The Nature of Art, Creativity & Criticism
Anton Ego’s “Defense of the New”: Why His Final Review is a Masterpiece of Art Criticism
Ego’s final review is a masterpiece because it transcends mere judgment. It eloquently defends the value of “the new,” acknowledges the critic’s role in discovering talent, and bravely champions an unconventional artist. It’s a profound reflection on criticism’s responsibility and art’s transformative power.
“The new needs friends,” Ego wrote, his words costing him his old reputation but building a new one on integrity. His review wasn’t just about a good meal; it was a courageous essay on the vulnerability of innovation and the critic’s duty to protect it.
Is Cooking an Art Form? Ratatouille’s Definitive (and Delicious) Answer
Ratatouille passionately argues that cooking, at its best, is unequivocally an art form. Remy’s creations are driven by vision, passion, and a desire to evoke emotion—hallmarks of artistry. The film showcases how technique, creativity, and soul can transform simple ingredients into profound experiences.
Remy didn’t just combine ingredients; he orchestrated symphonies of flavor that made colors dance in the mind. This culinary alchemy, costing immense dedication, definitively answered “yes” – cooking, in his paws, was as profound an art as any painting or symphony.
The Role of the Critic: To Destroy or to Discover? Anton Ego’s Evolution
Anton Ego initially embodies the critic as a feared destroyer, whose harsh words can ruin careers. His evolution shows him embracing a nobler role: the critic as a discoverer and champion of genuine, often overlooked, talent, highlighting the constructive potential of thoughtful criticism.
Ego’s pen once dripped venom, his reviews costing chefs their stars and livelihoods. But after tasting Remy’s ratatouille, he realized a critic’s true power lay not in demolition, but in discovering and nurturing fragile new genius, a shift in perspective worth more than any Michelin guide.
“The World is Often Unkind to New Talent, New Creations”: Ego’s Profound Truth
This line from Ego’s review is a poignant truth about the resistance often faced by innovators. New ideas and unconventional talents frequently encounter skepticism, misunderstanding, or hostility from a world comfortable with the familiar, making the journey for pioneering artists particularly arduous.
Edison was ridiculed, Van Gogh sold few paintings in his lifetime. Ego, reflecting on Remy’s improbable genius, acknowledged this harsh reality: the world, costing innovators dearly in spirit, often meets originality with suspicion before, sometimes too late, recognizing its value.
How Ratatouille Defines “Creativity”: Beyond Technique, It’s About Soul
Ratatouille defines creativity not just as technical skill, but as an expression of soul, passion, and unique perspective. Remy’s cooking is creative because he imbues it with his distinct sensibility and love for flavor, going beyond mere recipes to create something new and emotionally resonant.
Skinner could follow recipes, produce food technically proficient yet costing nothing in terms of soul. Remy, however, poured his very being into each dish, his creativity stemming from a deep, personal connection to flavor, making his food an art form, not just sustenance.
The Artist’s Struggle: Remy’s Quest for an Audience That Understands His Vision
Remy’s journey epitomizes the artist’s struggle: to find an audience that can see beyond the conventional and appreciate their unique vision. He yearns not just to cook, but to share his creations with those who can understand and value his art, a common quest for recognition.
Remy risked his life not just to cook, but for his creations to be tasted, understood. His struggle was to find someone, anyone, who could perceive the symphony in his soup, an audience costing him immense peril but offering the ultimate validation.
The Responsibility of the Critic: Anton Ego’s Risky Bet on an Unknown Chef
Anton Ego, by praising an unknown chef from a troubled kitchen (unaware it’s a rat), takes a significant professional risk. His actions highlight the critic’s responsibility to be honest and champion talent, even if it means challenging norms or risking their own credibility.
To champion the ratatouille, Ego had to defy expectations and risk his formidable reputation, a bet costing him professional standing with traditionalists but upholding a higher artistic integrity. He understood his review could make or break this new, fragile talent.
Can Great Art Come From Anywhere? Ratatouille’s Challenge to Artistic Elitism
The film powerfully argues that great art can indeed come from anywhere, directly challenging artistic elitism. Remy, a rat from the sewers, creating Michelin-star worthy food, is the ultimate embodiment of this idea, suggesting talent is not confined by pedigree, background, or species.
A rat, the lowest of creatures in many eyes, produced food that brought the world’s most feared critic to tears. This potent image, costing viewers their preconceived notions, was Ratatouille’s bold declaration: genius observes no social hierarchy or species barrier.
The Subjectivity of Taste vs. Objective Quality in Art (and Food)
While taste is subjective (Emile enjoys garbage, Ego refined cuisine), Ratatouille suggests there’s an objective quality to well-crafted art/food that can elicit a profound, shared response. Remy’s ratatouille, though simple, possessed an undeniable quality that resonated deeply, transcending individual preference.
Emile found joy in a discarded apple core, a taste costing nothing. Ego sought complex, multi-layered flavors costing hundreds of euros. Yet, Remy’s meticulously crafted ratatouille, objectively balanced and heartfelt, touched them both, suggesting a universal quality beyond mere subjective preference.
How Ratatouille Makes the Creative Process Visible (Remy’s Synesthesia)
The film brilliantly visualizes Remy’s creative process through synesthesia, where tasting flavors triggers bursts of color, shapes, and musical notes. This innovative animation makes the internal, often abstract, act of culinary creation visible and emotionally engaging for the audience.
When Remy tasted cheese and then a strawberry, abstract fireworks of color and sound danced on screen. This visual metaphor, costing Pixar significant imaginative effort, allowed the audience to literally see the invisible process of flavor combination and creative inspiration.
The Relationship Between Artist and Muse (Remy and Food, or Remy and Gusteau)
Food itself is Remy’s primary muse, its infinite combinations inspiring his creativity. Gusteau, as an idealized figure and philosophy, also serves as a muse, representing the spirit of culinary artistry that Remy aspires to embody and innovate upon.
The aroma of a wild herb, the texture of a ripe berry – these were Remy’s muses, whispering flavor combinations. Gusteau’s book, a relic costing Remy great risk to obtain, was another, its pages filled with the spirit of an artist Remy aimed to honor.
Innovation vs. Tradition in Art: Ratatouille’s Take on Culinary Evolution
Ratatouille respects culinary tradition (Gusteau’s classics) but champions innovation as essential for art’s evolution. Remy builds upon traditional French techniques but introduces his own unique, modern twists, suggesting that true artistry involves honoring the past while daring to create something new.
Gusteau’s kitchen initially revered tradition, producing classic dishes that had earned five stars. Remy, while respecting those foundations, introduced daring new flavor pairings, proving that culinary art, like any art, must innovate to stay alive, a process costing some comfort but yielding exciting results.
The Courage to Create Something New (Even if it’s “Peasant Food” Elevated)
Remy demonstrates immense courage by creating new dishes, especially by elevating “peasant food” like ratatouille to a gourmet level. This challenges preconceived notions of what constitutes fine dining and highlights the bravery required to present simple, heartfelt creations in an elitist art world.
To serve a simple vegetable stew to Anton Ego, the world’s most formidable critic, was an act of audacious courage. Remy’s elevation of this “peasant dish,” costing him the safety of elaborate preparations, was a bold statement about the inherent worth of humble ingredients transformed by art.
Dealing with Negative Criticism: Lessons from Gusteau’s Demise (and Remy’s Resilience)
Gusteau’s death after a scathing review illustrates the devastating impact of negative criticism. However, Remy’s resilience in the face of constant danger and misunderstanding offers a counterpoint: the importance of believing in one’s vision despite external negativity.
Ego’s harsh review cost Gusteau his spirit. Yet Remy, facing daily threats of extermination (a far more literal negative critique!), persisted. His resilience, fueled by unwavering passion, teaches that while criticism can wound, it need not extinguish the creative fire.
The “Shock of the New”: Why Audiences (and Critics) Often Resist Innovation
Anton Ego’s initial dismissal of anything less than established perfection reflects the “shock of the new”—a common resistance to innovative art that challenges familiar forms or expectations. Audiences and critics often require time and perspective to appreciate true originality.
When Linguini (via Remy) first presented unconventional dishes, some traditionalist patrons were perplexed. The “shock of the new,” costing the restaurant a few initial confused customers, is a common hurdle for any artist pushing boundaries beyond comfortable familiarity.
The Humility of a True Artist: Remy’s Focus on the Food, Not Fame
Remy embodies the humility of a true artist. His primary focus is always on the food itself—the quality of ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the joy of creation—rather than personal fame or recognition. He seeks to express his art, not to aggrandize himself.
Despite creating dishes that earned international acclaim and saved a restaurant worth millions, Remy remained hidden, his joy derived from the act of cooking itself, not the applause. His humility underscored that true artistry serves the craft, not the ego.
How Anton Ego’s Review Validated Not Just Remy, But All Unconventional Artists
Ego’s final review transcended Remy; it validated all artists who dare to be different, who come from unexpected places, or whose work challenges norms. It was a powerful statement about recognizing and celebrating talent in whatever form it appears.
By championing a chef who turned out to be a rat, Ego’s review, costing him his fearsome reputation, became a beacon for every overlooked, underestimated artist. It declared that true talent, regardless of its humble or bizarre origin, deserved recognition.
The Difference Between a Cook and a Chef (An Artist): Ratatouille’s Distinction
Ratatouille subtly distinguishes between a “cook” (someone who can follow recipes and prepare food, like Skinner or initially, the staff) and a “chef” or artist (someone like Remy or Gusteau, who creates, innovates, and imbues food with passion and vision).
Many in Gusteau’s kitchen were skilled cooks, faithfully executing dishes costing hundreds of euros. But Remy was a chef, an artist who didn’t just replicate, but invented, his imagination transforming ingredients into entirely new experiences, a distinction of soul, not just skill.
The Power of Art to Transport and Transform (Ego’s Flashback)
The film masterfully illustrates art’s power to transport and transform through Ego’s flashback. A single bite of Remy’s ratatouille transports him to his childhood, breaking down his cynical facade and leading to a profound personal and professional transformation.
One mouthful of peasant stew, and Anton Ego, the jaded critic, was a boy again, comforted by his mother. This powerful, involuntary journey, costing him his armor of cynicism, demonstrated art’s profound ability to bypass the intellect and touch the soul.
The Ethics of Criticism: When Does it Cross the Line?
The film explores the ethics of criticism through Ego. His initial power to destroy careers with a review raises questions about responsibility. While constructive criticism is valuable, the film suggests it crosses a line when it becomes gratuitously cruel or fails to acknowledge genuine effort or emerging talent.
Ego’s early review, so devastating it contributed to Gusteau’s death, exemplified criticism crossing a line from judgment to destruction. His later, more thoughtful approach showed an ethical evolution, understanding that a review, costing mere ink, could build or break a life.
Finding Your Artistic Voice: Remy’s Journey to Originality
Remy’s journey is about finding and expressing his unique artistic voice. He starts by emulating Gusteau but gradually develops his own distinct style, blending tradition with bold innovation, ultimately creating dishes that are uniquely his own.
Inspired by Gusteau, Remy first tried to replicate his hero’s dishes. But soon, his own palate and instincts took over, leading him to create entirely new flavor combinations. This evolution, costing him initial mimicry, was the path to his true, original artistic voice.
The Interplay Between Art and Commerce in Ratatouille (Skinner’s Frozen Foods vs. Gusteau’s Art)
The film contrasts Skinner’s commercial exploitation of Gusteau’s name (frozen foods for mass profit) with Gusteau’s (and Remy’s) commitment to culinary art for its own sake. It highlights the perennial tension between artistic integrity and commercial pressures.
Skinner envisioned Gusteau’s name on microwavable snacks, a venture promising millions in profit. Remy, conversely, pursued culinary perfection, an art form costing immense effort for intangible reward. This starkly contrasted the drive for commerce versus the dedication to art.
How Ratatouille Democratizes Art: “Anyone Can Cook” as “Anyone Can Create”
Gusteau’s motto, “Anyone Can Cook,” is expanded to mean “Anyone Can Create.” By showing a rat becoming a celebrated chef, the film democratizes the concept of artistry, suggesting that creativity is not the exclusive domain of a chosen few but a potential within everyone.
“Anyone Can Cook,” Gusteau declared. This wasn’t just about food; it was a radical statement that creativity, the ability to make something beautiful and new, isn’t limited by species, class, or education. It was a promise costing nothing but belief.
The Critic as a Gatekeeper: Anton Ego’s Initial Role vs. His Final Revelation
Anton Ego initially functions as a powerful gatekeeper of the culinary world, his reviews determining who gains entry into the hallowed halls of fine dining. His final revelation sees him abdicate this role, instead choosing to champion talent regardless of its conformity to established expectations.
Ego’s office, resembling a coffin, symbolized his role as a gatekeeper whose pronouncements could seal a restaurant’s fate. His eventual embrace of Remy’s talent showed him tearing down those gates, understanding a critic’s role is to open doors, not just guard them.
The Lasting Impact of True Art: Why Ratatouille (the dish and the film) Endures
True art, like Remy’s ratatouille or the film itself, endures because it resonates on a deep emotional and intellectual level. It offers insight, evokes genuine feeling, and speaks to universal truths, ensuring its impact lasts far beyond its initial consumption or viewing.
Years later, people would still speak of Ego’s transformative review and the humble dish that inspired it. Like the film itself, costing an estimated 150 million dollars to make but returning far more in joy, true art creates a legacy that outlives its moment.