The film Ratatouille shows that anyone passionate about food can develop into a skilled cook, even in the face of great adversity. In real life, rats are viewed as disease-carrying rodents that should be kept out of the kitchens. In contrast, this movie portrays the character Remy as a positive, respected, and heroic chef as he was able to create delicious dishes of his own when a famous restaurant in Paris was in desperate need for something original. By gaining the respect of both his coworkers and critical customers, Remy proved that he was far from the average rat.
At the beginning, Remy is set apart from the other rats because of his strong sense of smell, but in the end it is evident that his passion for food is what truly made him unique. Remy’s exceptional love for food was shown from the first scene of the film through his curiosity to learn more about cooking by watching Auguste Gousteau’s television show. All of the other rats could care less where their scraps of food came from. While Remy’s family was satisfied with eating out of the garbage, Remy would do absolutely anything in his power to obtain fresh ingredients from the nearby kitchen. Remy also showed his passion for food when he agreed to work under Lou’s hat. Remy was willing to risk getting caught by the strict chefs, while his family thought that it was ridiculous for him to jeopardize his life for the opportunity to create delicious food. Furthermore, he was not concerned with gaining any type of credit for his creation in a very competitive environment. He gave all of the credit to Lou, and was simply grateful for the opportunity to share his food with people who appreciate it. Remy had an incredible sense of smell, while Lou was very obedient and provided Remy with a connection to the human world. When the chefs discovered Remy’s part in the duo, they were more accepting of his creations than if they were aware that a rat was the leading source of preparation. They would have approached Remy’s talent with prejudice attitudes in regards to his rat-hood if he had been working alone. The fact that Remy’s dishes were still praised after he was discovered sets him apart from rat stereotypes.
Remy’s love for food was so immense that he was willing to take risks in entering a setting that he was not welcome. His perseverance and courage makes him the perfect model for Auguste Gousteau’s famous saying, “everyone can cook, but only the fearless can be great.” This burning desire to explore the complexities of food is what made Remy so unique, and served as the foundation for his achievements that most humans would perceive as impossible.