The Boat People
As the movie progresses we see more and more how the town’s people are in an oppressed state by the Comte de Reynaud. The arrival of the boat people and the character Roux sets an image of freedom and self-expression in a town where everyone is controlled and hides his interests.
Chocolate
Comte de Reynaud is greatly against Vianne and her Chocolat Maya shop. We see him spreading lies about her and forcing the priest to give speeches that turn the people against her. This controlling of the town people is seen many times in the movie. But whenever a person visits Vianne’s chocolate shop and receives their favorite chocolate they move one step closer to breaking free from their oppressor and their fear of self-expression. The imagery of eating chocolate coincides with the acquisition of freedom and reigning of desires.
Wind
When we hear the backstory of Vianne’s parents we hear how her mother was a wanderer and dispensed ancient remedies, never staying in one town. At the beginning of the movie when we first see Vianne and her daughter, Anouk, arrive in their red cloaks the north wind is in full effect. Later on, when the boats are lit on fire and Vianne fears for her daughter she gets ready to leave. Here, yet again we see the wind in full effect. The imagery of wind gusts represents the arrival and departure of Vianne’s helping hands to the towns.
Moving On
The movie’s two main opposing characters, Vianne and Comte de Reynaud, are respectful and devoted to their past traditions. They both try their best to uphold the way of life they learned from their ancestors. The Comte tries his best to maintain the town’s tranquility and Vianne goes from town to town, trying to bring joy to the residents. In the beginning, both of them hold true to their past traditions but at the festival, which is near the end of the movie, they both are shown to have moved on. The Comte accepts the self-expression of the people and Vianne settles down. The end of the movie shows imagery which represents moving on from the past and the end of oppression on self-expression.
Against Change
At the beginning of the movie, nearly all the residents of the town are sitting in the church. A gust of wind comes and blows open the church’s doors. This signifies the arrival of our main character who travels from town to town with the north wind and tries to help its residents through remedies. But the Comte de Reynaud, who is sitting in the front row, quickly stands up and shuts the doors. This imagery represents his unwelcoming attitude towards change, which becomes apparent as he tries his best, throughout the movie, to make Vianne leave.
