Tampopo (Tanpopo; Dandelion; "Pusteblume"; "Löwenzahn")

• Japan 1986, 115 min

Director:

• ITAMI Juzo 

Starring:

• MIYAMOTO Nobuko 
• YAMAZAKI Tsutomu 

Notes:

• Juzo ITAMI is, roughly speaking, Japan's Woody Allen, although he made fewer and consistently better films before his tragic death. ITAMI's best film, and indeed one of the finest films ever made, Tampopo is at once a small Japanese film and a story which is international in essence. It is about that most central of substances in everyone's life: food. It is also about yearnings and love and quests. Noodles, eggs and soup in Tampopo are not merely food, they are a metaphor for most other things in life. Tampopo is screamingly funny, whether seen in its original Japanese version or through the subtitles. Tampopo is also truly witty, erotic, moving, and filled with moments of pathos. No one who sees it can do so without being impressed by all its aspects, and desiring a trip to both Japan and the nearest udon shop.  

• The meat of the story is genre satire "noodle western" and the dish is spiced with vignettes that only a bizarre and lovable mind could have thought up. This movie is beautiful. 'The Wedding Banquet' and 'Eat, Drink, Man, Woman' give every sense of having been influenced by Tampopo; as excellent as they are, Tampopo is the one to see first.