The Fear of Sausages Ruling the World
As someone particularly interested in food featured in movies, I always notice scenes where food is mentioned. In this WW2 film, the inevitable reference to the German sausage appears even before the team is introduced.
If we attack that colony, the rest of unoccupied Europe will join the Nazis, and it’s only a question of time before we find ourselves frying big pink sausages wearing nothing but lederhosen.
Later on, in a dialog between Marjorie and Heron on the train, the script makes another reference to the sausage and they start comparing menus from different countries. I enjoyed the humour but I couldn’t help but wonder if the scene had the intention to also educate the viewer.
It’s one thing taking over the world, but do they have to take over the kitchen too? It’s all sausage, cabbage and black bread. (speaking about Germans, of course)
The French offer the refined classical take. Cote de boeuf, fromage, le beurre… ca suffit!
What about the rustic spontaneity of the Italians? Their oils, the linguine, the tomatoes. I’d climb over the linguine to get to the fettucine.
But the cinghiale….
You have me with the wild boar.
But then again, the Spanish offer the smorgasbord of the regional paella and tapas. And Jamon Iberico Andalucia.
The conclusion of this brief food exploration is that We’re between a rock and a hard place. If the Brits win the war, we’re stuck with fish and chips. If the Germans win the war, we’re stuck with this menu and they end up ordering the only dish available: sausage, cabbage and black bread.
The movie ends with a real banquet, as a proof that the Brits have more than fish and chips... They also have pork pies - just kidding.
All these food-related clichés, though often amusing, can also be a bit diminishing.
Find more Food-Related Clichés/prejudices in other Movies.