Delicatessen

Released as part of the latest wave of the Studio Canal Collection, it's fair to say that Delicatessen has never looked as lovely as it does in this new 1080p resolution region-free blu-ray. The unique colour palette of the film - which deservedly gets considerable discussion in the extras - is seen in all its rich, golden and green glory. Although the sound is stereo and not 5.1, it certainly does not disappoint.

As far as the extras go, the audio commentary by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Archives of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, trailer and Making Of have all appeared on previous DVD releases and are discussed here.

There is a great additional documentary, however - Main Course Pieces, a new 65-minute retrospective look at the film. Carved into quirky, food-themed slices, it is fascinating to see the film put in a full historical context. Marc Caro is, as always, somewhat conspicuous by his absence, but those who do take part more than make up for this. Jeunet and his producer Claudie Ossard talk about the difficulties of raising the funds for the film and assert, rather sadly, that it "wouldn't get financed today". There is a full consideration of the uphill struggle to raise funds and a fascinating explanation of the pre-production and production process, with contributors including cinematographer Darius Khondji and actors Dominique Pinion and Jean-Claude Dreyfus.

It's interesting to hear the story Jeunet relates in the commentary track regarding Dreyfus slapping Marie-Laure Dougnac without warning her, this time told from Dreyfus' perspective - "I was shaking afterwards... I really slapped her". The documentary both fleshes out some of the anecdotes in the commentary track and adds fresh detail, such as an opportunity to see some of the original props and hear how they were constructed. There is also a discussion of Delicatessen acting as a trailblazer for other French directors, such as Jan Kounen (Dobermann) and Gaspar Noé (the documentary is so up to date that Enter The Void is even referenced, although the connection they're trying to make is a bit of a stretch). A booklet essay is also included, but wasn't available for review.

All in all a very fine feast that deserves a place in anyone's blu-ray library.