Babette's Dream

There are many things I like about the movie Babette's Feast. The colours, the cinematography, set dressing, the story, the emotions attached to it, the characters, aso asf.

But mainly I like it for its depiction of giving.

Everyone gave something in that story. The old father, his two ageing daughters, their maid Babette, the murmuring villagers, the general, etc, etc.

I guess in a world of take, take, take, that's an absurd, awkard and even stupid thing to do. Why give when you can keep? Why be selfless when it's your right to have it all?

But then again, why not?

Babette came from a world of aristrocatic splendour, of French royalty at its hedonistic zenith, to a drab existence of ale-soaked fish in the sleepy fishing village of Jutland where people involved themselves in petty talk about their petty lives.

She subsequently wins a lottery and instead of going back to France to live in her villa and dine on caviar everyday, she returned to Jutland to prepare a feast for her former employers and their bickering villagers - spending all her money to do so.

What on earth possesed her?

Maybe a hint of the answer is found within herself.
Maybe she has grown to love her employers of 14 years - two ageing sisters who, despite their age and own struggles, faifthfully knock on the door of each needy villager to cook, bring food, help and warmth.

Perhaps she had grown tired of the hollow extravagant parties in high society, the stress of keeping up with the Joneses, the futility of staying on top of the social ladder. Maybe.

My favourite interpretation however, is that Babette had a dream. In that dream she saw a place, a city actually, teeming with people. There is something different about this place because the animals roam around, and instead of ending up on the dinner table, these creatures co-exist with humans with ease. (People must have turned into vegetarians). There is a sense of purity and serence calmness about this place... it's uncanny, ethereal yet real.

Babette must have saw this place from afar, a place where:

Love and faithfulness meet together
Righteousness and peace kiss each other
Faifthfulness springs forth from the earth
and righteousness looks down from heaven