Tampopo
Composite Score: 87
Starring: Ken Watanabe, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Kôji Yakusho, Rikiya Yasuoka, Kinzô Sakura, Yoshi Katô, and Hideji Ôtaki
Director: Jûzô Itami
Writer: Jûzô Itami
Genres: Comedy, Food, Western
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Box Office: $447,344 worldwide
My take on Watching This Film:
Tampopo is Jûzô Itami’s film about a truck driver whose stop at a run-down ramen shop leads him to stay and help its widowed owner build it into a successful restaurant along with a ragtag crew of comrades. The film stars Tsutomu Yamazaki as the truck driver Gorô, Nobuko Miyamoto as the titular ramen shop owner Tampopo, Ken Watanabe as Gorô’s trucking partner Gun, Rikiya Yasuoka as the drunk contractor Pisken, Kinzô Sakura as the chauffer and noodle expert Shohei, Yoshi Katô as the vagrant master of ramen, and Kôji Yakusho as the white-suited gangster. The food comedy patterns itself off of the spaghetti westerns (even calling itself a “ramen western” in marketing campaigns), focusing on the lone stranger Gorô who rolls into town with his cowboy hat on and rugged attitude and saves the widow and her son from destitution. In the midst of this tale of food-related romantic dramedy, Itami also serves us with naturally occurring vignettes of other characters interacting with other forms of food, exploring the nature of our relationship with food and the way that it in turn ties into every interpersonal relationship we have. It’s a brilliant film with strong insights into humanity and our tendencies that also happens to showcase some of the best aspects of filmmaking – the ability to influence and play with audience expectations in new and creative ways based on the films that have come before.
I don’t know that Tampopo’s specific blend of food, comedy, and homage will work for everyone who watches the film, but for me it’s a near perfect combination. There’s humor, heart, and insight at every turn, and it truly feels like a film that loves the fact that it is a film, from start to finish. Nothing included in the film comes across as unnecessary, with every aspect playing back into the central theme of the connecting nature of food. It’s not a film that you should watch hungry, but it is a film that you should come into with an appetite for originality and inspiration. From the performances to the story to the way that Itami weaves comedy, hunger, and drama together, it’s a beautiful film that showcases why we love cinema so much. It’s hard to say much more without just doing a deep dive and breaking down each beat of the film, so I won’t do that.
I’ll just leave you with this: Tampopo is one of the best films ever made about food and, indeed, simply one of the best films ever made. Its particular brand of filmmaking might not be for everyone, but if it’s for you, this’ll quickly become one of your comfort films that you return to time and again for how rich and enjoyable it is, just like a great ramen spot. Currently, you can stream this film on Max if you’d like to catch it for yourself.
