Babette's Feast: Did the Food Really Change Them?

Okay, so I finally watched Babette's Feast with Sarah and Ben last night (wine definitely helped, lol) and WOW. Such a slow burn, right? At first, I was kinda bored with all the praying and seriousness, but then Babette drops this BOMB of a feast and I was hooked. Like, seriously, lobster thermidor in the middle of nowhere Denmark? Incredible. But here's what I'm wondering: did the food actually change the villagers, or did it just loosen them up enough to remember the good times they had before? I mean, they all seem so miserable and repressed at the beginning. Was it the fancy meal, or was it the permission to let go of all the guilt and judgment for one night? That General Lorens guy getting all emotional about his past... was it the Amontillado or the quail in sarcophagus, ya know? Also, I'm a little confused about Babette's motives. Like, she spent her whole fortune for one dinner? Was it just about the art for her, or was there something else going on? Did she want to show them what they were missing out on, or was it more for herself? I know the movie doesn't spell it out, which is kinda cool, but I'm dying to know what you guys think. What do you think about Babette's sacrifice? Worth it?