Eiga Reviews (the '80s): Tampopo - The Criterion Collection #868 (1985)

“Tampopo” is a film from the Criterion Collection that I highly recommend!

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TITLE: Tampopo – The Criterion Collection #868

FILM RELEASE DATE: 1985

DURATION: 114 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Color, 16:9 Widescreen, Japanese and English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio

COMPANY: The Criterion Collection

RELEASED: April 25, 2017

Directed and Written by Itami Juzo

Produced by Hosogoe Seigo, ITami Juzo, Tamaoki Yasushi

Music by Murai Kunihiko

Cinematography by Tamura Masaki

Edited by Suzuki Akira

Casting by Sakurada Shigero, Sasaoka Kosaburo

Production Design by Kimura Takeo

Art Direction by Kimura Takeo

Set Decoration by Ochi Toshiharu

Costume Design by Kogo Emiko

Starring:

Yamazaki Tsutomu as Gorô

Miyamoto Nobuko as Tampopo

Yakusho Kôji as Gangster in the White Suit

Watanabe Ken as Gun

Yasuoka Rikiya as Pisuken

Sakura Kinzô as Shôhei

Katô Yoshi as Master of ramen making

Ôtaki Hideji as Rich Old Man

Kuroda Fukumi as Gangster’s Mistress

The tale of an eccentric band of culinary ronin who guide the widow of a noodle-shop owner on her quest for the perfect recipe, this rapturous “ramen western” by Japanese director Juzo Itami is an entertaining, genre-bending adventure underpinned by a deft satire of the way social conventions distort the most natural of human urges—our appetites.

Interspersing the efforts of Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto) and friends to make her café a success with the erotic exploits of a gastronome gangster and glimpses of food culture both high and low, the sweet, sexy, and surreal Tampopo is a lavishly inclusive paean to the sensual joys of nourishment, and one of the most mouthwatering examples of food on film ever made.

The late filmmaker Itami Juzo will be remembered for films such as “The Funeral”, “A Taxing Woman” and “Supermarket Woman”. But if there was one film that Itami will be forever known for, it’s his comedy film “Tampopo”.

While the film didn’t win awards such as “The Funeral” and “A Taxing Woman”, the film has gained an amazing following as it’s considered a true foodie film and a ramen lover’s film.

The film stars Yamazaki Tsutomu, Itami’s real-life wife Miyamoto Nobuko, Yakusho Koji, Watanabe Ken, Yasuoka Rikiya and more.

And now “Tampopo” is available on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of the Criterion Collection and features a new 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray.

The film begins with two truck drivers, the veteran Goro (portrayed by Yamazaki Tsutomu) and his younger worker, Gun (portrayed by Watanabe Ken). Both are hungry and decided to eat at a ramen restaurant.

The ramen restaurant is owned by a widow named Tampopo (portrayed by Miyamoto Nobuko).

As patron of thugs are at the ramen restaurant, a man named Pisuken (portrayed by Yasuoka Rikiya) tells her that her food is terrible and that she should marry him instead of running a terrible ramen restaurant.

Needless to say, Goro stands up and tells Pisuken to stop messing with her and it leads to a fight between Goro and Gun vs. Pisuken and his thug friends.

This wins the respect of Tampopo and leads to a discussion with Goro and Gun about her ramen and the truth that it tastes quite bad and reasons why.

Inspired by Goro’s words, she begs him to tell her what is wrong with her ramen and how the world of ramen requires knowledge from the broth, to making the noodles and more.

And through their adventures, Tampopo is on the course to learn how to make the best ramen.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Tampopo” is presented in 1:85:1 aspect ratio. The overall picture quality is wonderful courtesy of its new 4K digital restoration created on a DFT Scanity film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative. The transfer was approved by director Itami Juzo’s longtime cinematographer, Maeda Yonezu. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices and warps were manually removed using MTI Film’s DRS, while Digital Vision’s Phoenix was used for jitter, flicker, small dirt, grain and noise management.

As for the soundtrack, included are the Japanese monaural soundtrack remastered from the 35 mm original magnetic track. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD and iZotope Rx.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Making of “Tampopo,” a ninety-minute documentary from 1986, narrated by director Juzo Itami
New interview with actor Nobuko Miyamoto
New interview with food stylist Seiko Ogawa
New interviews with ramen scholar Hiroshi Oosaki and chefs Sam White, Rayneil De Guzman, Jerry Jaksich, and Ivan Orkin
Rubber Band Pistol, Itami’s 1962 debut short film
New video essay by filmmakers Tony Zhou and Taylor Ramos on the film’s themes of self-improvement and mastery of a craft
Trailer
New English subtitle translation

EXTRAS:

A poster like insert featuring an essay by food and culture writer Willy Blackmore

I first discovered “Tampopo” through studying Japanese in college. And I was entertained by the film but I appreciate it more as an adult.

For one, I have traveled throughout Japan to try the best ramen and also have visited the Taimeiken restaurant is popular for its Tampopo Omurice, a dish in which Itami Juzo’s famous 1985 film “Tampopo”, the name was inspired by the dish he would eat at Tameiken. The popular dish was even featured in the film at Taimeken’s second-floor kitchen in the film.

I have long loved this Itami film because it’s like the ultimate foodie film, the ultimate ramen film featuring a woman named Tampopo on the quest to create the best ramen, but wanting to learn on how but also the dedication that goes into making the best ramen.

For ramen enthusiasts, ramen is like a science. From experimentation, to persistence and pure dedication. It takes a lot of passion and a lot of hard work hard in order to create the best ramen.

And I suppose that for me, what drew me into “Tampopo” is the fact that it’s a film about Tampopo going to great lengths of learning how to make the best ramen.

From Goro and Gun assisting Tampopo of observing other ramen restaurants and what they throw out in their garbage, the importance of broth, the importance of the noodles, and of course, the various characters that each other come across with their research of making the best ramen.

But for me, “Tampopo” is a film I love for the ramen aspect and the respect that Itami puts towards capturing the passion many have for ramen and those key elements which ramenheads absolutely love. And while the storyline revolves around food, it’s a film that showcases entertaining characters and a captivating, humorous storyline that has made this film entertaining for generation after generation.

“Tampopo” is a film from the Criterion Collection that I highly recommend!

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