1985 | Japan | Colour | 114′ | DCP
Director／Screenwriter: Itami Juzo
Cinematographer: Tamura Masaki
Cast: Yamazaki Tsutomu, Miyamoto Nobuko, Yakusho Koji
In Japanese with Chinese and English subtitles
1987 USA National Board of Review’s Top Foreign Films
When Japanese ramen meets Western film elements, an unexpectedly unique flavour is created. Breaking the fourth wall from the outset, tables are set up within the cinema itself, directly prompting audience film-watching etiquette. The widowed Tampopo single-handedly runs the ramen shop left by her late husband, yet her lack of culinary skill leads to poor business and even harassment from thugs. One day she encounters a truck driver in cowboy attire who stood up for her. Discovering his profound knowledge of flavour, Tampopo decides to apprentice under him, undergoing hellish training to master mouth-watering culinary skills. Much like a ramen-themed version of Shane, Itami Juzo focuses not merely on the mission to save the eatery, he employs a kaleidoscopic plot structure that transcends cinematic genres. Copiously seasoned with dark humour, the story is a torrent of whimsical ideas with richly layered subplots, stirring up desires, satirising absurdities, and mocking society’s foibles.
Director／Screenwriter: Itami Juzo
Cinematographer: Tamura Masaki
Cast: Yamazaki Tsutomu, Miyamoto Nobuko, Yakusho Koji
In Japanese with Chinese and English subtitles
1987 USA National Board of Review’s Top Foreign Films
When Japanese ramen meets Western film elements, an unexpectedly unique flavour is created. Breaking the fourth wall from the outset, tables are set up within the cinema itself, directly prompting audience film-watching etiquette. The widowed Tampopo single-handedly runs the ramen shop left by her late husband, yet her lack of culinary skill leads to poor business and even harassment from thugs. One day she encounters a truck driver in cowboy attire who stood up for her. Discovering his profound knowledge of flavour, Tampopo decides to apprentice under him, undergoing hellish training to master mouth-watering culinary skills. Much like a ramen-themed version of Shane, Itami Juzo focuses not merely on the mission to save the eatery, he employs a kaleidoscopic plot structure that transcends cinematic genres. Copiously seasoned with dark humour, the story is a torrent of whimsical ideas with richly layered subplots, stirring up desires, satirising absurdities, and mocking society’s foibles.