Like cinema, food often creates a powerful communal experience, and movies have used food in a variety of ways.Food is one of the few universal experiences, and art has historically used it to communicate across different cultures. Different kinds of food can mean different things, as can the circumstances in which people prepare and eat it. Since long before film was invented, food has held an important place in all kinds of art all over the world.
Food is a basic human need, so it can serve many different roles in movies. Whether characters are discovering new dishes, pouring their hearts into meals for others or sharing food, there are endless potential connotations. Most of the time, movies can make food look extremely appealing using sight and sound alone. Animated movies tend to be especially good at this. Food scenes can create a visceral response, since evoking different flavors can be a powerful storytelling technique.
The 10 Best Food Movies Of All Time, According To Ranker
Ranker has ranked some of the best food films out there and many of these will leave audiences feeling hungry
Temple of Doomisn’t often considered the bestIndiana Jonesmovie, but Steven Spielberg still delivers plenty of memorable moments. When Indy, Short Round and Willie arrive at Pankot Palace, they are treated to an extravagant feast at the maharajah’s table. Unfortunately for Willie, each dish is far too exotic for her tastes. She’s starving after their exploits in the jungle, but she can’t bring herself to eat live snakes, monkey brains or eyeball soup. This is a completely ludicrous representation of Indian cuisine, but the scene still works as a way of selling Willie’s discomfort and her spoiled lifestyle.It also sets up a nice scene when Indy brings her some fruit later.
The Matrixis a thrilling action movie, but its unique premise also means that it has room for some deep philosophical discussions. One of thebest quotes fromThe Matrixcomes from Cypher, while he is betraying Morpheus and his associates to Agent Smith. While he eats a piece of steak, he comments that it’s delicious despite the fact that he knows it isn’t real.The Matrixrepeatedly muses on the differences between perception and reality, and Cypher clearly thinks that pleasure and comfort are more important than any objective truth, even if that means that all humans are forever trapped.
The firstHarry Pottermovie highlights the contrast between Harry’s dreary life with the Dursleys and his new situation at Hogwarts when the first-year students are welcomed with a grand feast. Harry is always treated as an afterthought by the Dursleys, and one of the first things he does with his newfound wealth is buy everything on the menu while he and Ron take the Hogwarts Express. Clearly, he equates food with the luxury and comfort that he has been deprived of his whole life, and the feast shows him that he has found a new home at Hogwarts.Although laterHarry Pottermovies used props, all the food in this first feast scene is real.
The Meaning of Lifeis often forgotten when discussingMonty Python’s movies, but the comedy anthology movie has plenty to offer. The Mr. Creosote scene is one of the funniest sketches. It’s a remarkably simple joke, but the execution makes it hilarious. Terry Jones' irascible, morbidly obese grump is a brilliant character. Like so many great Monty Python sketches, the Mr. Creosote scene ratchets up the absurdity, but it has a clear message about class and British manners.This mixture of scathing satire and gross-out humor makes the sketch a classic.Many food scenes in movies showcase delicious dishes, but Monty Python, as usual, are uninterested in what is normal.
Wes Anderson’s second stop-motion animated movie has a few scenes which show the director showcasing his flair for the medium. One of these is the sushi scene, in which a chef lovingly and expertly prepares a lavish meal, adding a single drop of poison wasabi at the end to assassinate the professor.The scene is largely filmed from a bird’s eye view, which gives it the appearance of a social media cooking video at times. This also has the effect of obscuring the face of the chef, so the focus remains on the surgical precision of the two hands which are in the shot. Detailed touches like this makeIsle of Dogsone ofWes Anderson’s most underrated movies.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factoryis filled with fantastical confectionery creations, as Charlie and the other golden ticket holders take a tour of Willy Wonka’s factory. The chocolate river, the ever-lasting gobstopper and the three-course dinner chewing gum are all brought to life with Roald Dahl’s inherent sense of wonder. The fizzy lifting drinks are no different, but this scene may be even more iconic because of the danger that Charlie and Grandpa Joe find themselves in. They almost end up like the other members of the tour group. It’s the perfect visual metaphor for how the children get carried away.
Food has always had a sexual connotation, not just in movies, but in literature and art dating back centuries. Fruit is especially well-suited to sexual metaphor, since it often embodies fertility and new life. InCall Me by Your Name,Elio is conflicted about his sexuality, but he finds a moment of cathartic release with a peach. The scene is an important turning point in his story, but it’s still a shocking moment even when taken out of context.Luca Guadagnino lets the scene play out in a long takefocused on Timothée Chalamet. Elio’s subsequent altercation with Oliver is just as naturalistic.
Goodfellasshows the importance of food in Italian-American culture. Even when Henry, Jimmy and Tommy have a body tied up in the back of their car, they still find time to stop for a home-cooked meal. Later,Goodfellasshows thateven a long stretch in prison can’t keep the gangsters away from a good meal. They smuggle in enough fresh produce to make their favorite meals, paying off the guards to ensure they are left alone. There’s a stark contrast between the violent nature that the men have on the outside and the tender care with which they prepare their meals, including slicing garlic with a razor blade.
The Menuis structured like a luxurious multi-course meal, with each new course usually corresponding to a new twist in the story. Each of the items on Chef Slowik’s hand-crafted menu is deeply meaningful, and Margot figures out that the only way for her to get through to him is by communicating via food. She asks for a simple cheeseburger, which reignites Slowik’s passion for food and reminds him of his youth. Themeaning ofThe Menu’s cheeseburgerscene crystallizes the ethos of Slowik’s dark descent, and the cult that he has created in his kitchen. It also looks completely irresistible.
Probably the most iconic scene fromLady and the Tramp, the Italian meal shared between the two canine lovers is a perfect display of the irrepressible charm of old Disney animated classics.Lady and the Trampis a story of love triumphing across social boundaries. The spaghetti scene is an important moment in the love story, because it shows how Lady and Tramp get to know each other without the drama of the dogcatcher or other outside forces. It’s simply a sweet moment between two new lovers, and the animation is beautifully done.
