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Movies / On DVD / The Eel
The Eel

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The Eel (1997)

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75 %
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Reviews Counted:24

Fresh:18

Rotten:6

Average Rating:7/10

Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Synopsis: With THE EEL, director Shohei Imamura shows that eels are not just a tasty sushi treat but also a symbol of the human condition. Yamashita (Koji Yakusho) kills his unfaithful wife and turns himself... With THE EEL, director Shohei Imamura shows that eels are not just a tasty sushi treat but also a symbol of the human condition. Yamashita (Koji Yakusho) kills his unfaithful wife and turns himself in to the police. Eight years later he is paroled and must try to find redemption. Setting up shop as a barber, he encounters several unusual characters, including a young man who hopes to attract UFOs and a woman with a troubled past who tries to reel him in with delicious lunch boxes. Yamashita, however, is obsessed with his pet eel, his only companion during his years in prison. In his previous films (THE INSECT WOMAN, BALLAD OF NARAYAMA), Imamura has often suggested the closeness between humans and animals; in THE EEL, he takes the connection one step further, having his main character carry on hilarious dialogues with his pet. Based on the novel YAMI NI HIRAMEKU by Akira Yoshimura, the film marks Imamura's triumphant return to filmmaking after an eight-year break. When the film won the Palme d'Or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, Imamura became one of only three directors to have won the honor twice. [More]

Starring: Koji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu, Ken Kobayashi, Fujio Tokita

Starring: Koji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu, Ken Kobayashi, Fujio Tokita, Akira Emoto, Mitsuko Baisho

Director: Shohei Imamura

Director: Shohei Imamura
Screenwriter: Shohei Imamura, Daisuke Tengan, Motofumi Tomikawa
Producer: Hiso Ino

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Eel

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Bubble View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
splat
3/5

Andrew Collins

What starts out as intriguing turns into simply baffling.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

Empire Magazine

N/R

David Stratton

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 26 2009 03:15 AM

Variety

tomato
3/5

Cole Smithey

No review available.

comment Comment | Oct., 12 2005 01:27 PM

ColeSmithey.com

tomato
4/5

Emanuel Levy

No review available.

comment Comment | Aug., 12 2005 01:45 PM

EmanuelLevy.Com

tomato
3.5/4

Judith Egerton

Imamura composed The Eel with an artist's eye and takes his time, so don't expect a fast-paced American-style film.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 02 2004 08:24 AM

Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)

splat
2/4

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 14 2003 05:05 PM

Palo Alto Weekly

tomato
5/5

Darrin Keene

No review available.

comment Comment | Feb., 04 2003 05:40 PM

Film Threat

N/R

David Sterritt

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 17 2002 08:06 AM

Film Scouts

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 24 2002 08:06 AM

Boston Phoenix

N/R

Joe Baltake

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 14 2002 08:06 AM

Sacramento Bee

tomato

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

This excellent drama, based on a novel, reveals the beginning of a relationship between two souls who are trying to move beyond the wounds of the past.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 02 2002 05:34 AM

Spirituality and Practice

tomato
4/5

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.

[An] odd, affecting little film.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 28 2002 08:06 AM

Goatdog's Movies

tomato

Kevin Thomas

Unpredictable and captivating.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 14 2001 08:23 AM

Los Angeles Times

tomato

Bob Graham

It sounds nuts, but one of the best movies in town is about the relationship of a man with his eel.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

San Francisco Chronicle

tomato
B-

Dennis Schwartz

An interesting film that works most effectively as an introspective study of how to deal with one's anger and love.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

splat
2.5/5

Ed Scheid

Yakusho gives a good performance in the lead role but the screenplay does not go beneath the surface of the characters.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

Boxoffice Magazine

tomato
3/4

G. Allen Johnson

In a way, The Eel is very much like Black Rain, and nearly as great.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

San Francisco Examiner

tomato
9/10

Harvey S. Karten

Effectively emotional, quiet, and leisurely paced.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

Compuserve

tomato

J. Hoberman

This simple, sinuous fable may not be among Imamura's greatest films ... but it could hardly have been made by anyone else.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

Village Voice

tomato

James Sanford

Just when it seems like 'The Eel' is going to settle into a standard love-conquers-fear tale, the writers begin coloring in the characters, revealing their secrets and insecurities. The results are sometimes shocking and sometimes funny...

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 01 2000 12:00 AM

Kalamazoo Gazette

 
 
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