The Eel

This masterful film from veteran Japanese director Shohei Imamura shared the top prize at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, and it's easy to see why: Imamura's artistry and the fine cast make for the kind of film international festival jurors love. The casual moviegoer, however, may find Imamura's symbolic subtleties a little obscure. It's summer 1988: Takuro Yamashita (Koji Yakusho), a mild-mannered salaryman, returns home early from a fishing trip to find his wife in bed with her lover. Enraged, he slaughters her with a butcher's knife, then calmly turns himself in to the police. Eight years later, Yamashita is released on parole with a stern warning to steer clear...