Review of The Eel

In the majority of movies I am most attached to the relations between characters and the evolution of this process. 'The eel' for that part is quite interesting as it focuses on a male protagonist with a dark past and a female counterpart equally in troubles.

I was moved by the convincing performance by the two main characters. Besides them there are are only few, some really odd, other persons acting in the story.

As others mentioned before in most parts of the movie the pacing is slow as it can get. This is not unusual for cinema from Asia and I am really comfortable with it, regarding this as some kind of watching meditation experience.

The shooting is at times beautiful and stunning - the violent scene at the beginning or the colorful, vivid, surrealistic looking field of flowers the man finds the woman.

Disliking programmed happy endings of romantic Hollywood movies I enjoyed the unfolding narration of 'The eel' having no clue what is going to happen next and in the end.

Without the one situation which I found weak (one reviewer stated it as slapstick - the 2nd struggle in the barber's shop), there are numerous magical and disturbing moments in this movie.

I fully recommend viewing Shohei Imamura's little gem.