Achille Papin in Babette’s Feast


Though he only appears in a few early scenes in the film, Achille Papin, the famous Parisian opera singer, stuck out in my mind. His attempts to woo Phillipa were awkward and unwarranted, yet he shows to have a caring heart when he leaves the small Danish village after she shows her disinterest. Many years later, Achille still remembers Phillipa’s kind soul and sends Babette to them since he knows they will care for her with their generosity. Achille shows love through philia, or platonic love in friendship. He accepts that Phillipa will never care for him romantically, and though it pains him, he sets aside his hurt feelings in order to help Babette flee from a revolutionizing Paris. Achille knows he cannot do much to help Babette so he passes along this small act of self-sacrifice onto the two sisters.

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