Tampopo



Tampopo is a 1985 film directed by Juzo Itami, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki and Ken Watanabe. A sketch comedy revolving around food, it's main narrative involves a pair of truck drivers, one dressed like a cowboy, who take it upon themselves to revitalize the eponymous character's failing ramen shop. Another bit involves a white-suited Yakuza and his mistress engaging in food play. Beyond that, there's a man who teaches the proper method of eating ramen, managers getting upstaged by a subordinate at a French restaurant, spaghetti slurping, homeless foodies, trips to the dentist, an old woman who wrecks a grocer's produce, a pickpocket who loves peking duck, and a dying housewife who prepares one last meal for her family.

The film was popular overseas in the late-'80s art house circuit, and many ramen shops claim to have been inspired by it.


 * All Just a Dream: The other shop breaking in and attacking Tampopo.
 * Bar Brawl: Takes places offscreen.
 * Breaking the Fourth Wall: The yakuza at the beginning.
 * But You Screw One Goat!: What the hell are they doing with that poor crayfish?
 * Defeat Means Friendship
 * Food Porn
 * Good Old Fisticuffs
 * Homage: Various westerns, notably Shane.
 * It Always Rains At Shootouts
 * Lighthearted Rematch: After the Bar Brawl, Pisken asks for a rematch. He felt sorry for not fighting Goro one on one, and they spar again leading to Defeat Means Friendship.
 * Man in White
 * Nice Hat: He even wears it in the bath!
 * Public Domain Soundtrack: The movie uses Mahler in several places. Also Liszt.
 * Ramen Slurp
 * Serious Business: The preparation and consumption of food, as most of the characters see it.
 * She Cleans Up Nicely: Tampopo in the chef's outfit.
 * Stealth Based Omelette Making
 * Training Montage
 * White Shirt of Death
 * Widget Movie It's a western. About ramen.
 * Yakuza
 * Yamato Nadeshiko
 * Yum Yum