When I’m not spending quality time with my wife, lazing around at the beach, or cooking, I immerse myself in what is now called cultural studies — I love literature and poetry (my personal library of books has outgrown my bookcases and overflown onto the floor), I have an encyclopedic knowledge of television and music from all eras and genres, and I watch movies — lots of movies.
There is an often overlooked aspect of film, though — food. How food is photographed, how food is made, how food tells stories — food in film is a delicious thing to see, and from here on in I’ve decided to highlight some of my favorite food films.
The first one of such is a Japanese comedy from 1985 called Tampopo.
Those searching for this wonderful gem of a film on NetFlix or in a Blockbuster will be heartily disappointed — the DVD had a small production run and was soon out of print — it was known to sell on eBay for upwards of $40 or more. Recently, I’ve learned that Amazon does carry a DVD edition, but I’ve no idea of the quality.
I managed to find a VHS copy squirreled away in a corner of my university library a few years ago, and immediately fell in love with the movie.
Tampopo, in a very tongue-in-cheek way, is about two truck drivers who happen upon a dilapidated ramen shop — they inexplicably find it in their hearts to help the ailing shop recover, and with its owner Tampopo, they set out to find a perfect recipe for the perfect ramen that will save it.
The beauty of the film is not in its main plot, however — the side stories that the movie often meanders off into with no warning serve as the warmth and joy that makes it a beautiful film.
Take, for instance, a short scene in which a group of beggars reminisce of fine wines, or where an old man explains, in detail, the proper method of eating ramen (pictured above).
There is a sensuality and love of food that newer films have not been able to capture — Tampopo excels as a food film because it treats its subject matter as the star, not the scenery.
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October 25th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
I remember this movie from a Japanese Film class I took during film school. Even years later, I remember the light-heartedness, and of course all the slurping. Great start for food films. Please, do more.