Chocolat (1988)

1
Chocolat (1988)

• dir. Claire Denis

2
Lecture content

• Chocolat as a first film (how Denis came to
  make it, production)
• French colonialism in Africa background.
• Significance of title of film and characters
  names.
• Characters and how they illustrate the
  functioning of the colonial regime.

3
Claire Denis route to Chocolat

• Trained at IDHEC, now FEMIS (Institut de
  Formation et dEnseignement pour les Métiers de
  lImage et du Son).
• US desert locations of Paris, Texas (dir. Wim
  Wenders) and her African childhood gave her idea
  for Chocolat
• Advance finance obtained July 1986 (La Sept, TFI
  productions, Cameroonian Ministry of Culture)
• Film project saved when funding withdrawn 2
  months before shooting

4
Colonialism 1 background

• France as colonial power in Africa early C19
  (Senegal 1817, Algeria 1830) to 1962.
• Increase in resistance and rebellion up to WW2.
  Tunisia and Morocco independent 1956, most other
  African colonies 1960.
• Cameroun/Cameroon (prev. The Cameroons) a German
  colony that became French 1918 in WWI
  reparations.
• Decolonisation and the French Republic website
  of interviews at http//www.port.ac.uk/special/fra
  nce1815to2003/chapter9/interviews/filetodownload,1
  8264,en.pdf

5
Colonialism 2 - title and names

• être chocolat se faire avoir/to be had, be
  the victim or to be black/person of colour
• Postcolonialism condition/ relationships
  existing when colony-ies gain independence.
• Aimée ( beloved), Segalen (name of poet, anagram
  of Senegal), Protée (god Proteus)
• France (1) what is produced in the colonies
  (2) person who makes postcolonial return to
  Cameroun

6
Narrative structure of Chocolat

• Present-day (1980s) frame surrounds flashback
  to 1957.
• First half of flashback depicts house, family,
  servants, colonial system.
• Second half (after plane crash) shows disorder in
  system and Protées punishment
• Conclusion of frame shows complexities of
  postcolonial interracial relationships

7
Characters and relationships 1

• France - most neutral eye, as has yet to be
  inculcated with colonial attitudes
• Protée - loyal, hardworking, but hates régime.
  Relationship with France
• Marc - Lover of Africa, but an innocent and a
  dreamer.
• Aimée - restricted domestic role of women in
  colonialism. Attraction to Protée.

8
Characters and relationships 2

• Luc Segalen - ex-séminariste, flouts rules of
  régime, stirs up trouble
• Machinard Mireille - inexperienced,
  intimidated. Machinards racism
• Joseph Delpich Thérèse - totally conflicting
  professional and personal roles

9
Visuals

• Greater use of images than of dialogue
• Exterior scenes - Landscapes
• Interior scenes (and exteriors with characters) -
  analyse gesture, posture, non-verbal actions,
  looks, which are as important as dialogue if not
  more so in the film.