Tampopo: A Cinematic Feast

I once wrote a scene about a grandfather and grandson conversing over ramen that a director friend of mine compared to a Japanese film called Tampopo. I hadn’t heard of it before but found out it was a comedy film written and directed by Juzo Itami. It was released in 1985 and was coined the first ‘ramen western;’ a play on the spaghetti western. I am always intrigued by foreign films and after watching the trailer I knew it was a must-watch! Boy, oh boy was I right; Tampopo proved to be the best cinematic experience I have encountered this year, despite it being over thirty years old.

The film is funny, endearing, visually delightful and includes the perfect amount of absurdity. Following the story of two truckers who end up helping a woman to perfect her ramen recipe, Tampopo is a delight for the senses. No film has made me want to eat a dish more than this one! Food is central to the movie and not just ramen, there are multiple scenes that explore the relationship between food and affection; whether derived from love or lust. Perhaps one of the most famous and absurd scenes within Tampopo is part of a secondary plot line involving an egg yolk. The yolk of the egg is being passed from mouth to mouth between two fully-clothed lovers in a hotel room in which the literal and metaphorical climax of the scene is achieved when the yolk breaks and runs from the woman’s mouth…You have to see it for yourself.

Not only are the scenes beautiful in their aesthetic calculation but the content and tone dramatically shifts throughout the film keeping the audience on their toes; enthusiastically anticipating the next scene. This feeling predominantly derives from the film's various sub-plots which make for very entertaining interjections. In total there are about five separate stories which weave their way through the story of Tampopo, the main one following a white-suited gangster, who, very Richard III-esque, likes to break the fourth wall. Although at times the intermittent scenes sometimes confused me, and I wondered where Tampopo’s storyline had gone, all of the stories were clearly linked to the overarching motif of the film: food. All of the secondary plotlines seem to celebrate the interwoven relationship between human nature and behaviour, food, and in some cases, sex. Not only was I fascinated by the sub-stories but I was surprised to learn that I mildly resonated with one of the more outré characters, an old woman in a supermarket, who likes to poke, prod and squish her way through the food aisles. I would like to draw your attention to the word ‘mildly’ here as although I do not go around stabbing my fingers into all of Asda’s items, I have been known to poke a bit of bread through the packaging. Therefore, this scene in particular really made me laugh and made me contemplate my own human behaviour and relationship with food. I wonder if anything resonates with you.

Getting back to the main storyline, the dynamic between the characters and their individual personalities are paramount to the story. Tampopo’s combination of benevolence and herculean determination make her the perfect lead for her hero’s journey to perfect her ramen recipe and transform her restaurant. Her story is one of inspiration, it is heartfelt and has some gloriously comedic moments along the way. The audience are left no other choice but to root for Tampopo’s success and in combination with the cinematographers innovative choices it constructs a film that is a cinematic feast for the senses.

Tampopo has deservedly won six awards and gained another four nominations globally. It has become the name-inspiration behind many restaurants, such as in the UK, and has gained significant following as a cult classic food film. It was restored in 4K by The Criterion Collection in 2016 and has an great score of 8/10 on IMDb. There is so much more I could say about this film but I will leave the rest up to you to explore for yourselves.

Have you seen it? Let me know what you thought!

References: Google Images.