Tampopo
Tampopo is a 1985 film directed by Juzo Itami, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki and Ken Watanabe. A sketch comedy revolving around food, its 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.
Not to be confused with the Canadian comic book Tanpopo.
- 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
- Erotic Eating
- 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