHS)
• Contemporary Films (1992) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cor Koppies Filmverhuur (I) (1991) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Electric Pictures Ltd. (1992) (UK) (theatrical)
• Globo Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (video)
• Paramount Home Video (laserdisc)
• Penta Distribuzione (199?) (Italy) (theatrical)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sadfi Films (199?) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Universal Home Video (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• ACME Films
• Duran
• Duboi

Other Companies

• London Records  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

99 min | Spain:95 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

France

Company:

Constellation

Trivia:

Jean-Pierre Jeunet got the idea for the movie in 1988 while vacationing in America. He said after staying in America's hotels he felt the food was so bad that "it tasted like real humans". Then came the idea.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Julie first invites Louison to her house, she accidentally throws a vase to the floor. There is no "crash" sound when the vase is destroyed.

Quotes:

Louison: This is a job for the Australian!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fliegen und fallen (2006)

The cornerstone of originality

Clever ideas and good notion of filmmaking are at the core of this movie, whose storyline is the smallest asset. But you won't really care when you see it, because even though the story isn't really elaborate, what you have here is one of the most original movies you'll ever get your eyes on. The setting is perfect, with no historic or geographic references, only an estranged building, which doesn't have a single straight normal tenant. The result is a magnificent work of actors, cinematography and set dressing, that makes the most of visual resources for a movie. The directors Jeunet & Caro show their true potential in this movie that will keep you glued with its naive-like comedy style, and its unique set of characters, which could generate a separate movie about each and every one of them. Magnificent, and truly original.