The Eel (1997)
Unagi (original title)Reference View | Change View
- Not Rated
- 1h 57min
- Drama
- 21 Aug 1998 (USA)
- Movie
A businessman kills his adulterous wife and is sent to prison. After the release, he opens a barbershop and meets new people, talking almost to no one except an eel he befriended while in prison.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- 16 wins & 14 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast
Directed by
| Shôhei Imamura | ||
Written by
| Shôhei Imamura | ... | () (as Shohei Imamura) |
| Daisuke Tengan | ... | () |
| Motofumi Tomikawa | ... | () |
| Akira Yoshimura | ... | (novel "Glimmering in the Dark/Yami ni hirameku") |
Produced by
| Hisashi Iino | ... | producer (as Hiso Ino) |
| Yasushi Matsuda | ... | line producer |
| Yoshihisa Nakagawa | ... | planner |
| Yukio Nihira | ... | producer |
| Kazuyoshi Okuyama | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Shinichirô Ikebe | ||
Cinematography by
| Shigeru Komatsubara | ||
Editing by
| Hajime Okayasu | ||
Editorial Department
| Hideaki Matsui | ... | assistant editor |
| Yoshitaka Miyake | ... | assistant editor |
Production Design by
| Hisao Inagaki | ||
Set Decoration by
| Toshiharu Aida | ||
| Yoshio Yamada | ||
Makeup Department
| Shigeko Ikawa | ... | make up artist/hair stylist |
| Yûichi Matsui | ... | special makeup effects artist |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Fumio Inoue | ... | first assistant director |
| Hiroharu Kobayashi | ... | assistant director |
| Suguru Kubota | ... | assistant director |
| Masahide Kuwabara | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
| Toshiharu Aida | ... | props |
| Namiko Iwasaka | ... | set designer |
| Kuniyasu Ohfuji | ... | props |
| Shinjirô Suzuki | ... | set designer |
| Sakae Takahashi | ... | set designer |
| Tetsuya Uchida | ... | assistant production designer |
Sound Department
| Kenichi Benitani | ... | sound |
| Hiroo Hoshino | ... | sound recordist |
| Koshiro Jinbo | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Masaya Kitada | ... | sound effects editor |
| Masatoshi Saitô | ... | sound effects editor |
Visual Effects by
| Misako Saka | ... | digital compositing |
| Kazusuke Takasu | ... | digital compositing |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Shinji Henboki | ... | assistant camera |
| Yutoshi Inoue | ... | assistant camera |
| Yasuo Iwaki | ... | lighting technician |
| Akio Kimura | ... | electrician |
| Hideo Mori | ... | assistant camera |
| Kazutoshi Sasada | ... | still photographer |
| Teruhisa Seki | ... | electrician |
| Hideki Takano | ... | electrician |
| Kaname Yoneda | ... | assistant camera |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Kazuo Matsuda | ... | wardrobe supervisor |
Music Department
| Eiji Hirokawa | ... | musician |
| Atsushi Sugiyama | ... | arranger |
Script and Continuity Department
| Hideko Nakata | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
| Yôkôzô Akamatsu | ... | titles |
| Yoshimasa Higashi | ... | production assistant |
| Masumi Ishii | ... | staff |
| Nobuyuki Kajikawa | ... | production coordinator |
| Akira Narisawa | ... | planning |
| Naoko Okada | ... | production assistant |
| Makoto Oono | ... | staff |
| Kôsuke Oshida | ... | making-of |
| Joyce Pierpoline | ... | publicist |
| Kazuo Suzaki | ... | planning |
| Chiaki Tachikawa | ... | staff |
Production Companies
- Eisei Gekijo
- Groove Corporation
- Imamura Productions
- KSS
- NHK Enterprises (production co-operation)
- Satellite Cinema
- Shochiku
Distributors
- Films sans Frontières (1997) (France) (theatrical)
- MFA+ FilmDistribution. (1998) (Germany) (theatrical)
- Primer Plano Film Group (1998) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Satellite Cinema (1997) (World-wide) (theatrical)
- Sharada Distribuzione (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Shochiku (1997) (Japan) (theatrical)
- A Contracorriente Films (2013) (Spain) (DVD)
- Alamode Film (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
- Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
- Artificial Eye
- Atalanta Filmes (Portugal)
- Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
- Madman Entertainment (2005) (New Zealand) (DVD)
- Mongrel Media (Canada)
- New Yorker Films (1998) (United States) (subtitled)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Cannes Film Festival (festival)
- Face Sans Fard (costumes)
- KSS Films (thanks)
- Kodak Japan (film stock)
- Madame Nicole (costumes)
- Mariko Kohga (costumes)
- NTT Printec (location)
- Tokyo Concerts (orchestra)
- Toronto International Film Festival (festival)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
White-collar worker Yamashita finds out that his wife has a lover visiting her when he's away, suddenly returns home and kills her. After eight years in prison, he returns to live in a small village, opens a barber shop (he was trained as a barber in prison) and talks almost to no-one except for the eel he "befriended" in prison. One day he finds the unconscious body of Keiko, who attempted suicide and reminds him of his wife. She starts to work at his shop, but he doesn't let her become close to him. Written by Anonymous |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Winner of the 1997 Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival tied with another title, Abbas Kiarostami's Taste of Cherry (1997) from Iran. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Especial Cannes: 50 Anos de Festival (1997). See more » |
| Quotes |
Takuro Yamashita:
An eel's all a man needs. See more » |