Reviews (54)

A nearly flawless experience
This is a masterful movie by director Juzo Itami. It is a story of the truck-drivin' cowboy Goro who strolls into town, sets things right and rides off into the sunset. Rather than kill the bad guys however, he helps a widow become sucessful running her late husbands ramen shop. Itami lends a mosiaic quality to the movie with many character sketches about food's pervasive influence on human behaviour. Tsutomu Yamazaki who plays Goro, and Nobuko Miyamoto who plays Tampopo, both from Itami's "A Taxing Woman", give wonderful performaces. The DVD contains a complete filmography that is a great window into Itami's other works. The DVD is letterbox and looks good. The sound is 3-channel, Japanese only with English subtitles selectable. The timing on the subtitles is at times sloppy, which is too bad since it is a subtitle-only release. I would have liked very much to see directors commentary but language may have restricted this. The DVD gets 4 stars for minor subtitle issues, and lack of more deluxe treatment, but I give the story, and my review, 5 stars. This is really a must have, in a decent package for a foreign film.

Dandelions, Cowboys and the perfect Ramen
"Tampopo" is one of those rare films that just...works. Every piece of it is perfect, combining to form a more flavorful whole, like a well-made dish of ramen noodles. Itami was inspired for this film, and it is easily one of the best Japanese films ever made.

Japanese culture is filled with a love of food. Japanese travel brochures are filled, not with pretty sights and adventures, but with photos of local delicacies and dishes. Food questing is a popular hobby, with each person knowing a local favorite shop, or a master chef. Restaurants also tend to specialize, often serving only one dish such as ramen or udon noodles. "Tampopo" perfectly captured this national obsession, creating a story that is undeniable Japanese. Goro and Tampopo's search for the perfect broth, the most delicious way to cut meat and such is an honest and charming portrayal.

There is plenty going on in this film, with the sexual subplot of the gangster and his lover exchanging food and sex, or the young executive fluent in French cuisine. Each vignette forwards the tone. Along with this is the marriage of the samurai and the cowboy in the character of Goro, and the delicate strength of Tampopo herself.

You really can't go wrong with this film.

You will be hungry for real ramen!
It can be very difficult to describe this movie and what the premise or plot is. Oh, there is the central plot, make no mistake, but the entirity of the film is a flurry of sub-stories and vignettes that act like ingredients to the ever-present ramen (Japanese noodle soup) otherwise known as this brilliant gem out of Japan. The bottom line, the final product is a fancifal tale based around food and how our lives are encompassed by it, how we struggle with it, and most importantly how integral it is to human beings on the whole.

Tampopo also is an homage film to a few genres depending on the scene. For example, Goro (an obvious samurai reference) drives into town on a truck... with cow horns on the top! He wears the cowboy hat constantly and those themes are as thick as the noodles he's seeking out. There is also a tribute to Chaplin/Keaton and the silent comedies with one of the vagabonds in his efforts to make a rice omelette. There are a few mob movie shots as well, including the semi-narrator or guide of the man in the white suit. Beyond celebrating these genres, though, as well as film itself, this really is a story about food.

Tampopo is a widowed soup cook who can't really make soup. Ramen, one of the staple Japanese foods, is as varied and unique in stores throughout the town as there are chicken soup recipes in the US. She can't seem to make a good bowl, though, and Goro feeling bad for her, decides to stay on and help her out with the help of his sidekick Gun. Along the way, they pick up a colorful band of characters each with his own addition to the recipe and technique that helps Tampopo understand the importance of finding that perfect bowl of Ramen.

Light-hearted, more than a bit hilarious, and full of twists and turns, Tampopo is definitely one of the best movies to come out of Japan. Aside from comedy or possibly drama, one would be hard-pressed to try to define this movie as the movie more defines itself and others like it. A life story for sure, definitely a good laugh, and a little eye-opening at times, too. Not for children, though, as there is some nudity and minor violence. Film buffs should already own this movie and anyone else who has a love of film or a desire for one of the most fun movies ever made, pick this one up. You will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

Warning
This DVD is in my garbage. I bought it for a young person who is learning Japanese. There is some good stuff, humor, cooking, but the cruelty is such that I could not give it to her. The worst is the live, struggling small turtle being sliced straight down, all along the body, just behind the head in front of the shell. There are also some unpleasant sex scenes, including a man stimulating a young woman by placing a container of live fish to wiggle against her bare abdomen. What a disappointment!

Still Tastes Great
I watched this one with a group of friends last night... it's been about 15 years since my first viewing and 8 since the last one. It's still brilliant, quirky and as enjoyable as ever.

A very John Wayne like truck driver plays noodle guru to a single mom struggling to be a master noodle chef. A whole host of characters are brought in to assist and some very unlikely types prove to have esoteric food knowledge. This is a quest for enlightenment in guise of perfect ramen.

The main story is broken by 2 and 3 minute glimpses into amusing (and at times bizarre) but totally unrelated stories revolving around food (with the food-sex connection illustrated vividly).

One of my favourite films. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

not bad , quite surprising for non-Japanese ...
hi every1 . I've seen this video within the studies of my varsity . It's nice and introduce the Japanese style of life and most of all their way of dealing with funerals.

To be short I will only say that the most overwhelming thing in the movie was that the mourning family had to use a VIDEO CASSETTE with instructions about how to act in a funeral and what TO SAY !!!!!!

enjoy

Soushiki: not a comedy by any means
At first I was worried when I purchased this film, because my fellow amazon reviews gave it such a low rating, however, I was pleasantly surprised that it was the DVD not the movie itself, that received such low scores. This is a wonderful film, although, for the life of me, I can not figure out why this film is refered to as a "comedy." It is true there are some funny moments when the main character and his wife are learning their lines to address mourning guests and at moments such as when the phone rings during a prayer. What this film's strongest point is, however,a glimpse of Japan while the bubble economy was at it's peak. Even someone just giving a cursory glance at this film ill realize how important money is to the family. It is the chief conversational topic throughout the movie. How much do we have to pay for the coffin? How much are the obento lunchboxes, etc. The power of money can really be seen when the monk arrives in a very stylish car and is given a gift of french tile to make a table for his garden. Funerals are extraordinarily expensive in Japan, so many Japanese do not look at Buddhist monks as a sign of benevolence, but as money lovers. However, although money is a major subject, as is the preocupation of acting a certain way during the funral, the key point of this movie is that although the world might be completely obsessed with money, in death one can bring members of the faily closer together, and in death there is also rebirh, as can be evidenced at the end of this film.

Not what I expected.
This film was nothing like I thought it would be. Having spent four years in Japan I wanted to see for myself what all the controversy was about surrounding 'The Funeral'. Well, I really liked this film, and found it had a lot to offer. From start to finish there is a lot going on at all levels of the emotional spectrum. I found it very touching, a little sad, a little funny, and very human. The quiet love and dignity of the widow and her daughter are the glue that hold the family and friends together. The widows humble expression of thanks to the guests after the funeral, thus releaving the son-in-law of the obligation, is nothing but poetic. I Recommend this film.

Cathartic and Hillarious if...
In order to really appreciate this film, you really have had to been through the experience... for that reason, there are a lot of people who will watch it and not get it.... - - I first saw the film before I really knew very much about Japanese culture... Some elements of the humor were universal... and I still could appreciate the Itami Juzo's dry surrealism... but after seeing the film I came to live in Japan on and off for 9 years and went through the experience, watching the film went beyond "interesting and sometimes funny"... one one had it was incredibly cathartic... on the other hands, uncomfortably hillarious... Its one of those films that if you'd just been through the experience and you watched it, it would definitely serve as a cathartic dose of laughter... - - Too many scenes, unfortunately, parody experiences and rituals (sometimes seemingly senseless, others incomprehensibly complex) that you'd really have to experience to appreciate... If you haven't been through them, those scenes might be a bit boring... for this reason my advice is this : read up on the subject first... and also, watch the film with an understanding that Japanese funerals are very different than Western funerals... The strange scenes in this film in many way present Japanese funerals as they are, and in other ways parody them...

All in all, having been lucky to have gone 9 years without any close personal losses in Japan, but recnetly having lost an important member of our family, I can't tell you how thankful I am that Juzo Itami made this film !

A wry commentary on the loss of meaning in traditions
There are times when death has been appropriate and hilarious material for a comedy. The juxtaposition of the seriousness of a funeral with wacky hijinks and hootenannies makes for funny stuff. But don't expect to find any of that in Itami's social commentary, "The Funeral" ("O-soshiki.") This film has been done a great injustice by marketers, who in the hopes of possibly capturing a quick sale labeled it "...A Deadly Comedy." You certainly don't find it in the comedy section of a Japanese video store! The scene on the cover, where a man tries to hike up his trousers while a watching woman mocks him, is one of the saddest in the movie.

It is, in fact, an incredibly insightful exposition of the meaninglessness of tradition and ritual in modern Japan. A family, so far removed from the society that first created these traditions, tries to struggle though an "appropriate" funeral for the deceased father. They rent videos on appropriate greetings and responses, they hire experts to tell them what direction the coffin should face, and how many sticks of incense to light. The ritual has far more importance too the family than the actual loss of the father, as does presenting a proper face.

The elderly, as the vanguard of the traditions, are the only ones who care. In fact, the dead man's daughters are shocked and impressed when one of their father's friends shows actual sorrow at the loss. "That's the way to do it," they say. Money is the symbolism for the loss of tradition, the idol that has replaced emotion at the altar. The Buddhist priest is made a gift of Italian tiles for his garden, and the climax of the film is when a case of money opens up to the wind, and the family grasps at it desperately.

While rough in nature, and clearly a first film, Itami manages to artfully wrap these various elements together, without stating the message directly. In the Japanese style, much is implied and little is said. A particularly capturing moment, is a black and white home movie of the family laughing and having fun, while a sad lament plays in the background. The pace is slow and patient.

The DVD is lacking, and the white subtitles can be almost unreadable. It is presented in pan-and-scan as well, with no change from the VHS version. Unfortunately, "The Funeral" seems to be a much-misunderstood film, and has not been given the release it deserves.

The critique of Japanese culture is honest and authentic, and I highly recomend this film to anyone who wants to see real Japanese people living real Japanese lives. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Classic movie undone by dvd remastering
I have two copies of this movie-one on VHS and this one on DVD. I received the DVD as a present. Itami is one of the greatest modern directors in Japan who unfortunately committed suicide. This movie was enormously popular in Japan and deservedly so with its many touches of black humor, story, writing, acting and direction. The VHS is quite watchable. However, when I put the DVD on I immediately had to adjust my picture settings to even see the picture. It's unclear and fuzzy throughout the movie. In all of the film the English subtitling is difficult and sometimes impossible to read. I would say it is a prime candidate for a recall by the company. Since I can't give separate ratings for the movie vs. the DVD treatment I'm forced to give it 2 stars.

Middle of the road
R-Rated for a small amount of sex and nudity, this is pretty much a movie like most others, a human interest story involving a diligent tax collector (female) and a tax dodger. I found it interesting for casual entertainment (I rented it), for a look at a slightly different society, and a look at Japan that isn't kimono's and Geisha girls - this is modern Japan as such and a breath of fresh air from the "Yes'm massa" eyes-bowed-down type of Japanese movie. The lead female is freckled, not a sex-pot, but a nice looking gal and the main male is a hard nosed, limping fellow. In general, this is for a mature, general audience who isn't cranked over into some offbeat genre (if you need violence, military, porn, true romance, kiddie cartoons, space ships, whatever you'll find it dull - but an ordinary person in a good mood looking for a casual view might like it). ...thought I'd give a more honest opinion.

I myself am looking for more non-European/American movies featuring real people in real settings, but alas that is rare. I'd like seeing Japanese and Asiatic and African movies, even dubbed, which are something besides "Morphen Power Ranger" ... or "Kill 'Em All" garbage, but rather feature human beings getting along in life. But, they don't seem to exist here in the USA. Too much artsy or glitzy Holloywood hype gets in the way, it seems.

Great Movie, poor DVD
This movie is quite good. Not exactly like Tanpopo but it's a fascinating movie with memorable characters. Unfortunately, the DVD version is absolutely terrible. The DVD version of Tanpopo is a hundred times better. It's very clear that this was a sloppy job. It's nothing but a very poor VHS transfer of the movie to DVD. Bad thing is that the DVD highlights the imperfections of the original VHS so that even people like me can see it. The quality of picture is fuzzy and the subtitles are the ones from the VHS (not DVD subtitles). This results in words that are impossible to see in some scenes and hard to read in all the others since the picture quality is quite fuzzy. Unless you are a die-hard fan of this movie, you're better off spending your money getting the DVD of Tanpopo. The DVD of Tanpopo is not perfect but the quality is still reasonable good and sharp and much better than this ... job.

Utterly Delightful ...
As Tampopo is truly delicious, this film is an unadulterated joy. Fans of Juzo Itami and his wife, Nobuko Miyamoto will recognize old friends from other adventures in this offering. Like a much beloved repertory company, familiar faces are to be found new and surprising roles.

Taking an unlikely subject for heroic portrayal, Itami's (as usual) delightfully feministic touch on that dreaded villain the tax auditor is effective and engaging. Unlike MINBO, which for some inexplicable reason bores me beyond redemption, this film is easily accessible and eminently watchable. Aside from some quite graphic nudity at the very beginning, (view by parents first), the film is an excellent overall story accessible to an audience over about 15. (Depending on your feelings about sex and taxes).

In reference to the subtitling, I must say that ALL subtitling for Itami's films leaves a great deal to be desired, and I frankly don't see that much difference between the DVD and VHS versions ... but I must admit I am not a connoisseur on the matter, either. The ease of use and storage outweigh all other concerns for me.

By the VHS version instead
This outstanding (five star) movie has illegible captions in the DVD version. If you want to be able to read the captions, buy the VHS version instead. Only get the DVD if your Japanese is good enough to understand the movie without captions. ... Read more