In this blog post, we’ll explore the message of freedom and healing hidden behind chocolate’s sweetness, and discuss why the change Vianne brings to the village resonates so deeply in our own lives.
Why ‘Chocolat’?
Children usually love chocolate immensely. Its rich, intense sweetness, rarely found in everyday life, thoroughly stimulates their taste buds. But honestly, I never particularly liked sweet things as a child. Whether candy or chocolate, even after it melted away in my mouth, the lingering aftertaste felt excessively long, leaving a sticky, cloying sensation. Then one day, I encountered a very ugly, jet-black chocolate for the first time. Was it curiosity? I took a big bite of that chocolate, something I normally wouldn’t have touched. Looking back now, by today’s global standards where the battle against weight has become routine, I sometimes regret that choice—it might have been a mistake. Because ever since then, I’ve come to love chocolate more than anyone else. The chocolate I tasted then was less sweet than bitter. It wasn’t sticky, nor was it overly sweet; it was a very plain and clean-tasting chocolate. Of course, since then, I’ve come to enjoy very sweet chocolate loaded with sugar without hesitation.
Watching the movie ‘Chocolat’ made me realize, “Ah, I’ve fallen under chocolate’s spell too!” Perhaps the chocolate that truly suited me was that very ugly, jet-black chocolate. Watching the villagers discover, one by one, the chocolate that suited them, and finding vitality and happiness in life through that chocolate, I felt a renewed gratitude for having found my own perfect chocolate so early. Because I thought that without chocolate’s magic, living in this world might have felt as dull and joyless as it did for those villagers. It might sound foolish, but I can say with certainty that in this fierce and harsh world that robs me of even the last vestiges of vitality, I could never have been happy if I had never once experienced the sweetness chocolate offers. To fight life’s bitterness, defeat, despair, frustration, and fear, and to win that battle and reach happiness, you need the sweetness and magic that chocolate symbolizes. For modern people like me, who live frantically in fierce survival competition—without even a moment to glance sideways or look back, without time to reflect on their own feelings let alone others’, without a chance to savor the joy or value of living—the magical film ‘Chocolat’ reawakens the sweetness and happiness of existence. This is why I revisit this film whenever I feel weary or lonely, and why it always ranks among my top five favorite movies.
Here’s the story!
The year is 1959. A fierce north wind sweeps through a small French village, and with this wind come Vianne and her daughter Anouk, arriving quietly. A few days later, Vianne opens a chocolate shop across from the church and begins inviting the villagers in, one by one. At first, people keep their distance, filled with suspicion and distrust. But as they gradually discover the taste of chocolate, their hearts slowly begin to open. However, the mayor, Count Reynard, is deeply displeased with Vianne’s arrival, which is changing the villagers. He dislikes this wandering, unmarried mother who has invaded the village. He finds it sacrilegious that she opened a chocolate shop during Lent, a time of fasting. And the sight of her tempting people with sweet chocolate is nothing short of a thorn in his side.
Yet the villagers’ lives change beyond recognition after her arrival. A long-estranged couple rediscovers their former passion, and Josephine, long tormented by her husband’s beatings and confinement, finally breaks free from her bonds. A grandmother and grandson, previously kept apart by the mother’s interference, share a heartfelt conversation in the chocolate shop and mend their relationship. An old man who had spent decades merely gazing at a woman from afar finally finds the courage to approach her. The village, once rigid and lifeless under the weight of overly solemn and conservative Catholic norms and authority, begins to stir with renewed vitality and energy. So much so that villagers even sneak chocolate during worship services. The mayor, representing tradition and authority, won’t stand idly by. Reynold blocks villagers heading to the chocolate shop and secretly plots to drive Vianne out of town.
Amidst this, another incident erupts. Gypsies appear by the river. Villagers avoid and guard against them, fearing they might bring dreadful epidemics or heinous crimes. Yet Vianne and Anouk, chocolate in hand, visit the gypsies’ boat and mingle with them naturally. Wounded and exhausted by the mayor’s sabotage, Vianne finds renewed courage and hope upon meeting the gypsy Lou. Yet most villagers still shun the gypsies. Posters declaring “Expel the Immoral” appear throughout the town, and shops display signs like “We Do Not Sell to Animals,” openly expressing their rejection of the gypsies. Even Josephine’s husband, Séguy, misinterprets the mayor’s words and sets fire to the gypsies’ boat.
At this moment, the north wind blows fiercely once more, and Vianne resolves to leave again. The conflict, which seemed to be escalating, unexpectedly turns toward resolution through a surprisingly trivial incident. Deciding he can no longer stand by, Reynard sneaks into the chocolate shop armed with a knife. While smashing the displayed chocolates, he accidentally tastes some chocolate on his lips. In that moment, as if transformed back into a child, he frantically devours an enormous amount of chocolate. This incident causes the mayor’s attitude to change dramatically, and the villagers welcome a joyful and lively Easter festival. The village, once dead from being bound by overly strict rules, finally transforms into a happy place. Even the stubborn mayor opens his heart and becomes a new person. Though it took several months, he invited Caroline to dinner and finally smiled with genuine happiness. Josephine also takes over her husband’s shop, renovates it under the name ‘Café Armandi’, and begins a new chapter in her own life.
Meanwhile, the north wind gradually subsided. Finally, with the summer breeze blowing, the settled life of Bianne and her daughter begins. The gypsy Lou, who had left, returned. Pantoufle, who had always been with Anouk, found his injured leg healed and set off alone into the world in search of new adventures. And so the film quietly, yet warmly, came to an end.
Some say this
When analyzing the film ‘Chocolat’ in the book ‘Film is the World’s Code’, four points are particularly noteworthy. First, the human ideal of ‘naturalness’ represented by the motif of chocolate; second, the Catholic interpretation through the triangular dynamic formed by Vianne, Reynard, and the young priest; third, the inherent sweetness of chocolate itself; and finally, the presence of the actors delivering masterful performances throughout the film. The perspective viewing chocolate as a motif is generally positive. Indeed, it even invites the audience to savor the fantastic taste of the chocolate Vianne creates. However, this doesn’t mean the film’s protagonist is simply ‘chocolate’ itself.
The true protagonists of this work are not chocolate, but rather the people who pursue ‘naturalness’ symbolized by taste. The character most representing this naturalness is the newly appointed young priest. While cleaning the church courtyard, he hums Elvis Presley’s ‘Hound Dog’ as if talking to himself, and suddenly mimics Elvis’s signature dog-leg dance. Though he wears the stifling, full-neck priest’s robe, the person hidden beneath is remarkably natural and honest. However, the moment the mayor catches him dancing and singing, he falls into the pitiful position of enduring the mayor’s constant, meddlesome interference. Eventually, he even has to submit his homily manuscript for prior censorship by the mayor before using it during Mass. The symbol of the young priest, ‘naturalness,’ is mortgaged and crushed under the weight of the ‘false consciousness’ represented by the character Reynard.
Meanwhile, the triangular dynamic formed by the mayor, Count Reynard—the epitome of solemnity and sentimentality—Bianca, who breathes new life into the village with her chocolate shop, and the young priest caught between them, unable to act decisively and merely swept along, effectively reveals director Lasse Hallström’s intent. Interpreting the director’s intent religiously, or more precisely within a Catholic context, suggests that God is inherently natural. When creating humanity, God shared this natural attribute with humans. However, humans, through the oppressive and coercive rules and forms they themselves create, sometimes mock and distort God and His will, turning this world into a suffocatingly stifling and rigid place. The church and its clergy are no exception to this. In that sense, this film is clearly a work that can also be read from a religious perspective. Ultimately, ‘Chocolat’ is a film carrying a rather serious critical consciousness, using chocolate—a symbol of freedom—to critique rigid, formalized Catholic doctrine and the social elite who uphold it. However, as demonstrated in his previous works ‘My Dog’s Life’, ‘The Cider House Rules’, and ‘Gilbert Grape’, the director circumvents serious and sensitive themes using a soft and delicate visual language, thereby highlighting Lasse Hallström’s unique humanism.
Moreover, the absolute delight not to be missed in this film is none other than the chocolate itself. True to its title ‘Chocolat’, various forms of chocolate appear throughout the film. The diverse techniques that make chocolate more delicious and beautiful, the profound and fascinating expressions of those tasting it, and the vibrant colors and decorations of the chocolate shop—dramatically contrasting with the gray surrounding buildings—all contribute to the film’s rich enjoyment.
Finally, the brilliant performances by the renowned actors are a must-see in this film. Tony Award-winning actor John Wood (who appeared in the film ‘The Rose of Cairo’) plays the widower Guillem, while the role of Madame Odette, who captures his heart, is passionately portrayed by Leslie Caron (who starred in ‘An American in Paris’), a famous musical actress from the 1950s and 60s, elevating the film’s sophistication. Judy Dench, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love, and Carrie-Anne Moss, who left a powerful impression as the warrior in The Matrix, appear as a mother and daughter who cannot overcome their long-standing discord, showcasing delicate emotional performances. Lena Olin from The Ninth Gate also joins, adding to the film’s weight. Adding to the star power, Johnny Depp, beloved by global audiences for his brilliant portrayal of Willy Wonka in Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005), also appears in this film as the gypsy Lulu, offering another compelling performance.
Plot Analysis
The film doesn’t merely present events in a linear, natural order. Instead, it intricately weaves together highly fragmented and individual incidents to create a unique chain of causality. The disorder and intangibility of reality are transformed within the film through the imposition of causality, acquiring plausibility and inevitability—that is, order and form. This is the plot, typically structured in four stages: exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution. ‘Chocolat’ also unfolds its story through these four stages, but what’s intriguing is that two events progress simultaneously. The most noticeable first event is the conflict between Vianne and Reynard. From the beginning to the end, the film consistently uses this conflict as the narrative’s backbone, carefully layering in the minor conflicts of the villagers as the flesh. What deserves particular attention here is the fundamental reason this conflict arises: the significance of the woman Vianne’s arrival.
Why did she appear in this village? Her arrival in this small town might seem coincidental. Yet considering Vianne’s way of life, it’s clear that even if not this village, she would have appeared in another village someday, bringing conflict and change to its people. The reason she ceaselessly continues her travels is precisely where the second event is placed. Vianne is battling some unseen fate. This internal conflict, though not readily apparent on the surface, functions as a major axis driving the film forward. These two events unfold independently at times, while at others they become directly entangled, creating conflict and then resolving it.
The film opens with scenes introducing a tidy, calm, monochromatic village. Bells and hymns resonate, making the small town resemble a monastery, while people sing hymns during worship inside the church. Outwardly, it appears devout, but the reality is slightly different. Luke, the boy secretly drawing skulls; the man fast asleep with his mouth open; Josephine, the woman stealing something even during the sermon; the priest, who seems awkward and stiff; and Mayor Reynard, who watches him with a consistently sharp gaze. Though all are gathered inside the church, even the image of the old woman Armandi, left alone at home and absent from Mass, reveals a moment when each person’s suppressed desires faintly shine through the cracks of the rigid order.
At this moment, a blizzard sweeps in from the north, carried by the wind, engulfing the village and then the church. It is a scene hinting that a new wind is about to blow through this stifled town. Then, two women draped in red cloaks appear atop the hill. Their crimson presence stands out starkly in the monochrome village. They stamp their existence as intensely as their color, as if declaring, “We are the agents of change.” From their very entrance, every minor action of this mother-daughter pair becomes a subject of fascination for the villagers. Yet the villagers merely peer from afar, hesitant to approach. Behind them looms the watchful gaze of the strict Mayor Reynold. He too keeps a close eye on Vianne, his expression a mix of unease and displeasure. Thus, the opening stage densely packs crucial elements: it establishes the village’s fundamental situation while simultaneously hinting at the film’s overall trajectory.
With the opening of Vianne’s chocolate shop, the real conflict finally begins. At the center of this conflict stands the mysterious woman, Vianne. Opposing her is Reynard, the antagonist who confronts Vianne, creating the external conflict. The chocolate shop, facing the church across the square, symbolically represents their confrontational dynamic. The shop’s vibrant colors, sharply contrasting with the village’s overall dull palette, convey its meaning without needing explanation.
The reason they form this opposing structure is because Vianne is changing the villagers. Of course, at first, Reynold’s power seems far superior to Vianne’s. The villagers are reluctant to open their hearts to her. Yet, Bienne’s sincere care and love gradually breathe warmth into their frozen hearts. Reynold, who has upheld the village’s order for generations, senses unease and signs of crisis in the villagers changing under Bienne’s influence. To him, who has only ever exercised his authority and power within fixed norms and boundaries, change feels like the collapse of order. So he spreads malicious rumors about Vianne, fomenting distrust among the people, and cleverly uses his sermons to brand her as the devil’s tool. Chocolate, he declares, is the devil’s temptation, and sweetness the symbol of sin. Thus, the opposing forces of healing and disruption clash fiercely, maintaining a precarious balance.
Bianca, who had drawn out people’s hidden stories to heal them, finally confronts her own hidden story while recounting her grandparents’ tale, unable to resist Anuk’s persistent urging. Finally, her destiny and pain surfaced. Moreover, after the incident where Ségolène stormed into the chocolate shop and caused a ruckus, and Reynold’s sabotage efforts temporarily slowed, Vianne’s inner conflict became even more sharply highlighted. Another crucial device drawing out her inner self is the appearance of the gypsies. Captain Lou, in particular, is the pivotal figure who forces Bianna to express the vulnerability and fear she has so thoroughly concealed. Perhaps he is another kind of healer for her.
In any case, Bianna’s internal conflict, now surfaced, is as arduous and complex as her external conflict with Reynold. Trapped within a circular loop of endless repetition, Vianne and Anouk face the fate of perpetual wanderers, gradually growing weary of their destiny. No matter how hard she tries to move forward, she seems bound within a circular ring that always brings her back to square one. The woman who changed and healed others appears utterly powerless when confronted with her own transformation and healing.
These conflicts and confrontations between characters, events, and the interplay of events and characters reach their climax at Grandma Armandi’s birthday party. After the joyous celebration, Grandma meets her fate, and Ségolène sets fire to the gypsies’ boat. Grandma’s funeral and the fierce north wind that blows fiercely once more drive the film to its extreme point. At this moment, the conflicts that have served as the film’s two main axes simultaneously reach their climax. Vianne finally decides to abandon the chocolate festival and leave. Wrestling with Anouk, who refuses to let her go, she shatters even her mother’s urn, erupting with all the psychological pressure she has been bearing. Raynaud, too, decides he can no longer stand by and watches. He takes matters into his own hands, armed with a knife. Sneaking into the chocolate shop, he smashes the beautifully displayed chocolates, seeking to end his long battle with Vianne. It is the moment when the conflict between these two characters reaches its peak.
Yet, true to its fairy-tale-like setting, the ending resolves all conflicts towards a happy conclusion. The circular cycle that had bound Vianne’s ankles finally cracks due to the presence of the villagers she healed. It is the result of the sincerity of those who broke the taboo and began making chocolate themselves becoming stronger than the North Wind, the wind of fate. That sincerity transformed Vianne’s destiny from a stagnant cycle into a spiraling one. Now, she no longer needs to wander. Meanwhile, as Reynold smashes the chocolate, he accidentally tastes a bit that lands on his lips. In that instant, his suppressed desire erupts like an explosion. He begins devouring the chocolate frantically, like a child without restraint. The next morning, the mayor is found asleep atop a pile of chocolate, naturally resolving the conflict. A warm south wind blows through the village. Finally, another delightful twist arrives: Luga, who had left decisively, returns to the village. As the characters’ happy destinies are thus fulfilled one by one, the film draws to a close.
While this fairy-tale ending may seem somewhat absurd and implausible, the crucial point is that this very serendipity creates a distancing effect from reality. This estrangement is a highly effective device for broadening the audience’s scope of thought and fostering a more critical perspective. In other words, the fantasy and coincidence emphasized in the film ‘Chocolat’ perform the function of making us reexamine reality through a story that appears detached from it.
ethos! What does it mean?
If plot is the structure and skeleton of a film, characters are the force that moves and sustains that structure and skeleton through interaction. Characters are the subjects and center of conflict and events. In this work, the protagonist driving change is Vianne, the woman, while the antagonist standing opposite her is Mayor Reynard. These two highlight each other through their opposition and conflict, advancing the events step by step.
Vianne is a character approaching hero status. More precisely, she is a healer who brings warmth to those lacking love and attention. She saves people through the mysterious medicine of chocolate. Possessing these quintessential attributes of a savior, she is simultaneously a unique individual bearing personal pain. Vianne is a character burdened by the fate of a wanderer, destined to roam for her entire life. Having lived faithfully as a healer while conforming to her fate, she reaches a major turning point in her life in a small French village. She now dreams of settling down, ending her lonely and arduous life of wandering. Though Vianne always appears confident and bold, she is also a vulnerable being who sheds tears when faced with continuous hardship and trials. She is an intensely human character who sometimes craves comfort from others and needs a shoulder to lean on. From her first appearance, she wears a red cloak. Throughout the film, she favors red shoes and vividly colored clothing, and her primary workplace, the chocolate shop, is also a bright space decorated in red and blue tones. These colors, starkly contrasting the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the town, effectively symbolize her vibrant and lively presence.
Mayor Reynard, who has constantly clashed with Vianne, embodies the archetypal antagonist. He nitpicks every action of the protagonist and craves victory by any means necessary. Enveloped in an excessive sense of authority and an obsession with tradition, he spends most of his time in an office filled with a square desk and densely packed bookshelves. This space starkly reveals his rigid, solemn attitude while simultaneously symbolizing the immense pressure he himself endures. Thus, Reynold is a villain who is hard to dislike. He is a pitiable figure, unable to properly express his grief over losing his wife due to tradition and pride, yet also a naive character capable of swift change at the slightest touch of emotion. His ever-present black suit makes him seem all the more pitiable.
In most films, supporting characters tend to be static or abstract. But ‘Chocolat’ is quite different. Nearly every character is three-dimensional, showing dynamic trajectories of change. This is because they, too, are agents of change. Particularly striking are the transformations of Armande’s daughter, Caroline, and the abused wife, Josephine.
Caroline, as the secretary to Mayor Count Reynaud, embodies conservatism, mirroring his solemnity and strict adherence to principles. She consistently shields herself with an expressionless face and a cold, rigid tone. This stems from her growing fear of the world and life after losing her husband. Consequently, she overprotects her son, attempting to shield him completely from the outside world. As the daughter of the Armandie old woman, Caroline also prevents her grandson Luc from meeting his grandmother. She fears Luc might be negatively influenced by his mother, who doesn’t conform well to the village’s rules. However, watching her son happily spending time with his grandmother, she gradually experiences a change. She slowly pushes aside her anxieties and fears about the world, rediscovering the preciousness and joy of life she had forgotten.
In contrast, Josephine is a character quite different from Caroline. Among the villagers, she is treated as little more than a deranged woman with kleptomania. Yet, in truth, she is a pure soul trapped within the impregnable fortress of prejudice and stubbornness, suffering abuse from her husband. Unlike the other villagers who were confined by formality and convention only to finally find freedom, Josephine was, from the start, an essentially free spirit. She simply lacked confidence and decisiveness. Yet, meeting Bianne helps her grow into a more proactive and stable person.
The transformations of the characters examined so far have been relatively visible. However, the change in Anouk, Bianne’s daughter who inherits her grandmother and mother’s fate, is depicted somewhat differently. Anouk, who also serves as the film’s narrator, undergoes a change that isn’t clearly visible on the surface.
Anouk is as lively and bright as her mother, Vianne. Yet, no matter how spirited a girl she is, life on the road could never have been easy. However, Anouk, far more mature than her years, rarely shows signs of weariness. Only Pantoufle emerges as the sole embodiment of her inner world. Pantherful is a kangaroo, injured and unable to leave the girl’s side, and Anouk’s only imaginary friend. It serves as a device that starkly reveals the girl’s unseen loneliness and solitude. To dismiss Pantherful as merely a childish fantasy would be a hasty judgment. When Lou, who had left, returns and finds true stability, Pantherp, having somehow healed his leg, sets off alone on a journey. Yet the girl feels no sadness or disappointment whatsoever. Because she herself sent Pantherp away. Because she has entered a new phase of life where she no longer needs to fight loneliness.
Is ‘Chocolat’ art?
Humans possess an innate desire to imitate. We derive pleasure from the act of imitation itself, and experience further delight by appreciating the products of that imitation. In other words, humans sometimes find greater joy in encountering the result of imitation than in the original itself. This inclination gave rise to art, which became an activity stimulating human senses to deliver pleasure.
In this context, the ancient Greek philosopher Plato advocated for the so-called ‘expulsion of poets’—the banishment of all poets, that is, artists, from the city-state of Athens. His theoretical basis stems from his envisioned ideal society, the ‘Republic’. There, truth, called the Idea, reigns supreme as the highest ideal, and justice is realized. Here, the truth of the Ideas does not refer to the concrete objects of the visible, real world, but rather to the essence inherent within things—the universal concepts existing in the world of being. This world of existence was believed to be graspable only through pure reason, not mere human senses. Therefore, his logic dictated that artists, who imitate the real world—worthless and immoral from the perspective of goodness—deserved condemnation and should be banished from the ideal state.
To summarize his argument for expelling poets: First, poets, by imitating the real world—mere shadows of the Ideas—ultimately distance humans further from the world of Ideas, which is the true goal to aspire to. Second, art numbs reason by stimulating only the irrational aspects of humans, namely sensory pleasures.
In contrast, his student Aristotle presents an entirely different argument. He defends the autonomy of art based on the premise that art, which imitates nature, can be more beautiful than nature itself. For Aristotle, imitation is not about ‘the world as it is,’ but about the ‘world as it ought to be,’ established under the laws of probability and necessity. In other words, it is not merely an act of copying a facet of reality, as Plato suggested, but a representation reconstructed based on literary probability. Therefore, it possesses its own value system and reason for existence. Art created through such imitation elicits feelings of pleasure and joy rarely experienced in daily life. It also serves to resolve desires and frustrations that everyone harbors but cannot easily satisfy, thereby providing psychological satisfaction.
This theory from ancient Greek scholars bears a curious resemblance to the conflict structure in ‘Chocolat’. Count Reynard, the mayor who absolutely adheres to Catholic doctrine and dismisses chocolate’s sweetness as the devil’s temptation, displays a conservative attitude reminiscent of Plato, who emphasized the function of reason and strictly guarded against sensual pleasures. Conversely, Vianne, who uses chocolate’s sweetness as a weapon to heal people’s pain and sorrow while bestowing love and freedom, aligns with Aristotle’s stance. Aristotle positively evaluated the joy and pleasure derived from mimesis, emphasizing art’s autonomy and the psychological satisfaction it brings. To put it more simply, just substituting the word “art” with “chocolate” reveals how strikingly similar the conflict structure between Reynard and Vianne is to the opposing views of Plato and Aristotle.
The reason Plato and Aristotle held such starkly different positions on art ultimately stems from their differing answers to the question: ‘Where does truth reside?’ For Plato, truth resides in the world of Ideas, while for Aristotle, truth lies in the pleasure and joy derived from the imitation of probable reality that holds existential value. Ultimately, this reveals that the conflict and opposition between Reynard and Vianne over chocolate also stems from differing positions on where to place and understand truth. So, where exactly is truth situated in the film ‘Chocolat’? This question is raised from the very beginning of the film and only receives a clear answer at its conclusion.
The village’s established elite, represented by Mayor Reynard, believe that the truth of life lies in upholding the traditions that have sustained the village and in ascetic discipline. Armed with strict, conservative faith, they have devoted themselves to creating an ascetic village. On Sundays, everyone must attend church; during Lent, all must fast. Any slight deviation from the village’s behavioral norms or rules immediately brands one a ‘madman,’ leading to exclusion from the community. They are also extremely exclusive toward outsiders, expressing strong resistance when Vianne and her daughter, or the gypsies, enter the village. As mentioned earlier, this attitude is another face of conservatism born from fear of change.
While such conservatism may contribute to maintaining a stable and uneventful society to some extent, it also has the side effect of draining the warmth and vitality from that society. Of course, one cannot deny that reason and norms are crucial for living. However, they alone cannot lead us to the truth of life. Sensual pleasures in life are not merely sins to be avoided. Appropriate sensual pleasures infuse our lives with vitality and serve to rekindle the strength to live again. In this sense, chocolate is an irresistible, intense temptation for those suffocating under the weight of conservatism, and it is also like a necessary prescription medicine. Desires suppressed and distorted within each person are healed through chocolate, finally erupting outward in a healthy form suited to themselves.
It heralds the beginning of a fantastical fairy tale
This film strongly emphasizes fantasy from the very start. From the moment the opening begins, an eerie music plays as if under a spell, and the subtitles appear and vanish over a black screen that seems to be billowing with mist. It’s an opening that maximizes the dreamlike atmosphere. It feels as if it’s whispering, “You are about to enter a world of fantasy. Stay tuned!” The fog doesn’t completely obscure the view, yet it doesn’t reveal everything clearly either. It teeters on the edge of visibility, stimulating the audience’s curiosity and drawing them deeper into the film. In this regard, this opening sequence is quite a successful device.
In stark contrast to the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the village, a mother and daughter wrapped in red cloaks slowly climb a hill. A fierce snowstorm rages, making their steps appear even more laborious. Yet, their appearance creates the illusion that they are walking on clouds. The swirling blizzard around them not only creates the sensation of white clouds enveloping the two, but also makes the hill they walk upon feel like the boundary separating reality from fantasy—in other words, a midpoint between the two worlds. The camera angle, looking up at them from below the screen, makes the hill appear even steeper and more treacherous. It feels like a scene foreshadowing just how arduous the trials they will face ahead.
The following wide shot captures the village panorama in one sweeping view. From this frame, the camera spirals down over the village like a whirlwind, then swirls sharply upon reaching the square. This scene evokes the moment when Dorothy was swept away by a tornado in the fairy tale. This whirlwind is also used as a device to emphasize the fantastical nature. It creates an inescapable feeling of being drawn by the mysterious power of the whirlwind, embarking on a journey to some fairy-tale village.
At this moment, a strange occurrence happens to the villagers attending mass in the church. A sudden, powerful gust of wind blows open the church doors wide. This scene subtly foreshadows the future that awaits them. Into this seemingly peaceful and tranquil place, a strong wind of unknown origin blows, invading even the sacred space of the church. The most solemn place where all the villagers had gathered. This symbolically foreshadows the shockwaves and upheaval that Bianna, arriving in the village wrapped in her red cloak, will soon bring. She will likely stir up a new wind for everyone gathered here. At this moment, the mayor, wearing an awkward expression, stomps out and closes the church door again. It is a resolute gesture to isolate the villagers from Vianne’s temptation through chocolate. The fateful confrontation between Vianne and the mayor, which they will soon face, is slowly beginning right from this scene.
The dinner scene at Grandma Armande’s birthday party is a sequence worthy of being counted among those that maximize the fantastical quality. Rich, smooth chocolate sauce drizzled over desserts, meticulously arranged dishes, the expressions and movements of people as if under collective hypnosis, slow-motion shots, layers of laughter, and music that strangely stirs the emotions—all these elements blend together, making the audience feel as if they are witnessing a sacred ritual.
Another device revealing the fantastical nature is the voice. The narration, treated with videotic sound, uses the future Anuk from the film as its speaker. Anuk’s voice, used at the film’s beginning and end, and in scenes unfolding her grandparents’ story, implies this film is a framed tale recalled by Anuk. It is not a representation of reality but a recollection of the past—a fairy tale-like story beginning with “Once upon a time…” The background music flowing throughout the film is also videogenic, delicately conveying the characters’ psychological states and the tension arising from the unfolding events. Particularly, the subtle resonance conveyed by the flute sound simultaneously stimulates dreamlike fantasy and fairy-tale-like imagination.
Change is here too!
The most clearly visible aspect of change, reflecting the transformations of characters and events, is the film’s tone. The overall atmosphere and color palette of the village noticeably shift. In the beginning, the square is an empty space. Only fog and the footsteps of a few passersby fill it. However, as the village gradually breaks free from oppression and reclaims its freedom, the fog lifts and bright light fills the square. Colors hidden within the mist reveal their true nature one by one. After all conflicts and tensions are resolved, the square is no longer a desolate wasteland. It becomes a festival ground where all the villagers gather and enjoy themselves under the warm sunlight. The transformation into a village overflowing with warmth and love is visualized so clearly it’s almost tangible.
Alongside the shift in the village’s atmosphere, the first thing that catches the eye is the appearance of the people. Their heavy, drab clothing changes to bright, light colors, and instead of monochrome, vibrant primary colors fill the screen. People’s expressions and actions also become much brighter and more lively. Josephine’s transformation is particularly dazzling. She, who once appeared with disheveled hair haphazardly pinned up and wearing loose, untidy-looking clothes, now stands as the café’s owner, a sophisticated and confident woman.
Another intriguing change is the statue of the Count Reynard family. This statue, once a symbol of dignity and authority, initially gazes down upon the square with a rigid, cold expression. Throughout the conflict between Vianne and Reynold, it remained fixed in place, watching them. Just as the villagers’ frozen hearts began to thaw, the Count’s family’s prejudice and stubbornness, frozen solid all winter, gradually melted away. Finally, at the film’s end, in the scene where Reynold and Vianne reconcile, the statue wears a slight smile. Somehow, he has transformed from a symbol of cold authority into a new symbol for the village—one of warmth and compassion. It’s a very small change, created by CG, yet one that warms the hearts of those who see it.
Not only the changes in brightness and color, but also the shifts in distance and composition between the characters are noticeable. Though their dispositions differ slightly, Vianne and Lou share a remarkably strong spiritual bond. Their positions are generally equal, their gazes naturally meet, and the camera distance is relatively close. However, as their relationship changes after the fire incident, the camera framing and composition capturing them also undergoes a transformation. The two, who once stood close, eye to eye, now find themselves far apart, and the camera captures them from a distance. Lou stands by the wall, while Vianne sits diagonally across from him. This scene visually embodies the psychological distance between them and their inevitable separation.
An even more satisfying change in composition follows. Raynaud’s office and the chocolate shop face each other across the square. In the early scenes, Raynaud, positioned on the second floor, always looks down upon Vianne below. This spatial arrangement visually reinforces his position of authority over her. However, on the eve of Lent, after sneaking into the chocolate shop and falling asleep on the chocolates, Raynaud’s position is completely transformed. Raynaud lies on a pile of chocolates, while Vianne and the young priest look down upon him. Those previously oppressed and pressured by Raynaud now stand in a position overlooking him. This reversal of the composition symbolically shows that the conflict has ended and a time of peace has arrived.
Finding Hidden Sounds
While watching the film, it’s easy to become so absorbed in the visual imagery that you overlook the sounds hidden behind the screen. Sounds that subtly hint at the protagonist’s predicament or metaphorically represent his situation are especially easy to miss. However, with just a little attention, these hidden sounds can be easily discovered, allowing for a richer and more fulfilling appreciation of the film.
The first sound effect that catches your ear in the film ‘Chocolat’ is undoubtedly the background music. The dreamlike atmosphere and subtle suspense created by the melody heighten the conflict between characters and amplify the audience’s sense of regret. The music plays a role as crucial as chocolate itself in this film. Another sound that should not be overlooked is the sound of the wind. The sound of wind symbolizes the north wind, and it is particularly emphasized whenever the north wind blows. The north wind is the sound that heralds change. Change is sometimes a crisis and sometimes an opportunity. The change foretold by the wind at the film’s beginning was a crisis, but ultimately, that wind becomes an opportunity and a wind of improvement. Just by listening carefully to the sound of the wind, one can sense in advance when another change is about to come.
The sound contrasting with this is the ringing of bells. Though beautiful and solemn, within this film it resembles shackles binding the villagers. In the opening scene, as the mayor greets people entering the church, the sound of bells announcing mass rings in the background. Though the swinging bells themselves are not directly visible, this diegetic sound outside the frame provides crucial information for understanding the current situation. During mass at the church, every villager must attend.
For them, deviation is sin and evil. Luke, suffocating under his mother’s overprotectiveness, constantly looks down at the children playing beyond the window. His isolation from the other children repeats itself even when Luke is outside. When Vianne finds Luke drawing a dead bird, he is painting alone in a secluded spot, while the children’s boisterous voices drift in from afar.
This is both diegetic sound and off-screen, non-simultaneous sound. Hearing this sound while Luke paints alone allows us to fully imagine how lonely and stifled he must have felt.
Sometimes sound also signals impending danger. Josephine, who had fallen asleep in the chocolate shop, is suddenly awakened by a commotion. The shattering sound of glass is the moment her husband, Ségé, breaks the window and invades the shop. As a diegetic sound existing within the narrative flow yet off-screen, it not only depicts events unfolding out of sight, but the sharp crack of breaking glass is also sufficiently evocative of impending danger and tension.
Does the film end as mere fantasy?
Films can embody things we rarely experience through ingenious imagination, or demand new perspectives and thought by rendering the mundane, which we endure ad nauseam, unfamiliar. ‘Chocolat’ belongs to the former category. Yet, conversely, it makes one wonder if the most unrealistic things might sometimes be the most realistic. Is the figure of Mayor Renaud a type of person entirely absent from our lives? Is a free spirit like Vianne merely an imaginary character completely detached from our reality?
The act of shaping the unreal into concrete images makes the viewer realize that reality itself isn’t so different. It evokes the awareness that the fantasy and fairy-tale story presented by the film might actually be a microcosm of the world we inhabit. ‘Chocolat’ uses the fantastical medium of chocolate to remind us of the sensory pleasures and sweetness of life we’ve forgotten. Simultaneously, it revisits the age-old questions of Plato and Aristotle, reason and emotion, norms and freedom, demanding we ask ourselves where we place the truth of life.
Ultimately, this film is not merely a fairy tale ending in sweet fantasy. This fantastical tale, woven from the scent and color of chocolate, music and wind, laughter and tears, becomes a mirror that reflects reality all the more clearly. Making us see reality anew through unreality—perhaps that is the sweetest and most meaningful magic the film ‘Chocolat’ bestows upon us.
