Babette's Feast [DVD]

Released in 1987, Babette's Feast is a film which depicts so little, yet says so much. Set in a rural Danish community, it centres around the twin sisters of the village pastor and the French women who serves them after fleeing the 1871 revolution. On winning the lottery she plans a feast to mark the centenary of the sisters' father, bringing a dimension of fine living into the lives of the God-fearing Lutherans and healing festering personal animosities in the process.

Director Gabriel Axel captures the rugged timelessness of the Jutland landscape, and draws inspired performances from Stéphane Audran as Babette, and Bodil Keyer and Birgitte Federspiel as the sisters Filippa and Martine. Per Norgard's sparse but affecting score captures the mood of the film perfectly. Altogether it's a heart-warming and affecting experience.

On the DVD: Babette's Feast on disc reproduces the vivid colour photography well in widescreen. There’s dubbing and subtitles in English, French and Italian. Both the trailers for the English- and Danish-speaking markets are included, the latter an effective summary of the film.--Richard Whitehouse

Artistic, sensual and sacred passions unite in Babette's Feast. This Oscar-winning film offers "an irresistible mixture of dry wit and robust humanity" (Newsweek).

1.66 Wide Screen
Danish\English\French\Italian
English
French
Region 2
Dolby Digital Mono English\Dolby Digital Stereo Danish French Italian
Dolby Digital
Original Theatrical Trailer
Interactive Menu Screens
Chapter Search
English\French\Italian