Criterion Club: Tampopo with John Anzalone

Join Professor John Anzalone for discussion and scene analysis, this is a watch at home event!
Available on Hulu, Max and Amazon

Japan, 1987: A widowed mother named Tampopo (Dandelion) struggles to keep her endangered noodle shop going. With little experience, no help, she is facing cut-throat competition from neighboring shops. On cue, a cowboy rescuer rides into town like Clint Eastwood in the Sergio Leone Spaghetti westerns, except his scene is Japanese noodles and his mount is a tanker truck sporting Colorado style longhorns. What else?! He (Goro) and his sidekick (Gun) are hungry and in Japanese fashion, they’re seeking the perfect ramen; they stop at her place, decide she knows nothing about noodles, and set out to help her.
If this sounds wacky, wait and see what other strange, surreal, or startling moments will keep you surprised, laughing, and rooting for this rag tag team (or what Mad Magazine used to call the (un)usual gang of idiots).
Only the second film of director Juzo Itami, its release in 1987 catapulted him into the must watch category of cineastes with something to say. Tampopo soon became an international cult classic. It merges a biting satire of Japanese customs with a sure feel for cinema tropes in its meta use of references to filmic eroticism, American Westerns, Italian film, and the French New Wave, among others. Episodes follow rapidly upon one another, introducing one hilarious scene after another, often with no other rationale than the cultural or culinary foibles of nameless characters who arrive suddenly and disappear just as fast.
This second in our trilogy of food films perfectly fits the definition of idiosyncratic: it’s a one off that will leave you hungry!
And speaking of hungry, we’re considering going out for noodles after the session. If you are seriously interested in a Ramen Raid, message Aurora or John so we can get an idea of how many people want in and make a reservation. Happy New Year!