This documentary looking at the culinary career of the father of modern Italian cuisine is, naturally, of rather niche appeal – but if you have any interest in the subject matter, this film provides a fascinating insight into his inspirations and influences, as well as his legacy.

Premise: Through interviews with Gualtiero Marchesi himself, as well as his peers and his protégés, this documentary follows his culinary career from working in the kitchen of his parents’ restaurant, to the award-winning chef considered by many to be the founder of modern Italian cuisine.

Review:

Obviously, a subtitled documentary film about an Italian chef that many people might not have even heard of is not going to appeal to everyone – but this blog is called Dinner And A Movie for a reason, and so a lot of my readers may be quite intrigued to check this film out. The popularity of TV cookery shows such as Masterchef have certainly increased public awareness of the works of the forefathers of modern cuisine like Anton Mosimann, and Michel and Albert Roux, so it is only fitting that Gualtiero Marchesi’s story is also told.

Director Maurizio Gigola clearly has a passion both for Italian cuisine itself, and for bringing Gualtiero Marchesi’s story to a wider audience. And it’s a story that deserves to be told, because Gualtiero Marchesi has led a fascinating life. Born in Milan in 1930, Gualtiero Marchesi started working in the kitchen of his parents’ hotel and restaurant at a young age, before touring the culinary world developing his craft. Feeling that Italian cuisine was, at that time, focused solely on hearty regional/family dishes, Gualtiero Marchesi travelled to Japan to see how the sushi chefs there let the raw ingredients speak for themselves. He also travelled to France to study under some of the leading chefs in the nouvelle cuisine movement, before returning to Italy to incorporate those approaches to Italian ingredients and dishes.

“…his approach was to focus on the simplicity of his ingredients…”

But what really made Gualtiero Marchesi standout was arguably the way he drew inspiration from non-culinary sources, as well as his culinary travels. An avid music fan and an accomplished musician in his own right, Gualtiero Marchesi approached his dishes in the same way musicians would approach a composition, looking to create a harmony between the various ingredients, and a simplicity that let the ingredients speak for themselves without distracting sauces and garnishes. His signature dish was arguably his cold spaghetti with caviar, which encapsulated his approach to focusing on the simplicity of his ingredients.

Gualtiero Marchesi was also involved in the Italian art community, working with artists to create bespoke crockery and other items, but also taking inspiration from art for some of his other famous dishes, such as saffron risotto with gold leaf, or a Jackson Pollack inspired dish of colourful splashes.

The documentary incorporates interviews from some of the great luminaries of classic French and Italian cuisine, as well as many of those who studied under Gualtiero Marchesi, who are now award-winning chefs in their own rights. It looks at his legacy, and the cooking academy that he set up, as well as his tumultuous relationship with Michelin, where he was the first Italian chef to win three Michelin stars in 1985, but ultimately fell out with Michelin and withdrew his restaurant from the guide over what he saw as a pro-French bias.

“…the dishes themselves are mouth-watering…”

Stylistically, director Maurizio Gigola keeps the documentary visually interesting, interspersing the interviews with engaging photo montages from Gualtiero Marchesi’s life, as well as scenes where some of his most famous dishes are recreated, or where his protégés prepare their own dishes based on the principles they learned under Gualtiero Marchesi. The dishes themselves are mouth-watering, and while Gualtiero Marchesi’s culinary style may not be to everyone’s tastes (his style being very much in the nouvelle cuisine style of small, but meticulously presented, dishes), there’s no denying the importance of his contribution to modern Italian cuisine.

Although this film was completed prior to Gualtiero Marchesi’s death at the end of 2017, it nevertheless serves retrospectively as a fitting tribute to one of the most important figures in recent culinary history. And while a foreign language documentary about a chef will not, by definition, appeal to everyone, if you do have an interest in the subject matter, this is a fascinating insight into the life of one of the most important contributors to the culinary world of the last 50 years.