Nourishment for the Soul

Out of the few good films made about food, Tampopo is one of the most entertaining and one of the most touching. Written and directed by Juzo Itami, this film is a succession of skits that are contained within one main story ark. The segments are mostly comic, sometimes tragic, but always fresh and unique. Itami seems to be trying to pack as much fun, food filled celluloid into this film that it almost becomes a meal of its own. A big warm Japanese family feast.The main story involves a single widowed mother, Tampopo, complacently cooking sub-par noodles at the noodle shop she owns. In comes the truck-driving cowboy-esque Goro, played by Tsutomu Yamazaki. Goro and his young companion Gun, (Ken Watanabe in one of his early roles), along with a interesting cast of characters they meet along the way, set out to turn Tampopo’s noodles into the best there can be.

The main story is entertaining in itself. The effort that goes into perfecting the noodles is infectious. Every time Tampopo learns something new, the various teachers find something else that needs to be corrected. First the water, then the service, then the soup, then the noodles, then the recipe, then the atmosphere. Of course,

Tampopo starts to fall for her hard-nosed teacher, Goro, but the movie gladly keeps the focus on the food.

All that is expertly woven around various unrelated segments. A dying woman keeps herself alive to cook one last meal. A supermarket clerk tries to stop a crotchety old woman from squeezing his produce, and a dinner-table etiquette class gone wrong, amongst others.

Amongst these is the story of a couple whose relationship is defined by food. What seems like a yakuza made-man and his wife. The opening scene shows them sitting down in a movie theatre in front of a gorgeous meal. His monologue about how he hates those people in the theatre that make noise while the movie is playing will make any film-fan smile in agreement. These two come in and out of the film at various points which include the beginning and the
end of their relationship, and a sex scene full of, you guessed it, food.

The film revolves around food, but what I think Itami was going for here wasn’t
just food, but something more. The food here is an analogy for what we need from other people. Love, companionship, support. If you substitute this intangible idea with the act of eating, cooking, or the food itself, this film begins to show a deeper level.

Tampopo didn’t need to learn to cook noodles, she needed to learn to connect with people after the death of her husband. Goro and her teachers showed her this. The old man at the beginning that is teaching Gun how to appreciate soup is really teaching him how to appreciate those around him. The final simple shot of a woman breast feeding a child is perfect. The simplest form of nourishment.

What better connection between people than that of a mother and her baby?

Every story of this film fits well with this analogy. Every story of this film fits well with this analogy. Itami knew what he was doing when he made this.

What Tampopo does is take something we all can understand and visualize and use it as a substitute for something that many people would have a heard time grasping. Sure, its not subtle when you think about it, but it works. Its a film that will maybe make you appreciate some things in your life a little more. Or at least make you smile. Also, it will probably make you very hungry.