Director
Lasse Hallstrom
Leading Actors/Actresses
Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin, Carrie-Anne Moss, John Wood, Leslie Caron
Genre
Romantic Drama
Language
English
Awards
Art Director's Guild Award, European Film Awards (Best Actress- Juliette Binoch), Palm Springs International Film Festival (Audience Award), Screen Actors Guild Award (Judi Dench - Best supporting Actress)
Date of Release
15th December 2000
Producer
David Brown, Kit Golden, Leslie Holleran
Setting and Context
Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, a fictional French village, spring of 1959
Narrator and Point of View
The story is narrated by the grown up version of the main character's daughter, Anouk. The narrator has an insider view and it is told as a memory.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the movie is light hearted, supported by the lively music. The mood is changing depending on which character is the focus of the scene.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Vianne Rocher, who opens up a chocolate shop. The antagonist is the conservative major of the village, Comte de Reynaud.
Major Conflict
The clash between old Christian strict morals and the lively nature of Vianne's shop.
Climax
The movie's climax is the night before Easter, when a party is celebrated and the major finally gives into his urges while trying to destroy the chocolate shop.
Foreshadowing
The movie uses the imagery of the north wind that tells Vianne to continue her journey. Throughout the movie this motif comes up again and is the main conflict point between mother and daughter. The breaking of Vianne's mother's urn foreshadows the change in behavior. In the end Vianne ignores the north wind's call and continues her happy life in the village.
Understatement
The major is a very understated character, who controls his emotions. The village is used to not showing emotions, so the fact that his wife left him is only alluded to.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
The movie does not have any extraordinary filming or lightning techniques. However, the incorporation of the brilliant music by Rachel Portman elevates the scene.
Allusions
The movie's fictional village alludes to the treatment of difference in the world at large. The conservative villagers distrust and openly antagonize foreigners and are slow to change. The strict Christian moral code imposed by the major does not help this.
Paradox
The only real paradox in the movie is that is officially labeled a romance, which would be expected from the title art. However, the romantic connection between Vianne and Roux only plays a very minor part in the movie.
Parallelism
One of the main themes of the movie is religion and spirituality. The movie parallels two very different belief systems, namely Christianity and South American traditional belief, showing how these two can clash if both sides are unwilling to compromise.
