In the 2000 film...
Illustration
In the 2000 film, Chocolat (among those nominated for Best Picture), a mysterious stranger, Vianne, portrayed by Juliette Binoche, and her child arrive in a simple French village. The town is stilted and old-fashioned, its people aloof and divided. Vianne opens a very unusual chocolate shop. She seems uniquely able to perceive precisely the candy that will appeal to her customers' deepest cravings. Through her candy, she leads them to abandon all of the constraints that bind them. The arrival of another stranger, portrayed by Johnny Depp, leads to the recognition of her own desires and causes the resistance of resident nobleman, Renaud (Alfred Molina), to amplify. Her store is placed off-limits. The stage is set for a confrontation between the traditional past and a more relaxed future in which people are freed to be themselves. Vianne resists by continuing to produce her chocolates and eventually Renaud visits the store himself. The wonderful chocolate becomes the catalyst through which an entire village is transformed into a warm and caring place full of people freed for life.
