Japan,
1986, 118 min
Shown in 1987
CREDITS
- dir
-
Juzo Itami
- prod
-
Yasushi Tamaoki, Seigo Hosogoe
- cam
-
Masaki Tamura
- cast
-
Ken Watanabe, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto
- source
-
Tom Garvin, Ervin, Cohen, and Jessup
OTHER
After the “spaghetti western,” could the “ramen western” be far behind? That’s how director Juzo Itami (The Funeral) describes his latest work, an oddball comedy “about people in a situation where sex and eating are not yet clearly separated.” What little plot there is has to do with two truckdrivers who teach Tampopo, the mousy proprietress of a rundown noodle shop, how to make and serve the best noodles. Along the way, viewers pick up tips on such diverse subjects as the zen of eating ramen (“while slurping the noodles, look at the pork—eye it affectionately”) and some unbelievably erotic things to be done with the yolk of an egg. A bit too long—like most Japanese comedies—this wildly original work has more than enough belly-laughs to make up for its slow moments. But with a two-hour running time and mouthwatering dishes served up in every third scene, this is definitely a film you should not see on a empty stomach.
—Peter Scarlet
FACTOID #217
A sporadic SFIFF tradition, fashion shows are lighthearted affairs that help raise funds for the Festival. In 1968, Oakland designer Richard Tam mounted a show at the Fairmont Hotel that attracted high society; the Examiner commented that the show ’combined Tam’s simple daytime elegance with his almost theatrical evening gowns.’
