This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

The Eel tells a story about a Japanese man who copes with his guilt after committing a crime. (I won't go into details on the crime, that's for you to find out) The way he does this is what makes this movie a great one in my book. Not only does he turn himself in after the crime (with a great way of response by the police) he even makes a friend out of an eel in prison. Hence the name of the movie. Once outside the prison he tries to build up a barber shop and get his life back on track.The film is carried by its character interactions. Apart from these there is nothing else in this film, so for those who don't like dialogue don't bother with this film because you'll be bored.For the others, who like a story carried by characters, this surely is a must. The only flaw for me was the presence of a quirky UFO nut, but that's minor.And please watch the original version with subs and not some gruesome dubbed version. I never understood the appeal of a dub.

I was slightly disappointed with this Cannes winner, which has many good elements, but not a thoroughly convincing total. A rather unexciting public official, Yamashita, receives anonymous letters about his wife's adultery. Finding her in the act one night he stabs her to death. 8 years later he is trying to begin a new life, with his prison pal, an eel, as company. He opens a barber shop on a desolate river shore and tries to mind his own business, interacting only reluctantly with the locals. A woman he saves from suicide, Keiko, enters his life and tries to break down his barricades. There are many funny and touching scenes, as when Keiko tries stubbornly to provide Yamashita with a lunch bag against his will, and the many nightly fishing trips, where our hero releases the fish as soon as they are caught, are also unforgettable. The movie gains intensity because of the challenge Keiko presents to Yamashita's crumbled self, and some of his scenes of self-questioning are rewarding, but in the end I think movie is too sloppy and inconsequent. The farcical climax falls flat - what I like best are the calm scenes around the barber shop and by the river where the story comes to a halt. 8/10 ************SPOILER!!!!**************** At some point Yamashita realises with a shock that perhaps there was no letter about his wife's adultery. He imagined it. Which makes me wonder: did he imagine the adultery as well, and killed his wife only because of his frustrations with himself? His wife's sensuality, as well as Keiko's, is deeply contrasted with Yamashita's lack of warmth and inability to connect. His tormentor claims that he was unable to fulfill his marital obligations. If that is true, it could have driven him insane. And we never hear about the trial, the other man etc.

'The Eel' proved how the director Shohei Imamura is good at describing life-sized characterization and mental state. The main character's suspicion, madness, kindness and love, are closely related to what we have inside. Which made me sympathetic and devoted to the character. Shohei Imamura described the main character's complication by using the character's delusion. And, the usage of psychological and fantastic images strongly helped to express the human mind. 'The Eel' is a unique human drama.

This film deals with the theme of faith, its loss, its recovery. It has strong images, as usual in Imamura's films. It has also a well thought out plot development. But... it hints at directions that are never fully explored. There is a suggestion that the main character is insane. There are hallucinations. Keiko's behavior is also a little obscure at times. But as the core of the movie is melodrama, surreal aspects are only hinted at. That leaves a slight sensation of unachievement.