UNAGI (Original title)The EEL (Alternative title)
Date: 1996 (Copyright)Country: JapanDirector: Shohei Imamura
Production company billing: © Eisei Gekijo (Satellite Cinema) Co Ltd/KSS Films Co-produced by Groove Corp. in association with Imamura Productions A Shochiku Cinema Japanesque presentation In Colour Subtitles [Cremin version] ©1996 Shochiku-Fuji
Synopsis: Based on the story `Yami ni Hirameku/Glittering in the dark' by Akira Yoshimura. Begins in 1988, when the middle-aged protagonist returns home from a fishing trip to find his much younger wife in bed with another man. He stabs her to death, then gives himself up to the police, Eight years later, he is paroled from prison and tries to rebuild his life by opening a barber's shop in a rural backwater. At first, taciturn and inward-looking, he confides his thoughts and fears only to the eel he adopted as a pet while in prison, but a chance meeting with a woman who has attempted suicide gradually draws him out of his shell.Synopsis: Story begins in 1988 when Yamashita finds his wife in bed with a lover, stabs her to death and then gives himself up to the police. Eight years later, released on parole, Yamashita attempts to rebuild his life. At first he communicates only with an eel he found while he was in prison but his chance meeting with Keiko, a thirty-year-old woman, begins to change his life.
Genre: Drama
Releases
Date: 1996Country: JapanRelease type: unknownFormat: not specified - Colour - SoundRuntime: 117 mins Subtitles: Japanese
Title: Why Palme d'Or gold does not always glitterAuthor: ADLER, Tim Article type: Short ArticleLanguage: English
Description: Comment on how poorly Cannes Film Festival's winners do at the box office. Includes table with figures for 1988-2007.
In: Sight and Sound v9 n7 July 1999 Page: 5
Title: RushesArticle type: Short ArticleLanguage: English
Description: The EEL is the third Japanese film to be released in Korea and the first to be a hit after the lifting of the fifty- year ban on Japanese culture.
In: Film Review vSpec nNo.26 Year Book 1998/9 Page: 58
Title: The eelAuthor: BINNS, John Article type: ReviewLanguage: English
Description: Short review.
In: Sight and Sound v8 n12 December 1998 Pages: 38-39,44
Title: ReviewsAuthor: RAYNS, Tony Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
In: Screen International n1157 08 May 1998 Page: 26
Title: Cannes 1997: How did the winners fare at the box officeArticle type: TablesLanguage: English
Description: Looks at the winners at Cannes (1997) and what impact the prize had on box office takings, includes UNAGI, Palme D'Or winner
In: Empire n114 December 1998 Page: 34
Title: New filmsAuthor: COLLINS, Andrew Article type: ReviewLanguage: English
In: Variety 26 May 1997 Page: 65
Title: Film reviewsAuthor: STRATTON, David Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
In: Positif n440 October 1997 Pages: 8-10
Title: "Je fais plus que ce q'on me dit de faire"-entretien avec...Author: NIOGRET, Hubert Article type: InterviewLanguage: French
Description: Interview with Shohei Imamura about his work, particularly his latest film UNAGI.
In: Positif n437/438 Jul/Aug 1997 Page: 109, 111
Title: [Positif - n437/438 Jul/Aug 1997: no known title]Author: L.C. Article type: ReviewLanguage: French
Description: Reviewed at the 1997 Cannes International Film Festival.
In: Positif n440 October 1997 Pages: 6-7
Title: Anguille - discrète et miraculeuseAuthor: TOBIN, Yann Article type: CreditsLanguage: French
In: The Hollywood Reporter v347 n23 13 May 1997 Page: 8,16
Title: Film reviewAuthor: BYRGE, Duane Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
In: Screen International n1108 16 May 1997 Page: 15
Title: Cannes ReviewsAuthor: SCHILLING, Mark Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
In: Premiere n247 October 1997 Page: 44
Title: [Premiere - n247 October 1997: no known title]Author: BERNARD, Jean-Jeacques Article type: CreditsLanguage: French
In: Screen International n1064 28 Jun 1996 Page: 19
Title: International ProductionAuthor: SCHILLING, Mark Article type: Prod. DetailsLanguage: English
In: Cinemaya n35 Winter 1996/97 Pages: 25-26
Title: UnagiAuthor: TESSIER, Max Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
In: Screen International n1060 31 May 1996 Page: 20
Title: International ProductionArticle type: CreditsLanguage: English
Film, Video or Digital materials held in BFI National Archive(1)
Video materials(1)
Description: VHS cassetteBFI identifier: C-1066760
Status: Status pending - Material requires inspection to determine preservation or access status
Date: 1996 (Copyright)Country: JapanDirector: Shohei Imamura
Production company billing: © Eisei Gekijo (Satellite Cinema) Co Ltd/KSS Films Co-produced by Groove Corp. in association with Imamura Productions A Shochiku Cinema Japanesque presentation In Colour Subtitles [Cremin version] ©1996 Shochiku-Fuji
Synopsis: Based on the story `Yami ni Hirameku/Glittering in the dark' by Akira Yoshimura. Begins in 1988, when the middle-aged protagonist returns home from a fishing trip to find his much younger wife in bed with another man. He stabs her to death, then gives himself up to the police, Eight years later, he is paroled from prison and tries to rebuild his life by opening a barber's shop in a rural backwater. At first, taciturn and inward-looking, he confides his thoughts and fears only to the eel he adopted as a pet while in prison, but a chance meeting with a woman who has attempted suicide gradually draws him out of his shell.Synopsis: Story begins in 1988 when Yamashita finds his wife in bed with a lover, stabs her to death and then gives himself up to the police. Eight years later, released on parole, Yamashita attempts to rebuild his life. At first he communicates only with an eel he found while he was in prison but his chance meeting with Keiko, a thirty-year-old woman, begins to change his life.
Genre: Drama
Releases
Date: 1996Country: JapanRelease type: unknownFormat: not specified - Colour - SoundRuntime: 117 mins Subtitles: Japanese
Credits
(58)
©1996: Eisei Gekijo, Production Co-operation: NHK Enterprises21, Co-production: Groove Corporation, In association with: Imamura Productions, Presented by: Shochiku Co. Ltd., Executive Producer: Kazuyoshi Okuyama, Producer: Hisa Iino, Line Producer: Yasushi Matsuda, Planning: Kazuo Suzaki, Planning: Akira Narusawa, Yoshihisa Nakagawa, Production Co-ordinator: Nobuyuki Kajikawa, Production Assistant: Yoshimasa Higashi, Production Assistant: Naoko Okada, Assistant Director (1st): Fumio Inoue, Assistant Director: Masahide Kuwahara, Assistant Director: Hiroharu Kobayashi, Assistant Director: Takeshi Kubota, Script Supervisor: Hideko Nakada, Screenplay: Motofumi Tomikawa, Screenplay: Daisuke Tengan, Screenplay: Shohei Imamura, Based on the story 'Yami ni Hirameku' by: Akira Yoshimura, Director of Photography: Shigeru Komatsubara, Lighting: Yasuo Iwaki, Lighting (Assistant): Yutoshi Inoue, Lighting (Assistant): Teruhisa Seki, Lighting (Assistant): Hideki Takano, Akio Kimura, Camera Assistant: Hideo Mori, Camera Assistant: Kaname Yoneda, Shinji Henboki, Editor: Hajime Okayasu, Assistant Editor: Hideaki Matsui, Assistant Editor: Yoshitaka Miyake, Production Designer: Hisao Inagaki, Production Design Assistant: Tetsuya Uchida, Set Decorator: Toshiharu Aida, Set Decorator: Yoshio Yamada, Props: Kuniyasu Ofuji, Wardrobe: Kazuo Matsuda, Hair/Make-up: Shigeko Igawa, Main Title Calligraphy: Yokozo Akamatsu, Music: Shinichiro Ikebe, Music Performed by: Tokyo Concert, Music Performer (Flamenco Guitar): Norihiro Takahashi, Choreography: Hirofumi Nakase, Choreography (Flamenco): Kyoko Iwasaki, Sound Recording: Kenichi Benitanai, Sound Recording (Assistant): Eiji Hirokawa, Hiroo Hoshino, Sound Re-recording: Koshiro Jinbo, Sound Effects: Masatoshi Saito, Thanks: Imagica, Thanks: Kodak (Japan), Thanks: SANWA, KSS Films
Cast
(45)
Kôji Yakusho (Takuro Yamashita), Misa Shimizu (Keiko Hattori), Fujio Tsuneta (Jiro Nakajima), Mitsuko Baisho (Misako, Nakajima's wife), Makoto Sato (Jukichi Takada, carpenter), Akira Emoto (Tamotsu Takasaki, ex-con), Sho Aihara (Yuji Nozawa, yakuza), Ken Kobayashi (Masaki Saito, UFO freak), Sabu Kawahara (Seitaro Misato, cop), Etsuko Ichihara (Fumie Hattori, Keiko's mother), Tomoro Taguchi (Eiji Dojima), Sansho Shinsui (hospital doctor), Shoichi Ozawa (gynaecology clinic doctor), Chiho Terada (Emiko Yamashita), Aramasa Nakamaru, Shigeru Hiraizumi, Seiji Kurasaki, Toshio Ishido, Kôichi Ueda (Keiji), Ken Mitsuishi, Hiroyuki Konishi (prison guard), Kazuyuki Senba, Takashi Odajima, Masayuki Akinaga, Masahiro Noguchi, Kyoya Ogawa, Rumi Shiina, Sayuri Jindagawa, Yohihiro Zaitsu, Kalen Kurino, Kyohei Hayakawa, Makoto Yamamoto, Yasuharu Okubo, Kazuya Sasaki, Saburo Masamura, Kaoru Ikeda, Yasushi Kitamura, Jiko Uchiyama, Kentaro Sakai, Hiroko Miyazaki, Hisaya Nosaka, Ikiko Ihara, Miyuki Miura, Bansho Shinra, Toshishige Omori
Articles held in BFI Reuben Library
(16)
In: Screen Finance v21 n9 21 May 2008 Page: 5Title: Why Palme d'Or gold does not always glitterAuthor: ADLER, Tim Article type: Short ArticleLanguage: English
Description: Comment on how poorly Cannes Film Festival's winners do at the box office. Includes table with figures for 1988-2007.
In: Sight and Sound v9 n7 July 1999 Page: 5
Title: RushesArticle type: Short ArticleLanguage: English
Description: The EEL is the third Japanese film to be released in Korea and the first to be a hit after the lifting of the fifty- year ban on Japanese culture.
In: Film Review vSpec nNo.26 Year Book 1998/9 Page: 58
Title: The eelAuthor: BINNS, John Article type: ReviewLanguage: English
Description: Short review.
In: Sight and Sound v8 n12 December 1998 Pages: 38-39,44
Title: ReviewsAuthor: RAYNS, Tony Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
In: Screen International n1157 08 May 1998 Page: 26
Title: Cannes 1997: How did the winners fare at the box officeArticle type: TablesLanguage: English
Description: Looks at the winners at Cannes (1997) and what impact the prize had on box office takings, includes UNAGI, Palme D'Or winner
In: Empire n114 December 1998 Page: 34
Title: New filmsAuthor: COLLINS, Andrew Article type: ReviewLanguage: English
In: Variety 26 May 1997 Page: 65
Title: Film reviewsAuthor: STRATTON, David Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
In: Positif n440 October 1997 Pages: 8-10
Title: "Je fais plus que ce q'on me dit de faire"-entretien avec...Author: NIOGRET, Hubert Article type: InterviewLanguage: French
Description: Interview with Shohei Imamura about his work, particularly his latest film UNAGI.
In: Positif n437/438 Jul/Aug 1997 Page: 109, 111
Title: [Positif - n437/438 Jul/Aug 1997: no known title]Author: L.C. Article type: ReviewLanguage: French
Description: Reviewed at the 1997 Cannes International Film Festival.
In: Positif n440 October 1997 Pages: 6-7
Title: Anguille - discrète et miraculeuseAuthor: TOBIN, Yann Article type: CreditsLanguage: French
In: The Hollywood Reporter v347 n23 13 May 1997 Page: 8,16
Title: Film reviewAuthor: BYRGE, Duane Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
In: Screen International n1108 16 May 1997 Page: 15
Title: Cannes ReviewsAuthor: SCHILLING, Mark Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
In: Premiere n247 October 1997 Page: 44
Title: [Premiere - n247 October 1997: no known title]Author: BERNARD, Jean-Jeacques Article type: CreditsLanguage: French
In: Screen International n1064 28 Jun 1996 Page: 19
Title: International ProductionAuthor: SCHILLING, Mark Article type: Prod. DetailsLanguage: English
In: Cinemaya n35 Winter 1996/97 Pages: 25-26
Title: UnagiAuthor: TESSIER, Max Article type: CreditsLanguage: English
In: Screen International n1060 31 May 1996 Page: 20
Title: International ProductionArticle type: CreditsLanguage: English
Film, Video or Digital materials held in BFI National Archive(1)
Video materials(1)
Description: VHS cassetteBFI identifier: C-1066760
Status: Status pending - Material requires inspection to determine preservation or access status