Chocolat
The great Claire Denis made her debut with this semi-autobiographical feature, based on her childhood in colonial French Africa as the daughter of a civil servant. Prefiguring the concerns of Denis’s later films (Beau Travail, White Material) and establishing the tactile sensuality and elliptical style for which she is known, Chocolat today stands as a modern classic.
The great Claire Denis made her debut with this semi-autobiographical feature, based on her childhood in colonial French Africa as the daughter of a civil servant. France (Mireille Perrier) reminisces about her childhood in Cameroon as her father (François Cluzet) comes and goes on call, which leads to the strengthening of her friendship with their devoted house servant, Protée (Isaach de Bankolé), and to the escalating sexual tension between him and her mother, Aimée (Giulia Boschi). As Protée increasingly becomes an object of desire and of scorn, France’s memories become more and more ambivalent. Prefiguring the concerns of Denis’s later films (Beau Travail, White Material) and establishing the tactile sensuality and elliptical style for which she is known, Chocolat today stands as a modern classic. A Janus Films release.
New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Claire Denis, with a mono soundtrack. Restoration made by the laboratory Eclair Classics from the original feature negative with the colorist Bruno Patin and Diego Mercuriali and with the DoP Robert Alazraki.
The brilliant prelude to a great career.
—J. Hoberman, The New York Times
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