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The Eel

Play trailer Poster for The Eel 1997 1h 56m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Freed after spending eight years in prison for killing his unfaithful wife in a jealous rage, Takuro Yamashita (Koji Yakusho) opens a barber shop and spends his free time communing with the pet eel he got while in prison. One day, he saves a young woman named Keiko Hattori (Misa Shimizu) from committing suicide, and offers her a job in his shop. Despite the pair's growing mutual attraction, Takuro's enduring guilt over his wife's murder obstructs the growth of their relationship.

Critics Reviews

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Jake Cole Slant Magazine Apr 17
Like much of Imamura Shôhei’s work, The Eel deals frankly with matters of sex and sexuality, but with an emotional detachment akin to an anthropological study. Go to Full Review Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times 02/14/2001
Unpredictable and captivating. Go to Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle 01/01/2000
4/5
A flash of quiet brilliance that resonates long after the images have faded from the screen. Go to Full Review Douglas Davidson Elements of Madness Apr 15
Through Imamura’s film, concepts of violence, greed, and lust are ruminated on and manipulated until one’s own straight-forward beliefs regarding redemption are challenged in this surprisingly hopeful, though familiar, tale. Go to Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com 10/12/2005
3/5
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 08/12/2005
4/5
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Audience Reviews

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05/18/2014 Just like an eel, this movie is indeed slimy at first, but ironically doesn't give in to what the viewer's might expect. See more 01/26/2014 Poetic, funny, gripping, The Eel is a masterpiece. See more 10/05/2013 All of the pieces might not fit together - particularly Yamashita's personal journey - but the central relationship and the climax alone make the film lovable. See more 07/18/2013 This film (Imamura's second and final film to win a Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival) is living proof that Japan (alongside France) has reinvented cinema. See more 06/28/2013 This is the most perfect film I've seen. See more 10/21/2012 This is an interesting "one-time" movie! See more Read all reviews
The Eel

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Cast & Crew

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Shôhei Imamura

Director

Kôji Yakusho

Takuro Yamashita

Misa Shimizu

Keiko Hattori

Fujio Tsuneta

Jiro Nakajima

Mitsuko Baishô

Misako Nakajima

Akira Emoto

Tamotsu Takasaki
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The Eel

The Eel (1997) The Eel (1997) The Eel (1997) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Freed after spending eight years in prison for killing his unfaithful wife in a jealous rage, Takuro Yamashita (Koji Yakusho) opens a barber shop and spends his free time communing with the pet eel he got while in prison. One day, he saves a young woman named Keiko Hattori (Misa Shimizu) from committing suicide, and offers her a job in his shop. Despite the pair's growing mutual attraction, Takuro's enduring guilt over his wife's murder obstructs the growth of their relationship.
Director
Shôhei Imamura
Producer
Hisa Iino
Screenwriter
Shôhei Imamura, Daisuke Tengan, Motofumi Tomikawa, Takashi Yoshimura, Akira Yoshimura
Distributor
New Yorker Films
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
May 12, 1997, Original
Box Office (Gross USA)
$413.8K
Runtime
1h 56m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)