30 B4 30 Day 11: Watch a Foreign Film

I like to think of myself as a worldly individual, even though I haven't left the western hemisphere. Nonetheless, I am open and accepting of other cultures, especially when art and food are concerned. That is why I added Watch a Foreign Film to my list of things to do on my 30 B4 30 list.

The movie I chose to watch was Babette's Feast, a Danish Academy Award winner from 1987. It's about food and everyone knows how much I love food, so I thought, "How could I go wrong?" Well, this movie was a little dull to start because it took place in the 1800's but after the French maid (Babette) (minus the presumed black and white sexy outfit) won the lottery, it got interesting. She offers to make a celebration dinner for the two nice sisters who took her in and their small congregation. One of the sisters sees all of the ingredients for the feast and gets worried that Babette is into witchcraft. I don't know how a turtle, a dozen quails and cheese can create a spell, but I understand her issue because I wouldn't want to eat a turtle either. That is one of the animals I will not eat, along with rabbit, squirrel and dolphin. I hate squirrels and like the other animals alive too much to eat them. Although, I have had frog, duck, alligator, conch, veal, lamb and snails. Some were good and some, not so much, but I will try almost anything at least once.

Anyway, the sister goes and tells all of the congregation to keep quiet about the meal as to not show any pleasure because to participate in such luxury is a sin. So, at this luxurious dinner that Babette has prepared, they are all eating course after course and every time the guest from outside the congregation expresses how delicious eat course is, they change the subject and talk about the weather. This guest is the long lost love of one sister. He has eaten fine foods in Paris and knows what each course is and what it is supposed to taste like. He even quotes a bible verse while eating because he is so pleased with the meal. Eventually, they all give in and enjoy the meal, and even forgive each other for anything they have done to each other in the past. (I guess the meal was "magic"?) Just shows that you should trust people when they take on the responsibility of planning an event or a dinner for you. Maybe they will exceed your expectations.

At the end of the movie, Babette tells her employers that she was an executive chef at a restaurant while in Paris, but she will be staying with them because she spent all of her lottery winnings on the china, glasses, table linens and food for their celebration. This upsets the sisters because they are sad that she will be poor for the rest of her life. Then Babette says the best line of the entire movie, "An artist is never poor." To which, one of the sister's says that she will be the artist she wants to be while in heaven.

The moral of the story is: You don't have to get paid for your talents to be happy doing them. Those Danes are pretty smart.