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The Eel
うなぎ
1997 117 min Japan 18+
★7.5
Drama, Crime
Director: Shôhei Imamura
Trailers
Description
A businessman kills his adulterous wife and is sent to prison. After his release, he opens a barbershop and meets new people, talking to almost no one except for an eel he befriended while in prison.
US Gross:
$418,480
Starring
Kôji Yakusho
Actor
Misa Shimizu
Actor
Mitsuko Baishô
Actor
Awards
Cannes Film Festival 1997
— Palme d'Or
Key opinion
Shohei Imamura’s Palme d'Or-winning drama is widely celebrated as a profound, meditative exploration of redemption, guilt, and the potential for human rebirth. The film is noted for its masterful blend of visceral imagery, dark humor, and quiet, humanistic storytelling that centers on a unique bond between a troubled ex-convict and an eel.
| Acting | Koji Yakusho’s performance is a standout, grounding the protagonist’s complex emotional transition with a striking and fully realized presence. | |
| Direction | Imamura’s direction creates a masterfully consistent, albeit unconventional, aesthetic that bridges visceral violence with moments of calm, humanist reflection. | |
| Theme | The film utilizes the eel as a sophisticated and resonant symbol for the protagonist’s conscience, unspoken trauma, and solitude. | |
| Pacing | The pacing is deeply intentional; while many find its slow, contemplative tempo to be a rewarding meditative experience, some viewers find its unconventional structure and lack of traditional narrative symmetry to be disorienting. | |
| Score | The score is widely praised for being haunting, melodic, and perfectly aligned with the film’s melancholic yet hopeful atmosphere. |