The depth of gastronomy depicted in “The Taste of Things”

Summary of "The Taste of Things"

At the end of the 19th century, in an antique chateau in a rural town in France, famous gourmet Dodin (Benoît Magimel) and chef Eugénie (Juliette Binoche), who perfectly recreates the dishes he comes up with, strive to pursue the essence of food every day. One day, Eugénie surprises everyone by proposing to serve pot-au-feu, a basic French dish, at a banquet to welcome the Crown Prince of Eurasia. Just then, Virginie falls ill. So, for the first time in his life, Dodin decides to cheer up his beloved Virginie with his own cooking.

Index

• What is the theme of the film, gastronomy?
• The three-star chef who oversaw the cuisine and his connection to Japan
• Tran Anh Hung's cool perspective is unique

What is the theme of the film, gastronomy?

The film "The Taste of Things" (23) is undoubtedly a human drama based on the French gourmet culture, along with " The Haute Cuisine " (12) and " Delicious " (20), which were previously introduced on this site. What's a little different is that the characters are not just chefs or gourmets, but artists who can detect differences in taste that are indistinguishable to the average person and measure the balance of flavor, aroma, texture, and concentration. The ultimate form of food that they aim for is called gastronomy, which in Japan is often translated as gourmet art or gastronomy.

The first thing director Tran Anh Hung took inspiration from for the script was the novel " The Life and Passion of Dodin Bouffan, the Gourmet" (by Marcel Rouf), inspired by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a gourmet whose name is etched in the history of French cuisine and the author of "Homage to the Gastronomy " published in 1825. " Homage to the Gastronomy " is a classic work praised as the bible for gourmets and chefs. One passage among the 20 aphorisms written by Brillat-Savarin in the book freezes even the most carefree foodie in an instant. It goes like this: "Tell me what you are eating, and I will tell you what kind of person you are."

"The Taste of Things" (c) Carole-Bethuel (c) 2023 CURIOSA FILMS- GAUMONT - FRANCE 2 CINEMA

Other statements in the 20 proverbs include: "The discovery of a new dish contributes more to the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a new star," "The most important quality of a chef is precision, which should also be a quality of the guest," and "Waiting too long for a belated guest shows a lack of consideration for all present."

From the literature on Brillat-Saravan, Tran Anh Hung imagines a prequel to the time before gastronomy was established as fine dining. What would happen if a man and a woman living under the same roof shared a philosophy and obsession with cooking that was deeper than love? This perspective is new and cold-hearted, but at the same time it evokes deep emotions.

The three-star chef who oversaw the cuisine and his connection to Japan