MovieChat Forums > Chocolat (2001) Discussion > Assisted suicide?

Assisted suicide?

posted 17 years ago by Vaux1916
27 replies | jump to latest

OK, I admit that some strange ideas pop into my head from time-to-time, but I couldn't help thinking that Armande's death was actually a suicide assisted by Vianne. It's revealed that Armande is diabetic. Vianne knows this. Armande is also deathly afraid of the "retirement home". Vianne knows this, too. Armande could have been getting to the age where she would no longer have been able to keep herself out of the hated retirment home (involutary commitment).

The birthday party had chocolate on just about everything. Vianne knew about Armande's diabetes, but threw a big chocolate feast for her anyway. Armande dies shortly after the party. So the birthday party could also have been a "send-off party" as well. Suicide by chocolate overload?

I know it sounds crazy, but this idea came to mind immediately after I realized Armande was dead... I can't stop thinking about it. What do you think?

[–] phebtober 17 years ago

The chocolate used in most of the dishes (save for maybe the duck and fish moulds and if there was a cake) was most likely not sugared and used the cocoa as spice rather than a main ingredient. As in the conversation about the Mayan ceremonial drink, only the cocoa was used, since the concept of adding milk and sugar to make it a sweet, candy-esque food was not around then. The same idea of cooking with simple cocoa is still used. Also, if you ever taste cocoa powder, it's not sweet and may even be bitter.

[–] kisses5050 16 years ago

I think you watch too many Law and Order shows

[–] yadda1 16 years ago

Actually, in the book, that is precisely what it is.

[–] ananonymous 13 years ago

Well, Armande deliberately stops taking her insulin medication for a couple of days before the party. She dies intentionally. Vianne knows about it, but doesn't interfere. It was done in a nice way, compared to Charly the dog dying with "dignity," Vianne and Armande had a mutual understanding of Armande's wishes and beliefs.

[–] ames_mere 13 years ago

Had to laugh. I'm a total L&O junkie. Gotta have it every day.

[–] Statutory_Ape69 8 years ago

I graduated from high school with Detective Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin). What a super guy. Performing Arts Academy forever!! 😎

[–] barbinohio 16 years ago

she asks for the party for her 70th birthday. she says she needs it and the very next day she will go to the home without a word. So, she is given the party. that is all there is to it. it is her decision. I have family members who are diabetic and do the same thing--eat sweets or lots of carbs and just take more insulin. NOT the best course but it is done by many, many diabetics.

And I agree that only adding sugar makes it candy. The original chocolate is bitter; hence the term Swiss chocolate since they perfected the sweetening.

The town are such snots--going to church and then NOT acting like Christians at all. I would have been burned at the stake in a town like that!

"Hey, be nice. No matter where you go; there you are."

[–] pamjp 16 years ago

Can you imagine that spirited woman in, basically, the worst nursing home you can imagine? What if you loved her and she asked you to give her a final party, basically one final evening to enjoy the food she had a passion for, and dance, and laugh, and be celebrated? Not to be overly flowery, but Vianne really gave her life in the form of that celebration, not death.

[–] dwacon-2 16 years ago

Actually, dark chocolates (in moderation, of course) are very good for you.

Dwacon
http://blog.dwacon.com/

[–] Jayemm 16 years ago

This scene is my bugbear with the movie. In the book it is made very clear that Armande plans her death most precisely.

She invites everyone whom she wants to see for one last time and makes sure that Vianne follows her instructions about the feast most carefully. Although it is for her birthday, there are to be no gifts. When Vianne is looking through her house after the feast, she finds that Armande has a huge stash of insulin in her fridge as she has not been taking it for ages. She is also readin up on her Rimbaud, quoting from the last section of 'A Season in Hell' to her Grandson.

Through the book Armande rails against the constraints imposed on her by her diabetes and since she could not continue to live according to her own desire, planned to take charge of her own death in the most decadent way she could imagine. It is redolent of Dylan Thomas "Do not go gentle into that goodnight, old age should burn and rave at close of day"

I don't know whether Vianne is a willing participant, one could argue that since she has a 'sixth sense' she should have seen it coming at the very least. Maybe she did but chose not to intervene....

And I say I'm dead ... and I move

[–] LadyN1 16 years ago

I think Armande knew her time was coming to an end but beign the fiesty, free spirited woman that she was she would NOT take kindly to settling down in a retirment home whereshe would constantly be restricted. I think she wanted a party because wanted to have that final thrill/ burst of joy before life ended for her be it in a retirement hoem or death. I think she must have known that she would very likely die shortly after but she didn't care.

Live life, love life give love
No day but today!
Forever Defying Gravity!

[–] morgana-31 14 years ago

Although it is for her birthday, there are to be no gifts.

In the book everyone brought gifts. Luc brought his grandmother a silk slip because she was fond of underwear. When she went to bed that night she took an armful of presents with her to look at.

You're right. Armande knew exactly what she was doing. She would never have made the promise to go quietly to the Mortoir the next day if she'd thought there was any chance of having to keep that promise.

Love is never having to say you're sober.

[–] ohbabyissa 15 years ago

when armande asked vienne to throw the party she told her she would check in to the retirement home the next day, i guess she figured one more night of chocolate could do no harm

[–] SeisCinemaSeis 15 years ago

If that was a suicide, I cannot imagine a better way to leave this world. I mean Armande was terminally ill, so it was just a matter of time until she'd die. She didn't want to go to the asylum and to die all alone there, instead she preferred to die after a happy party where she was celebrating her birthday with her most beloved friends and grandson. What's wrong with that?

One of the deleted scenes shows Vianne reading a letter from Armande (after her death) where she clearly express her desire to die after the party. It was cut, perhaps because Lasse Halmström thought that it would be kinda redundant to include it.

[–] tkech 15 years ago

I would guess also that the producers or whoever didn't want to take on the euthanasia debate (or boycotters) head-on, since that wasn't the main message of the movie.

[–] rooprect 15 years ago

Very interesting. I never thought of the assisted-suicide angle until I read this thread. I agree that the producers managed to cleverly slip it past the debaters & protesters, not to mention Bill O'Reilley & Fox News (maybe they were too busy ripping "Million Dollar Baby").

Plain & simple, this film is about living freely. If that means dying freely, then so be it. It all comes together very nicely, and the message is consistent throughout.

[–] whitespirit26 12 years ago

Please, like they don't have better things to do than rip "Million Dollar Baby"? Fox News believes in individual freedom, so I doubt they'd support anything in which the government sticks its nose in.

[–] rooprect 12 years ago

As a rule of thumb I don't debate with Fox News fans. They have an unerring capacity to derail the film discussion to irrelevant points as you just did.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ragreen259 14 years ago

I think you're overanalyzing. If they wanted you to think it was an assisted suicide, they'd have made it a hell of a lot more obvious then leaving you in a position where you had to come ask on IMDB.

[–] ECETeacher 14 years ago

Precisely. It's meant to be a possibility.

Unfortunately, the reality for a diabetic is not literally "death by chocolate". It is more likely coma from ketoacidosis

[–] r2626 14 years ago

I am an insulin dependent diabetic. I have had diabetes for 18 years. My blood sugar is under control. I have read everything I can find about diabetes because I want to lead a somewhat normal life. Taking your prescribed medications along with diet and exercise, a diabetic can control diabetes. That having been said, I don't believe one meal overloaded with sugar will kill you within a few hours. Diabetes does not work that way. Not taking your medications and a poor diet will eventually have negative results. Kidney failure, loss of eyesight, and loss of lower limbs due to diabetic ulcers. I don't think she committed suicide by eating that meal. It appears that she had not been taking her insulin. That would cause a gradual decrease in her overall health as described above, but not a sudden death from a single meal.

Help stamp out and do away with superfluous redundancy

[–] sarabandit 14 years ago

I had never thought of this angle until I read this...though I always thought Armande knew her life was almost over and she really didn't care to prolong it (who would in her situation??).
She's very adament that she needs this party; she says so to Vianne when she asks her to throw it. Now i have never read the book and I guess from what people are saying it was intentional. But IMO, go for it. I can only hope to die from eating too much chocolate. much better than dying alone in a smelly nursing home.