Babette's Feast

The movie opens with a young french officer who takes official leave to Jutland for some relaxation and to re-think his life. While on this sabbatical, the officer fell in love with one Fredrickhaven's priest's daughter. However, the officer feels rejected by both the priest and his daughter who value a life of simplicity and leaves to choose a life of fame and fortune in a military career. Then a famous opera singer comes to Fredrickhaven and teaches the priest's other daughter to sing "like an angel." While the Scandinavian opera singer is teaching the other (second) daughter, He falls in love with her. However his love is not returned and so he leaves to return to Paris.

Then, Babette comes to live with the two sisters, whose father, the priest, has since passed away and are now older women who are taking care of their father's congregation as matriarchal leaders, because of a civil war in Paris that has destroyed her family. To help pay for her room and board, Babette takes over cooking for the two sisters and for providing meals for the poor and elderly of the village. This is reminiscent of a literary archetype in which the character is fleeing from destruction in their past.

This arrangement continues until one day Babette wins 10,000 francs in the Parisian lottery. This prompts the two sisters to believe that Babette will soon leave them. This is not the case however because Babette insists on cooking a true French dinner for the sisters and their congregation not leaving. This dinner seems to symbolize a sinful excess for the sisters, but they consent as a parting give to Babette. After the meal, the first sister thanks Babette for cooking such a wonderful meal that turned out not to be a sinful excess, but rather a spiritual soothing for the entire congregation. As the sisters are offering their farewells, Babette is confused because she does not plan to leave, but rather gave all of her 10,000 francs to provide the meal as an honorable sacrifice to God out of love for the sisters. This gives us all an important lesson that friends are much more important than fame or fortune and by sharing our fortunes and talents we build lasting relationships and get lasting enjoyment from both.