As NYU students find themselves reluctantly scurrying past frozen patches of sewage on their way to an 8 a.m. class, they all yearn for summer warmth. While a sunny picnic at the park is still months away, and an excursion to the Caribbean remains a distant fantasy, there is no greater remedy for the winter blues than a bowl of fatty, piping hot ramen. No movie better captures the carnal ecstasy of loudly slurping springy noodles than Japanese filmmaker Juzo Itami’s iconic 1985 film “Tampopo” — a madcap rodeo of cinematic pastiche and gastronomic delight. Like sipping on a hearty shoyu broth, this moving “ramen western” is a cozy treat for the soul.
On a dark and stormy night, urban cowboys Goro (Tsutomu Yamazaki) and Gun (Ken Watanabe) pull up to a dingy roadside ramen shop run by the titular chef Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto). A total novice in the art of noodle-making, Tampopo desperately struggles to keep her business afloat and provide for her only son. As gangland loan sharks encroach on Tampopo’s dilapidated storefront, Goro agrees to help train her in the pursuit of opening the best ramen shop in the city. To propel Tampopo into the upper echelons of the noodle trade, they enlist help from a colorful menagerie of eccentric gourmands — including a homeless ex-dentist, a brutish yakuza contractor and a ramen-obsessed chauffeur. Filled with countless mouthwatering shots of delectable dishes, erotic food-based foreplay and zany comedic set pieces, Itami’s cult classic offers blissful chaos with each and every frame.
While Itami displays his trademark absurdist satire and stylized visual flare in “Tampopo,” Miyamoto’s central performance is ultimately the key to the film’s universal appeal. As Itami’s wife and frequent cinematic collaborator, Miyamoto crafts a character filled with infectious and unwavering determination. In the excessively self-serious male-dominated world of ramen, Tampopo’s tender naivete and bubbly optimism make the characters in the film — along with the viewer — emotionally invested in her culinary crusade. This passionate resilience transcends the world of cooking — it is the secret ingredient to fulfillment in all avenues of life.
Gastronomy is not merely a vehicle to illustrate Itami’s ideas about ambition, it is also intricately linked to his conceptions of sensuality. In one of the film’s many subplots, a mafioso dressed in white (Koji Yakusho) and his mistress (Fukumi Kuroda) order room service from their luxurious hotel suite, using various food items to engage in bizarre sexual acts. As lemon juice and whipped cream are lathered atop their bare skin, the camera pulls in, capturing intimate close-up shots of flesh, linen and sustenance. This visceral flurry of taste and touch reveals the essence of human biology — we are creatures driven by sensory stimulation, impulsive desire and a longing for companionship.
Whether we are chasing seemingly unattainable dreams or in the throes of decadent consumption, audiences watching “Tampopo” learn to draw from the warmth of the people around us. Even in the bleakest and most lonesome seasons, all you need is a bowl of soup and good company to nourish the spirit.
Contact Mick Gaw at [email protected].
