CHOCOLAT
France/Germany/Cameroon, 1988, 105 minutes, Colour.
Isaach de Bankole, Giulia Boschi, Francois Cluzet.
Directed by Claire Denis.
Chocolat was written and directed by Claire Dennis. It is fine film-making. Claire Dennis takes us to the Cameroons of the '80s, beautiful and remote, yet `modern'. A young woman then remembers a month of her life as a child, in an isolated area where her father was an official in the last days of the colony. She observes with the innocence of a child, but the events are remembered with adult understanding. The servants, especially the house `boy', her friend, the cook, her parents are vividly portrayed. So also, a group of travellers, including a loud racist coffee-planter and a disruptive ex-seminarian, stranded by plane difficulties and receiving the hospitality of the official.
The film is perceptive, both in dialogue and in the setting of each scene. The audience feels that it has been to Africa and lived with these people and experienced the tensions of their colonial lives, black and white. It is a film of delicacy and understanding.
1.The work of Claire Dennis, writing, direction? Her memoir? Her interpretation of Africa in the past? Of the '80s?
2.The beauty of the Cameroons, the settings, the landscapes? The roads, the villages? The atmosphere of the compound? The rock? The style of film-making, close-ups, long takes? The audience observing with the characters?
3.The feel of Africa, the audience visiting it, remembering it with France? The moods? The musical background?
4.The focus on the adult France, sitting on the beach and contemplating, the black man and his child in the water, her getting a lift, her shyness and reluctance, the town and the bus, the second lift, observing the man, his interaction with his child and the vocabulary? Her own quest? The enigma of her presence, her understanding of the past, her future?
5.France and her being French in culture and origin, the experience of Africa on her childhood? Culture, outlook? Her empathy for the African people?
6.The '80s and changes, the American black returning to the Cameroons and feeling at home, but rejected and considered unimportant by the Africans? Wanting to go back to his origins and understand? France doing the same thing? The scene at the airport at the end, Air Cameroon, the men in their overalls with the machines, their work at the airport, talking, bonds? The Cameroons transformed into a modern nation?
7.France as her symbolic name? A month of memories? The little girl, her powers of observation, her relationship with her parents, to Protee, the cook, the visitors? The details of her life, being loved? Her experience, sharing with her parents, with the Africans, the work? Travelling with Protee, sharing riddles, the ant sandwich? The puzzle? Her sense of relationships, tensions? The screenplay blending her naive and childlike watching with the sophisticated realism and her empathetic understanding?
8.Mark as a young man, an official, his relationship with his wife, his love for her and tenderness, love for France? Trusting Protee? His duties, his sense of duty? Travels, the movement of the cattle, his decisions? The colonial presence - yet his being critical and wondering about the future? The plane, offering hospitality, getting the doctor for the sick woman, experiencing the insults and the prejudice? Aimee wanting him to move Protee from the house? His being the last vestige of the colonial presence?
9.Aimee and the significance of her name? Her age, experience, French background, love for her daughter, sewing and the garden? The clashes with Protee, yet the obvious sexual tension, her eventually touching him and his reaction? Wanting him moved from the house? Her anger with the cook, her moods, clothes? Boothby and his visit, having to dress up, to dance? The visitors and her listening, entertaining, becoming involved with them? Luc and his puzzles? Her colonial stances, racist stances, superiority? Love for her husband and daughter? The sense of isolation, boredom? What might have happened to her?
10.The character of Protee, his education and background, place in the house, his preserving the status quo for the colonials? His relationship with Mark, with Aimee? The sexual tension, his watching Aimee, his agony, the shower sequence? The friendship with France, being her teacher? The final interaction and each burning their hand? His relationship with the cook, with the jobs in the house, being insulted, returning to the compound for his meals? Mark's trusting him? The reception of the guests, observing them? Observing the insults? Not wanting Aimee to touch him? His being shifted out of the house? What happened to him in the times of independence?
11.The cook, his speaking English, not being able to read but looking at the book, Aimee and her tantrums, his angers and keeping face, walking out, returning? The comic touch?
12.The place of the servants in this colonial period, their own compound, manner of dressing, getting dressed up for guests and their reception? Eating alone? The background that the film gave of the landscapes, the native huts?
13.The plane going overhead and landing, the pilot and his assistant, not able to take the plane, being comfortable in waiting? Interaction at the house? At ease, handling situations?
14.The minor official and his wife, at ease in the place, their honeymoon? The wife's illness, epilepsy? The getting of the local doctor? The official's bigotry and outburst against the native doctor? The finale with Mark and the official saluting the French flag?
15.Mark going to get the doctor, his coming, the heaviness of the insult by the official? Luc's intervention and verbalising what people thought?
16.The planter and his being in a hurry, his bigotry, remarks to everyone, keeping the black woman as his mistress, keeping her out of sight, stealing food? His contempt for the locals? Friendships, the drinking and his singing?
17.Luc as the ex-seminarian, going on foot across Africa, working with the gang on making the tarmac, becoming a guest in the house, vocalising the bigotry, his interaction with each person, the shower out in the compound, eating the food with the Africans and refusing to come inside, the tensions of his relationship with Aimee? In transition - and disturbing people?
18.The visit of Boothby, the Englishman, his eccentricities in speech, dress, drinking, advances to Aimee?
19.The symbolic month in France's life, the disturbing of the isolation, her experience of colonialism?
20.Parks and his son, free, the use of the French language, teaching his son the native language, driving, attitudes of Freedom? The rejection by the locals and yet his sense of his roots? Talking with France, looking at her burnt hand - and not knowing her future? The symbol of the burnt hand erasing the lifelines?
21.The portrait of a country, its colonial history, clash of culture, isolation, damage by the colonial government - and a future? The perspective of Clare Dennis?
