Stills

Throughout Jiro Dreams of Sushi, montages are often used to show procedures of the sushi preparation as various interviewees discuss Jiro’s practices and philosophy. Two such sequences stand out in particular as epitomizing Gelb’s technique of using rhythmic editing and shifts in tempo connect us with the repetitious and exacting work of the sushi chefs of Sukiyabashi Jiro.

The first sequence runs from roughly 27:20 to 31:30, opening with establishing shots of Jiro describing his life after World War II. The second sequence runs from roughly 45:50 to 48:15 and starts with food critic Masuhiro Yamamoto stating that Jiro is like a maestro leading an orchestra and that all of his assistants work tirelessly for his approval.