The Taste of Things is a sensual feast for romantics, foodies, and French language educators. On its surface, the film chronicles the romantic relationship between the chef Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel) and his sous chef, Eugénie (Juliette Binoche), two people deeply informed by French gastronomy and the cultural importance of food, whose passion is expressed not through physical intimacy but through the real, painstaking dishes they create together in the kitchen. As Bouffant himself puts it, they are marrying in the "autumn of their lives," and the film does not shy away from the tragedies that accompany us as we age. The symbolism of the food throughout the film is informed with a level of passion that renders it never subtle. While not suitable for younger audiences, the film does not portray any physically passionate exchanges between Bouffant and Eugénie. Instead, Hùng, through cinematic visual and sound, succeeds in transferring Bouffant's passion into the dishes he prepares — from the humble pot-au-feu to the now-illegal ortolan — each one an entry point into the specific culture behind one of the world's most celebrated cuisines, and an opportunity to reckon with the ethics, history, and vocabulary that surround it. This isn't cooking with love, it's cooking with lust. Highly recommended.
What can The Taste of Things teach French language learners?
The film is an adaptation of La vie et la passion de Dodin-Bouffant, gourmet (The life and the passion of Dodin-Bouffant, gourmet) by Marcel Rouff. Deeply informed by French gastronomy, Rouff’s novel is considered a literary masterpiece. French-language educators will find much value in the film. They can expose their students to the cultural importance of food to the French while expanding their gastronomical vocabulary. Even seasoned French learners will find unfamiliar words! The new words do not, however, stop with food; in one particularly memorable monologue, just before Bouffant proposes to Eugénie, he relates the functions of the body as a person eats with a candor and passion that poetically lifts those seemingly base functions to a sacred act on par with love.
What benefit could culinary groups receive from The Taste of Things ?
Educators or foodies interested in food and food culture will learn about the specific culture that informs French cuisine, one of the most famous cuisines in the world. The dishes are all real, and while pot-au-feu is a common dish one might find in a Parisian restaurant, they would certainly not find ortolans (a small songbird) on the menu. The reasons for this are interesting, and would make for an interesting discussion of food and animal ethics. Creating the dishes in this film would take quite a bit time, patience, and skill, but they would make for an excellent introduction to the techniques and flavors of classic French cuisine.
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