Although I have watched this film many times and have used it as a film to invite theological reflection, it has not yet appeared on this blog! Time to rectify that. I watched it earlier this week with a group of friends from church and I have to say it still holds its own.
Set in a rural community in South West France in 1959, with the aftermath of both world wars continuing to be a lived reality for some of the villagers, this film explores the choices people make about the way they live their life, how they respond to the pressure to conform and the positive power of transformation.
With a strong ensemble cast and five Oscar nominations this film, which was released in 2000, begins on the eve of Lent in a community that almost uniformly does what is expected, most of which is anchored by regular church attendance where Count Reynaud (Alfred Molina) who is also the mayor, welcomes townsfolk to each service. He then takes the seat of honour at the front where he can exert his control on the new young priest who has already had his sermon heavily modified by the Count.
The Count represents a rigid, harsh and controlling way of following religion in a world where there is only black and white. A statue of the First Count stands looking over the village square outside the church - the Count who expelled protestant Huguenots from the village centuries earlier. All of this presents a less than attractive image of the Catholic Church - but I could think of some churches of other traditions that present an equally uninviting image of the God they worship!
The Count, who is a student of history and is predisposed to maintain inherited values and customs, presents a sad figure who carries the weight of the responsibility of being leader of the community as well as the loss of his wife. His wife is on an "extended Italian tour" but it is clear that she will not be returning. The Count surrounds himself with photographs of her and with crucifixes to bring consolation. All of this makes the Count lacking in joie-de-vivre as he constantly reminds villagers of the behaviour the Church expects of them.
As winter gives way to spring so a strong North wind blows and against the grey of the dull village, Vianne (Juliette Binoche) and her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol), robed in red caped cloaks battle the elements to find lodging and shop they can run. The colourful cloaks strike a strong contrast with the village, a contrast that is to become disruptive and ultimately transformative in a good way.
Vianne, who is half Mayan, is an itinerant evangelist - her Gospel of choice being Chocolate - especially when combined with chilli in ancient Mayan recipes. Chocolate proves to be more than a sexual aphrodisiac as it eventually has the power to re-enliven and re-energise the entire community.
The battle between life-sapping Church and the overbearing Count and Vianne's life-gving chocolate continues throughout the six weeks of Lent. The narrative is punctuated by individual battles of temptation when faced with chocolate, the illness of Vianne's Landlady (Judy Dench) and also the arrival of Irish Romanies, led by Roux (Jonny Depp) who drift in on the river by boat. With each piece or cup of chocolate, Vianne dispenses Choco-wisdom that challenges the dull status quo and which invites people to become a technicolour version of themselves as the true person they were created to be. This is a feel-good film that is life affirming.
On the eve of Easter, the Count sees Caroline (Carry-Ann Moss), his young widowed secretary to whom he is attracted, leaving the Chocolateries. With the chocolaterie's windows shrouded by paper to conceal the big display of new chocolates celebrating new life and Easter, the Count determines to break into the shop and destroy everything. In his frenzied attack on the chocolate, a speck falls on his lip and he tastes it. In an instant, not unlike St Paul's Damascus Road experience, he is converted and gorges himself on chocolate thus breaking the asceticism of his Lenten feast. Exhausted by fasting and battle with Vianne he falls asleep in the shop window where he is found the following morning. Vianne gives him a seltzer drink to revive him.
As much as the Count is trapped within his self-made prison, so Vianne is trapped by her heritage and itinerant ministry led by the chill North wind. Anouk continually asks if they are going to stay this time rather than having to uproot and move yet again. Vianne carries her Mayan mother's ashes in a vase that during a tussle between her and Anouk becomes broken spilling the contents down the stairs. A contrite Anouk attempts to gather up as much of the ash as possible. This is the beginning of Vianne's own transformative breaking free. When the North wind next visits, Vianne open an upstairs window and casts the ashes into the wind to be blown to the next town to empower someone else to "heal the wounds of friends she hasn't met yet"!
A repentant and apologetic Count leads the townsfolk into Church for the Easter Sunday celebrations where the Priest preaches from his heart rather than the Count's script and delivers a sermon that places our shared humanity above the following of empty and dead religious rules. Throughout the film, Anouk has narrated the story and as it ends, she describes further tales of life-affirming transformation in the lives and relationships of the villagers - and Roux returns the next summer to be with Vianne and Anouk. And so it seems, everyone lived 'happy ever after' - enjoying each other - and chocolate!
Although Church features prominently in the film, it is not directly a religious film. However, for those with an eye to see and ears to hear the reading into the story of the power of God through the Holy Spirit to bring positive transformation is in plain sight and sound. The challenge for us is how can be emulate Vianne's life-affirming message. I'll give it 9/10.
