1988 Movie
Dir. Claire Denis · Cameroon, France · English, French
A woman remembers her childhood in colonial Africa in this brilliant and nuanced French drama
Loosely inspired by her childhood in French Africa, Claire Denis’ directorial debut Chocolat fittingly depicts this past through the perspective of a young child named France. She captures that viewpoint through a series of memories, through warm and beautifully shot moments in summer, but many of these instances take on a subtle dimension. For a child, it would have been vague and incomprehensible, but for the grown adults watching, there’s a distinct tension that simmeres underneath, as the older characters have to act within and chafe against the racial, sexual, and linguistic boundaries set by an unjust colonial system. Chocolat captures these restraints with sublime subtlety.
On her way to visit her childhood home in a colonial outpost in Northern Cameroon, a young French woman recalls her childhood, her memories concentrating on her family's houseboy.
While travelling in Douala, Cameroon, a woman named France recalls her childhood in Mindif, 1957, and the relationships she and her family formed with their Black housekeeper Protée.
The film mostly works because of Isaach de Bankolé. The few dialogue he gets comes from translating numerous languages between the members of the household, but between the words, he portrays every emotion with a careful wariness that understands how precarious his position is.
I can’t believe this was a debut film.
Oscars
5 noms
Berlin
1 nom
Golden Globes
4 noms
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
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