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The Eel (1997)
Unagi (original title)

117 min  -  Drama   -  21 August 1998 (USA)
7.4
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Ratings: 7.4/10 from 2,894 users  
Reviews: 22 user | 37 critic

White-collar worker Yamashita finds out that his wife has a lover visiting her when he's away, suddenly returns home and kills her... See full summary »

Director:

Shôhei Imamura
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14 wins & 13 nominations See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kôji Yakusho ...
Takuro Yamashita
Misa Shimizu ...
Keiko Hattori
Mitsuko Baishô Mitsuko Baishô ...
Misako Nakajima
Akira Emoto Akira Emoto ...
Tamotsu Takasaki
Fujio Tokita Fujio Tokita ...
Jiro Nakajima
Shô Aikawa Shô Aikawa ...
Yuji Nozawa
Ken Kobayashi Ken Kobayashi ...
Masaki Saito
Sabu Kawahara Sabu Kawahara ...
Seitaro Misato
Etsuko Ichihara Etsuko Ichihara ...
Fumie Hattori
Tomorowo Taguchi Tomorowo Taguchi ...
Eiji Dojima
Chiho Terada Chiho Terada ...
Emiko Yamashita
Shinshô Nakamaru Shinshô Nakamaru
Sei Hiraizumi Sei Hiraizumi
Seiji Kurasaki Seiji Kurasaki
Toshirô Ishidô Toshirô Ishidô
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Storyline

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  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Barber | Eel | Barber Shop | Village  | See more »

Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

A Enguia See more »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

DEM 12,386 (Germany) (8 February 1998) (4 Screens)

Gross:

$413,793 (USA) (30 May 1999)
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Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 92472 See more »

Connections

Featured in Especial Cannes: 50 Anos de Festival (1997) See more »