TOP 5 ‘VISUAL WORKS OF ART’
You have films that touch you because of the content. You have films that touch you because you sympathise so immensely with the protagonist. And…. You have films that touch you because visually they capture your imagination so immensely. Which culinary films are true works of art, with every scene visually splashing off the screen because of the imagery? Especially for the visually oriented among you, our top 5 Visual Works of Art à la Cinema Culinair. So: focusing on food & drink.
1. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
~ Regisseur: Peter Greenaway
Visual style: This film is a visual spectacle of grotesque beauty and symmetry. The bright, saturated colours (especially red, green, and gold) and the complex sets, in which each room has its own colour scheme, give the film a theatrical look. Food is presented in a baroque and often macabre manner, with large banquets and lavish tables. In one scene, a whole roasted pig is served. The colours are saturated and bright, making the food feel extra extravagant. Food as a focus: Rich banquets with luxurious meat dishes, fish, vegetables, and sauces. Large, extravagant tables full of lavish dishes are central to the restaurant where the film is set. Wine also plays a major role: bottles are constantly opened and served, often in abundance. The food is both seductive and repulsive and plays a key role in the film’s intense climax.
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
~ Regisseur: Wes Anderson
Visual style: Wes Anderson’s signature symmetry and bright colours make this film a visual masterpiece. The use of pastel colours, especially in scenes set in the hotel and patisserie, give the film a fairytale aesthetic. Mendl’s iconic cakes exemplify the perfection with which food is presented. Food as focus: Wes Andersons kenmerkende symmetrie en felle kleuren maken deze film tot een visueel meesterwerk. Het gebruik van pastelkleuren, vooral in scènes die zich afspelen in het hotel en de patisserie, geven de film een sprookjesachtige esthetiek. De iconische taarten van Mendl zijn een voorbeeld van de perfectie waarmee eten wordt gepresenteerd. The Grand Budapest Hotel as a film & diner event can be found here.
3. Marie Antoinette (2006)
~ Regisseur: Sofia Coppola
Visual style: The decadent aesthetic of Versailles, combined with the excess of colourful sweets and patisseries, makes this film a visual spectacle. The bright pastel colours, opulent costumes and symmetry in the shots give each scene an almost fairy-tale splendour. Food as focus: Food, especially sweets, is a big part of the film and symbolises the excesses of court life. The scenes with lavish cakes, pastries and desserts are artfully captured and add to the decadent atmosphere of the story.
4. Tampopo (1985)
~ Regisseur: Juzo Itami
Visual style: Tampopo is a Japanese film that elevates ramen (noodle soup) to an art form. The scenes of food being prepared, with close-ups of steaming bowls of ramen and fresh ingredients, are visually hypnotic. The tight composition and careful picture direction create a sense of order and perfection. Food as focus: This film is all about making the perfect dish. The love and attention to detail in the preparation of ramen makes every scene a celebration of food, with the cinematography almost glorifying the food. Besides ramen, the Japanese noodle soup, the film also features other culinary scenes, such as eating sushi, oysters, duck, and steak, and evenseen a scene in which an egg is shared to emphasise the sensuality of that scene. More info & tickets for Tampopo as a film & diner event can be found here.
5. The Platform (El Hoyo) (2019)
~ Regisseur: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
Visual style: The Platform is a Spanish science fiction thriller with a striking, minimalist style that focuses on symmetry and clean lines. The scenes with food-especially the tables passing the prisoners from top to bottom-are rich in detail and laden with symbolism. The lavish and luxurious presentation of food at the top of the ‘platform’ contrasts sharply with the emptiness and destruction lower down. Food as focus: The film features a banquet full of luxurious dishes prepared in perfect harmony by a team of chefs: fruit platters, rich meat dishes, fresh sandwiches, desserts, bottles of wine and champagne. As the food sinks down through the various levels of the ‘platform’, it is eaten and destroyed as it goes on. The food in The Platform is a metaphor for inequality and survival. The visual presentation of the food is strikingly artistic.
