Easter Chocolat

When cacao beans, the basis for chocolate, were brought to Europe for the first time, its magical taste so impressed Swedish naturalist Linnaeus that he gave it the botanical name “Theobroma cacao,” or “food of the gods.” It should come as little surprise, then, that fellow countryman, Lasse Hallstrom, in his movie Chocolat, has used chocolate as both metaphor and occasion for a town’s redemption. In a story reminiscent of Babette’s Feast (another Scandinavian film), Hallstrom has created a fable about the transformative power of food in the life of a village.

Set in a small town in France in the 50’s, the movie tells the story of Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche), a free-spirited mother wandering the world with her daughter, Anouk, and the legacy of her Latin grandmother. That legacy is a passion to bring healing and life to people through her chocolate treats. The ancient recipes contain a special chili, which ignites a passion for life – thick hot chocolate, chocolate bon bons, chocolate covered nuts and coffee beans, chocolate cake... The M&M’s and Milk Duds one could purchase at the movie snack bar had little appeal. It seemed like sacrilege.

Vianne arrives in the village to open her chocolaterie. In a town shaped by rules that are enforced by the church and mayor, her mission is not an easy one, however. It is the beginning of the season of Lent, and the townspeople have been admonished to forsake any pleasure during the 40 days leading up to Easter. Though Christian on the surface, the town is hurting and lonely from its severe denial of the goodness of life. One woman is beaten by her drunken husband and survives the pain by acting crazed before her neighbors. A lonely widower is afraid to speak to the widow he admires in town. A young boy with a gift for drawing is almost crushed under the weight of a controlling mother. Even the young parish priest is forced to carry out his fifty-year predecessor’s penchant for religious conformity and the mayor’s pain-denying personal discipline. All of them must, above all, conform to the rules of the church and village. As Easter approaches, it is apparent that life is hardly lived in the light of the resurrection.

Through Vianne’s patient persistence and care for the townsfolk, however, several individuals experience “new life” – through her chocolate, yes, but also through her belief in them and their unique value. Vianne revels in who they are and affirms their gifts. She teaches, encourages, disciples and loves each one of them, and of course dispenses her chocolate. Almost broken by the mayor’s constant attacks, Vianne decides to leave town before Easter. But her small group of disciples comes together to create chocolate treats in her stead. The moment she discovers them in her kitchen – expressing their love not for only her, but for each other, and enjoying their newfound abilities – is truly an epiphany. The delight of community is always something to behold.

Some might ask, “Why is it that in fables like this, the church so often is portrayed as rigidly harsh?” Roger Ebert asked such a question in his otherwise favorable review of this movie. And viewers can criticize this movie for once again falling prey to caricature. (It should be noted, however, that in the novel on which the film is based, the chief opponent to Vianne is the pastor, not the mayor. Hallstrom has toned down the story’s anti-clerical bias.) But such a critique also shields us, disciples of Jesus and churchgoers, from what has been all too often the truth. Many of us can tell our own stories of rigid practices that continued to be enforced in Christian communities long after they lost their meaning. The disciplines of Lent can be wonderfully redemptive, but wooden practice kills the abundant life Christ came to bring us. Discipline needs wisdom and above all love, if its refining fire is to shape and mold us anew.

This fable does not only provide a critique of the Church, however. More importantly, Chocolat portrays the transformative power of something of which we have a long tradition—a shared meal. Jesus and his disciples at their last supper, the agape meal of the early church, our own celebration of the Eucharist, predate any movie. But movies, like Chocolat and Babbette’s Feast, remind us anew of food’s importance in creating community.

In Chocolat, chocolate is not missing from the community’s Easter celebration; nor should it be from ours. When the girls were younger we hid chocolate Easter eggs to celebrate Christ’s gift of life. Our theology was better than we knew.

Cathy Barsotti is an instructor for Centro Hispano de Estudios Teologicos - a Latino Ministry training center in southeast Los Angeles.

Rob Johnston is Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. His books include  Useless Beauty (Baker, 2005), Finding God in the Movies (Baker, 2004, co-written with Cathy), Reel Spirituality (Baker, 2000) and Life Is Not Work/Work Is Not Life; Simple Reminders for Finding Balance in a 24/7 World (Wildcat Canyon, 2001). Their reviews can also be seen in The Covenant Companion.

Check out their book, Finding God in the Movies -- available through FAW Resources.