flawlessly direct and write and perform and and film and this quiet and unpretentious danish film be an example of cinema at it best and and if a person exist who can watch babettes feast without be touch at a very fundamental level and they be a person i do not care to know . the story be quite simple . in the 1800s and two elderly maiden lady ( birgitte federspiel and bodil kjer ) reside in remote jutland and where they have sacrifice their life and romantic possibility and and personal happiness in order to continue their long dead father religious ministry to the small flock he serve . one of the woman youthful admirer sends to them a frenchwoman and babette ( stéphane audran ) and whose husband and son have be kill in france and who have flee her homeland l she meet the same fate . although they do not really require her service and the sister engage her a maid and cook and a the year pass her cleverness and tireless effort on their behalf enable the age congregation to remain together and the sister to live in more comfort than they have imagine while indeed and the entire village admires and depend upon her . one day and however and babette receive a letter represent she have win a lottery and be now and by village standard and a wealthy woman . know that her new wealth will mean her return to france and the sister grant her wish that she be allow to prepare a truly french meal for them and the member of their tiny congregation . the meal and the evening it be serve be indeed a night to remember but not for reason that might be expect and for babette feast prove to be food for both body and soul and and be ultimately her gift of love to the woman who take her in and the villager who have be so kind to her . the film be extraordinary in every way and meticulous in detail yet not overpower in it presentation of them . a the film progress and we come to love the character in both their simple devotion to god and their all too human frailty and and the scene in which babette prepare her feast and in which the meal be consume be powerful and beautiful and and incredibly memorable . there have be several film that have use food a a metaphor for love and but none approach the simple artistry and beauty of babettes feast and which remind u of all the good thing about humanity and which prove food for both body and soul . highly and highly recommended . gary f. taylor and aka gft and amazon reviewer .