Jiro Dreams Of Sushi Final
Daniel Song
Professor Thomas Anderson
Film 1010 section 060
November 19 2014
“Jiro Dreams of Sushi”
How much would you be willing to pay for a meal of small strips of raw fish on top of finger-sized portions of subtly scented rice? People who are familiar with the sushi industry know that in some restaurants, these bite-sized delicacies can cost an arm and a leg, but the real question is “why”. In the 2011 documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” director David Gelb interviews Jiro Ono, his kitchen staff, and people that have known him for a long time – and delves into Jiro’s world of culinary art.
Tucked away in the basement of a Tokyo office building for the past seven years accommodating a mere 10 seats lies a three Michelin Star sushi restaurant. While attempting to answer why people are willing to pay ridiculous amounts for this delicacy in a locale that is debatably far from the average Michelin standard, Gelb’s continually falls away from the main story and becomes absorbed on reiterating the same mantra over and over – consistency and dedication being the key to success. Jiro states, “Once you decide on your occupation... you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success...”
For prices starting at ¥30,000, roughly $256, per person for a set menu of about 20 pieces of sushi also known as “omakase” the food should be something divine to be worthy of such expenditure. David Gelb goes to great lengths in order to prove that Jiro’s sushi is worth every penny – using extensive shots of food preparation matched with somber moments of meditative classical music.
Unlike many other cooking related documentaries, “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” does not focus solely on food but also on Jiro’s disrupted childhood, damaged by an alcoholic father who left the family early and “parents” who did not care for him. When he was in the first
Professor Thomas Anderson
Film 1010 section 060
November 19 2014
“Jiro Dreams of Sushi”
How much would you be willing to pay for a meal of small strips of raw fish on top of finger-sized portions of subtly scented rice? People who are familiar with the sushi industry know that in some restaurants, these bite-sized delicacies can cost an arm and a leg, but the real question is “why”. In the 2011 documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” director David Gelb interviews Jiro Ono, his kitchen staff, and people that have known him for a long time – and delves into Jiro’s world of culinary art.
Tucked away in the basement of a Tokyo office building for the past seven years accommodating a mere 10 seats lies a three Michelin Star sushi restaurant. While attempting to answer why people are willing to pay ridiculous amounts for this delicacy in a locale that is debatably far from the average Michelin standard, Gelb’s continually falls away from the main story and becomes absorbed on reiterating the same mantra over and over – consistency and dedication being the key to success. Jiro states, “Once you decide on your occupation... you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success...”
For prices starting at ¥30,000, roughly $256, per person for a set menu of about 20 pieces of sushi also known as “omakase” the food should be something divine to be worthy of such expenditure. David Gelb goes to great lengths in order to prove that Jiro’s sushi is worth every penny – using extensive shots of food preparation matched with somber moments of meditative classical music.
Unlike many other cooking related documentaries, “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” does not focus solely on food but also on Jiro’s disrupted childhood, damaged by an alcoholic father who left the family early and “parents” who did not care for him. When he was in the first